Grays Athletic made it four league wins in a row and just one defeat in eight, with a combative win against Newmarket Town. This was a victory full of character and spirit that has grown visibly over the past few weeks. As in the previous encounter between these two sides, Newmarket’s performance belied their relatively low league position as they tried everything they could to break down the Blues, but Grays are made of strong stuff at present.

The first 25 minutes of the game were of little note. The ball spent way too long in the air rather than on the grass provided. It was all too harum scarum with neither side able to get their foot on the ball and take proper control. But things then changed when Luke Hirst got his head to a long clearance and found Reon Smith-Kouassi. He used his strength and control to bear down on the Newmarket goal and drove the ball past keeper James Young for his first goal in a Blue shirt and a 1-0 lead.

The Jockeys soon nearly equalised when Josh Lee set Jose Santa de la Paz free but his shot was cleared off the line by debutant Tyler Brampton, who instantly settled into his berth in a back four determined to help Danny Sambridge keep another clean sheet.

The other Grays full back, Matas Skarna, was also seeing a lot of the ball especially in advanced positions down the left wing and twice just before the break he created chances for himself but was unable to find the finish.

Special mention also has to go to Sid Walker, who had an immense first half, winning his headers, getting his foot in and more than just breaking up the play, using the ball positively to get colleagues going forward.

Half time : Grays Athletic 1 v 0 Newmarket Town

The visitors started the half quickly and Ryan Cole tested Sambridge from distance within the first minute.

But slowly Blues took control of the game and just before the hour mark, Brampton played a fine long pass out of defence to Smith-Kouassi who made progress down the right wing. This time, he turned provider for Luke Hirst, who twisted past defenders and keeper to leave a clear sight of goal, and he finished precisely to extend the Blues lead to 2-0.

And it was nearly three when a George Craddock free kick found Sid Walker rising highest but his header cannoned back off the crossbar.

All this seemed to spur Newmarket’s intentions and they had bar far their best spell of the game. Will Gardner crossed to Stan Leach whose header was kept out by a point-blank save from Sambridge. Leach then had another chance that Alejandro Machado was on hand to clear. To make matters worse, the visitors were then awarded a penalty for some scrummaging in the box - up stepped Lee but he could only hit the woodwork.

Going into four minutes of added time, Blues were able to camp themselves in their opponent’s half to see out the game. Machado shot wide before Craddock and Hirst exchanged an outrageous set of passes, ending in Young having to turn Craddock’s shot round the post. And finally, Skarna tried to curl one inside the far post but the ball would just not bend quick enough.

So, another three points for Blues that lift them to the edge of the play-off zone, with games in hand on most of the sides above them.

This was a hard-fought win but one that every player in a Blue shirt contributed to. It was a performance that delighted both management and fans alike - seeing players prepared to roll up their sleeves and dig out the win, keeping yet another clean sheet in the process - the defence is now the meanest across the Isthmian League (with only Ramsgate in Division 1SE able to match the Blues return of just eight goals conceded so far this league campaign).

Final score : Grays Athletic 2 v 0 Newmarket Town

Grays Ath : Sambridge, Brampton, Skarna, Machado, Dariri, Walker, Gordon (81, Moss), Sartorius, Hirst, Craddock, Smith-Kouassi (69, Gould)