Grays looked nervous as they began the game looking to consolidate their position in the top five but a hard working Chatham came to try and spoil the home team’s style of play as they closed down and harried all the way through the match.

Harry Agombar tried hard in the middle of the park to open up the away defence and Lee Flynn was at his best working the left flank but neither could carve out a solid chance and it was Blackman who created the first chance as he ran through the middle to find space but Junior Baker closed him down to ease the pressure.

Jake Hall had a solid game covering the midfield but some disjointed play saw passes go astray as Grays could not find a way through a tight Chatham defence.

Bradley Thomas almost gave Grays the lead when, from a corner, Hall crossed into the box for Thomas to see his header fly just over the bar. Nathan Gordon started to find room on the right and his floated cross found Joao Carlos but his header could only find Roberts in the away goal.

Slowly the chances came as Danny Bunce ran clear to pass to Carlos. His cross dropped into the path of James Bunn and his shot was cleared off the line by Barton. As Grays pushed forward a long clearance found Chatham bearing down on goal with only Tony Tucker and Craig Pope behind three forwards but a timely tackle by Pope saw the ball cleared and the danger pass.

Roberts was in top form when Pope found himself clear on goal but a double save frustrated the defender to keep the game level. Gordon tried his luck with a speculative cross and Roberts tipped the ball clear at full stretch as the half came to a close.

Grays started quickly in the second half but neither Bunce nor Carlos could trouble the keeper but it was the long ball tactics from Chatham that started to open the game.

Unfortunate defensive errors crept back into the Grays game as Chatham pushed and a misunderstanding saw the ball tapped back to Tucker under pressure and he had to head the ball clear. The ball dropped to Blackman and he coolly chipped the ball over the keepers head to give the away side the lead.

Hall and Bunn were subbed by Joe Sweeney and Jean-Michel Sigere as Grays went back to 4-4-2 and the tactics almost worked immediately when Sweeney pulled the defence wide and Carlos forced a corner. From the corner Junior Baker rose high to head the ball only to see it come back off the bar with Roberts beaten.

Sweeney worked hard and found Carlos clear. He pulled the ball back to a fast running Flynn who hit the ball hard and low into the corner of the net to level.

Grays pushed for the winner and Carlos hit the ball across the goal to pass just wide of the post. Another long ball from Chatham almost saw a repeat of their goal when Tucker was left exposed to head the ball out this time to find Jeffrey in front of him. The resultant header toward goal looked to be the winner but a diving Baker cleared off the line to save the certain goal.

Grays thought they had a last minute penalty when Agombar worked his way through only to be adjudged to have dived. The half finished with a just result on the balance of play and the Blues knowing that only a winning finish to the season will be good enough to stay in the top five.

Grays Athletic: - Tony Tucker, Lee Flynn, Junior Baker, Bradley Thomas, Craig Pope, Joao Carlos, Jake Hall(Joe Sweeney), Harry Agombar, Nathan Gordon (Danny Charge), Danny Bunce, James Bunn(Jean-Michel Sigere)

Subs not used: - Jason Fontaine, Paul Olima.

Report by Steve Allen