Grays Ath 3 v 3 Basildon United

What could be billed as a six-goal local thriller should more properly be described as “the one that got away”. Grays though only have themselves to blame for losing points at a vital time of the season in a game they dominated for large parts and where the three points were there for the taking.
Blues started the game at a furious pace, determined to make up for their performance away at Basildon just a few weeks ago, when only a last hurrah rescued a point. Within the first couple of minutes both Lewis Clark and Callum Leahy had chances to open the scoring, with Aron Gordon then forcing a save from George Marsh with a 20-yard effort. Grays forced a string of early corners and one of these from Mitch Hahn resulted in a pinball around the Basildon six-yard box and Ronnie Winn was on hand to poke the ball home for a 1-0 lead.
Blues continued to attack, with Macauley Joynes whipping in yet more corners, one of which fell to Troy Osei-Bobie who couldn’t convert.
It took Basildon half an hour to create a meaningful chance on the Grays goal, despite playing with a good structure and intent when they had possession. A long throw-in from Sam Dickens caused confusion around the Blues box but eventually the ball was hacked away to safety. Osei-Bobie then showed his skill with the ball at his feet and set up Gordon, whose shot came back off the far post.
Grays were then made to pay for their earlier profligacy in a mad five minutes. A long ball found Ben Allen in acres of space and the Blues defence looked for the offside flag – that never came – leaving Allen with the simplest of headers for the equaliser.
If that goal was questionable, there was certainly no doubt about Basildon’s second just before the break. A free kick for the visitors outside the box rebounded to Bees’ new recruit Scott Pethers, who struck the sweetest of volleys giving Danny Sambridge in the Grays goal absolutely no chance. Sometimes you just have to applaud the skill.

Half time: Grays Ath 1 v 2 Basildon United

The opening exchanges of the second half were unmemorable. It took Blues fifteen minutes to create a serious chance, when more good work out wide by Aron Gordon found Marlon Agyakwa, who couldn’t hit the target. Callum Watts, off the bench, then fired over with one of his trademark long-range efforts. Another Sub, Tom Stagg was then set up by Joynes and he worked the keeper, but no more.
With twenty minutes to go, the game then turned decisively in Grays’ favour. First, a perfect cross from Agyakwa found Roman Campbell who planted his head firmly into the net for the equaliser. And just a couple of minutes later, the same player was on hand to net again, to put Blues back in the lead at 3-2.
The home side were now firmly in control. Callum Leahy volleyed wide, Campbell nearly headed home his hat-trick and then Callum Watts could have buried the game with a close-range effort, which went straight into the keeper’s midriff.
Grays should have heard the alarm when with just a couple of minutes left on the clock, the ball shot right across the home six-yard box but no Basildon player was on hand to apply a finish. Then, with the game deep into added-on time, Dickens launched one final long throw into the danger area. The Grays defence hesitated and Ben Allen flicked the ball past Sambridge to break Blue hearts and draw Basildon level again at 3-3.
Grays really should have taken all three points in this game where they had by far the lion’s share of the chances. Only time will tell whether these dropped points are fatal to their playoff chances, but with games running out, there is now little margin for error.
Final score: Grays Athletic 3 v 3 Basildon Utd
Grays Ath: Sambridge, Homans (Gardner, 62), Joynes, R.Winn (Watts, 46), L.Clark, Leahy, Gordon, Hahn, Campbell, Agyakwa, Osei-Bobie (Stagg, 54)
Subs not used: Griek, G.Winn