A patched-up Grays Athletic side, pieced together with string and sellotape, produced a fine performance to defeat Southend United U19s and progress in the BBC Essex Senior Cup. Darren Manning, chairman Lee Vehit and secretary Denise Bowers had all worked long into the night to put together a side capable of taking on headline opponents. A host of injuries combined with recent departures had stripped the squad down to Harry Redknapp levels of bare bones. Darren gave debut starts to two recent recruits - Freddie Price and Emmanuel (Ainsley) Frempong. Both did the club proud. And there were two further new names on the bench - coach, Marvin Hamilton and a further signing, Tecane Shrowder.

The game started at a lively pace. Early on, Sam Bantick produced a nice reverse pass to set up Joe Paxman who shot wide and then there was a great burst of pace through the midfield from Shrimpers' Nathan Woodley but his chance was snuffed out. Debutant, Freddie Price was showing some real skill out wide left, on loan to Blues from a higher level whilst regaining his fitness. He was found by a lovely through ball from Sid Walker and found himself one-on-one with Southend keeper, Joshua Barrett, who made a good first save but he then spilled the ball, giving Price a second bite that went just wide.

Opportunities were plentiful at both ends but neither side could convert. Harry Hope had two half chances, and in between, Jack Stone brought a strong save out of Blues keeper, George Marsh. A Macca Joynes long throw then caused panic in the Southend six yard box, with Barrett twice clawing the ball off the line but Grays just couldn’t force the ball over. The final chance of the half fell again to Stone who should have done better with a close-range header.

Half time : Grays Athletic 0 v 0 Southend United

The second half was only three minutes old when Sid Walker hooked the ball back into a crowded penalty area, Harry Hope flicked a header goalwards and found the unlikely figure of Jack Turner bursting through to finish past Barrett, for his first goal in a Blue shirt, to give Grays a 1-0 lead.

And it was soon 2-0 when Freddie Price was downed in the box by Rio Thomas and up stepped Sam Bantick to bury the spot kick.

Grays were flying at this point, putting balls into dangerous areas from all directions. The best was a cross from Harry Hope that went right across the box with no-one on hand to apply the finish.

Hope was then involved again a few minutes later when his long-range shot was well saved by Barrett. But he only found newcome, Tecane Shrowder, just off the bench and his low cross took a wicked series of deflections off of Southend defenders leaving Oscar Shelvey-Negus to run in and finish from close range to make it 3-0, sending Blues fans into raptures.

The Shrimpers started to empty their bench and turned up the heat on Blues, but the home defence held strong, with their other new boy, Ainsley Frempong making a great first showing at full back. Harrison Lamb mishit a shot giving Marsh an easy save but he was then tested fully by sub Nikolay Zlatev who found himself free inside the penalty area but couldn’t find a way past the Blues keeper.

Lamb and Stone had further chances for Southend before Marsh made his only blemish of the evening when seemingly seeing a short pass out that just wasn’t there but Frempong was on hand to clear away the danger. Even with time running out the Shrimpers kept fighting for a consolation goal. Stone headed over from a Humphrey free kick and Zlatev again forced Marsh into a save.

It was though Grays who finished on a high. Harry Hope was again the provider as his cross was found Sam Bantick at the far post. He controlled the ball nicely before tucking the chance away neatly to make it 4-0 on the night. And that final goal couldn’t have been more fitting as it was later announced that Sam would be moving on imminently. A storybook ending indeed.

It would have been impossible to pick a Grays man of the match, such was the performance from 1 to 11. Kye Jude and Joe Paxman, neither mentioned above, both put in fine shifts that were integral to the team effort.

After the game, Darren Manning was fulsome in his praise for the whole team, showing a determination to upset a young but skillful Southend side. The visitors might feel that the scoreline was a bit harsh on their performance - George Marsh was certainly the busier keeper. But Grays have been on the end of things the other way round this season and to see the ball hit the net with such regularity will give the squad a real lift.

Grays have a free weekend coming up but are back in league cup action on Monday evening away at Redbridge before the next league encounter at Bowers & Pitsea on Friday evening (31st October). Hopefully, this will give time to get further new bodies in and allow injuries to heal.

Final score : Grays Athletic 4 v 0 Southend United

Grays Ath: Marsh, Frempong, Joynes, Walker, Jude, Turner, Price (61, Shrowder), Shelvey-Negus, Bantick, Paxman, Hope

Subs not used : Drew, Hamilton