Blues score comfortable win

Grays Ath had one of their best afternoons of the season, at home to local neighbours, Redbridge FC. A comfortable 2-0 win saw Blues ease their position at the lower reaches of the table - whilst in the ground there was a celebration of the #HerGameToo initiative, celebrating the contribution of women and girls to our great club, as well as visitors from Thurrock Fostering Services, helping to cement our place within the local community.

With several injuries across the squad, Darren Manning fielded a side with no obvious focal point to the attack, but the formation worked really well on the day - consolidating the defence and bossing things in midfield.

For the second weekend running, Grays made the early running. In just the third minute, Man of the Match, Aron Gordon, made his first dart into the visitors’ penalty area and his ball back across from the byline, found Matas Skarna, who couldn’t miss from close range, for his first Blues goal and a 1-0 lead. But the big question was this time, could they consolidate the position.

Redbridge played a very route-one style of football, with Ayo Odukoya at the centre of the attack. But the Blues defence allowed the Motormen very few opportunities all afternoon and debutant keeper, Anthony Page could barely have wished for a quieter introduction.

The midfield four of Malaki Toussaint, Billy Crook, Marcus Milner and Eliott Sartorius controlled much of the traffic through the pitch and between them regularly sought to catch out the visitors’ back line with expert balls over the top - with Gordon and Skarna willing runners in behind.

It took Redbridge past the twenty minute mark before they mustered a meaningful attempt on goal but Louie Johnson’s shot went wide. The same man was then stopped by a fine block by Michael Finneran, to protect the Blues’ lead.

Grays nearly doubled their lead when Gordon went on another of his mazy runs, this time down the left and Skarna tried an audacious back heal from inside the six yard box that the Redbridge defence just managed to scramble clear.

In five minutes of added time, Samson Uwandu fired over after an outbreak of pinball in the Grays penalty area - and at the other end, Billy Crook almost teed up Malaki Toussaint.

Half time: Grays Athletic 1 v 0 Redbridge

The second period was probably one of Grays’ most dominant of the season so far. Eliott Sartorius saw a lot of the ball and used his physicality well to create numerous openings over the half. But it was an interchange between Giani Ashley and Skarna that set up Aron Gordon, who’s curling shot went just wide of the far post, as everyone could only stand and watch the ball. But it didn’t take long for Gordon to make his mark on the scoreboard. Just before the hour mark, he ran through onto a ball over the top from Sartorius and finished calmly past visitors’ keeper Connor Wheatley, for a 2-0 lead and a huge sigh of relief from the Blues faithful in the stands.

The pair nearly repeated the trick just a minute later, but this time Wheatley was up to the task.

Redbridge’s best chances came with fifteen minutes left on the clock. Uwandu had an effort cleared off the line by Alejandro Machado, following a scramble in the Grays six yard area. And then Machado again foiled Odukoya with another last-ditch clearance.

In attack, Aron Gordon continued to run at the Redbridge defence and second Grays debutant, Albert Perry was welcomed back to this level of football by a flailing arm from ex-Blue Lewis Clark, who got a yellow card for his trouble and more banter from the Blues terraces.

Grays almost finished off the perfect afternoon in injury time, when sub Codey Cosgrove rounded the keeper but couldn’t find a strong enough finish to put the icing on the cake.

Continued performances like this will see Grays climb up the table in the final weeks of the season - but whatever, this squad of players is starting to gel and there is more understanding across the pitch. Let’s hope for a repeat performance on Tuesday evening in the much re-arranged fixture against Brightlingsea.

Final score : Grays Athletic 2 v 0 Redbridge

Grays Ath: Page, Ashley, Humphrey, Machado, Finneran, Milner, Skarna, Toussaint, Sartorius (Perry, 82), Crook (Cosgrove, 66), Gordon (Clarke, 87)

Sub not used: Matyar