Grays Athletic 0 - 0 Cheshunt

The heat slowed both teams as they started the match at a steady pace and probed for space. The Blues had the first chance when Danny Bunce and Louis Dennis played some one touch football but Dennis couldn’t control the through ball and the ball went out for a corner. Harry Agombar crossed for Bradley Thomas to head on for Dennis to head just wide. Cheshunt were well organise in defence and were ready to attack on the break with Josh Hutchinson and Kevin Ashwood willing to chase down the long pass and Ashwood missed a golden chance when he scuffed his shot straight to Andy Hall. A Bunce free kick just skimmed the top of the bar after Dennis was fouled as Grays pushed forward but didn’t appear to be settled. At the other end a Charlie Moxom free kick was headed into the path of Ashwood but hall had the easiest of saves to stifle the attack. The Cheshunt keeper, Joe Wright, bravely dived to stop a Junior Baker header and was laid out after an accidental clash of heads for several minutes but rose to warm applause to carry on. Lee Flynn laid on a cross for a fast running Jason Fontaine but his shot was sharply saved by Wright and this gave the away side the momentum to start to get on top as they moved forward and a run into space by Hutchinson saw him clear but his smartly hit shot rattled the cross bar and ran clear. A break by Dennis saw him one to one but his shot ran just wide of the post as the extra time added ran down and the ref called an end to the half.

Grays brought on Joao Carlos for Fontaine at half time to try and inject pace into the game and his pacey runs almost opened up the away defence but the ball just ran away as he shot and went wide. Another run and cross found Joe Sweeney clear but a mishit shot went easily to the keeper. Bunce came off for David Cowley to give some extra width and fresh legs as the Blues looked to take the match forward but it was a clever run by Ashwood that Hall had to cover to prevent a goal. Cowley’s runs on the right were beginning to tell but the ball would not go to a Blues head as he crossed several times as Grays started to get on top. Jean-Michel Sigere came on for Sweeney as the home side went looking to open their account but it was Dennis who spurned the next chance as he latched onto a Craig Pope cross only to put it wide. Cowley put in a pin point pass to Agombar but his shot was well saved by Wright. Cheshunt were still looking dangerous on the break and some desperate defending by Baker and Thomas kept the ball away. The best chance of the half came when a long ball by Hall came to Dennis and his control and shot looked to have made the break through only for the ball to creep past the post. Grays were on top but they huffed and puffed but could not break the stout defence of the away side as they closed ranks and made life difficult for the Blues forward line. The ref called time on the game to end a compelling contest and a draw leaving both teams ruing their missed chances.

Grays Athletic :- Andy Hall, Lee Flynn, Junior Baker, Bradley Thomas, Craig Pope, Jason Fontaine (Joao Carlos 45), Kenny Beaney, Harry Agombar, Danny Bunce (David Cowley 57), Louis Dennis, Joe Sweeney (Jean-Michel Sigere 64)