No return from a trip to league leaders

Grays Athletic travelled to Suffolk for the second time in a week hoping to build on their success earlier in the week at Ipswich Wanderers but knowing that this assignment at league leaders Lowestoft Town would be of a different order. And so it proved.

For much of the first half though Grays gave as good as they got. Indeed, it was Blues who created the early chances. In just the fourth minute, Billy Crook’s ball over the top almost found Charlie Stimson and in the following attack, Kien Connolly was caught a whisker offside. At the other end, Jack Humphrey caused alarm when he skewed a clearance just the post, before Harvey Sayer missed the target with a shot from the right edge of the box. And then Josh Hazell put a header wide from a free kick.

For a while the game was good end-to-end entertainment. Codey Cosgrave broke through the home defensive line but keeper, Luke Holt was out smartly to clear the chance in the nick of time. Sayer was proving to be the Trawlerboys real danger man and it took a fine block from Humphrey to deny him a clear sight of goal - one of several chances he created cutting in from wide right.

Just after the half hour, Blues had what was probably their best chance of the half, when Cosgrave fed Connolly inside the box but he failed to work the keeper with his shot. Blues new man Kyan Gulliver then created a chance for Stimson, who should have done better with the chance.

And as is so often when playing teams at the top of the table, Blues were made to pay for their lack of cutting edge up front. With five minutes of the half remaining, Giani Ashley was adjudged to have committed a foul on the edge of the penalty area, receiving a yellow card for his trouble. And that man, Sayer stepped up to strike the free kick, via a deflection, past Danny Sambridge in the Grays goal, for a 1-0 lead.

Half time: Lowestoft Town 1 v 0 Grays Athletic

Sadly, for the sizeable travelling Blues fans and the large home contingent, the second half was a largely forgettable affair. Both defences were on top, with the home back line, in particular, well organised and determined to repel all borders.

It took Lowestoft 25 minutes of the second half to increase their advantage. The impressive full back, Robert Eagle, fired the ball across the Blues penalty area and it fell to the unmarked Sayer at the far post, and he needed no second invitation to make it 2-0.

Shortly after, Bobby Unwin fed Connolly whose shot at Holt was a relatively tame one. Sub Omar Dacus looked lively down the left wing when he came on. But there was little else to cheer the crowd.

After the game, manager Darren Manning referred to the progress that his side were making, in that they were disappointed to have come away from the league leaders with nothing to show for their efforts. Better opportunities will come Grays’ way, starting at home to Witham on Tuesday night.

Final score: Lowestoft Town 2 v 0 Grays Athletic

Grays Ath: Sambridge, Ashley, Gulliver, Toussaint, George, Humphrey, Unwin, Crook (Dacus 81), Stimson, Cosgrave, Connolly

Subs not used: Gibson, Matyar, Carlos