Maldon & Tiptree 0 v 2 Grays Athletic

Both Grays Ath and Maldon & Tiptree went into this game on fine runs of form, but it was that man Sam Bantick who again made the headlines with two top-drawer second half strikes to seal a game in which the home side might wonder how they left with nothing.
The early exchanges were fast and furious in the very blustery conditions. But Maldon certainly looked the more dangerous. Former Southend Utd man Terrell Egbri was looking very lively for the Jammers on the left wing and he combined well with Harry Phillips for the first clear chance of the afternoon.
The game turned though after 24 minutes when a cross from Kojo Awotwi was adjudged to have struck George Winn’s arm in the penalty box. After an outbreak of “handbags” requiring the referee’s attention, Phillips struck the spot kick, which was well saved low to his right by Danny Sambridge – but even better was his bravery to prevent any Maldon player being first to the rebound.
Grays were struggling to make any real impact up front. Several crosses sailed harmlessly through the home penalty area and keeper Tommy Dixon-Hodge had a very comfortable 45 minutes. It took until the 39th minute for Blues to have a meaningful attempt, when Callum Leahy shot just over the bar. Sambridge was again called into action just before the break, saving readily from Scott Kemp, who should have done better with his effort from by the penalty spot.

Half time: Maldon & Tiptree 0 v 0 Grays Ath

Manager, Lewis Dark recognised the need to shuffle the pack, if Grays were to make any real impression on the game. His answer was to bring on Cheyce Grant for the second half – and what an inspired move it turned out to be. The Grays new boy ran the left channel tirelessly and caused endless problems for the home defence.
Blues immediately looked more lively all round and Sam Bantick had an early sighter on goal when he took free kick after he had been fouled just outside the box. Meanwhile Maldon still looked dangerous on the break. Callum Boylan went on a fine long run at the Grays defence but then lost composure and his shot was a wild one.
The breakthrough came just after the quarter hour mark. Mitch Hahn launched a long throw, with the wind behind him, deep into the Maldon area. The defence failed to clear the ball, which fell to Bantick on the edge of the box and he executed a perfect side-foot volley over the crowd of players and leaving Dixon-Hodge grasping at air, for a 1-0 lead.
And the Blues fans massed in the stand behind the goal, sheltering from a tremendous downpour, were raising the rafters again just eight minutes later. A long clearance found Grant, who twisted and turned clear of his marker and fed the ball through to Bantick, who rounded the keeper and finished calmly to make it 2-0.
Maldon had no answer. They continued to press, but the Grays defence, shorn of the suspended Lewis Clark, remained resolute, forcing the home side to take shots from near-on impossible positions.
Bantick could have had a hat-trick near the end, when set up by Malaki Toussaint, but this time Dixon-Hodge made the save.
Blues undoubted improvement over the past few weeks was clear in the way they saw out nine minutes of injury time, managing the game professionally and clinically.
This was an excellent three points against a side that is investing heavily both on and off the pitch. The squad’s confidence to face a challenging run of fixtures in the coming weeks must be sky high.
Final score: Maldon & Tiptree 0 v 2 Grays Athletic
Grays Ath: Sambridge, Homans (Watts, 86), Joynes, R.Clark (Toussaint, 78), Leahy, Gordon, R.Winn (Grant, 46), Bantick, Hahn, Campbell, G.Winn
Subs not used: Griek, Okonkwo