Grays Athletic travelled to Witham Town on Tuesday evening looking to build on their impressive win at the weekend. But despite again showing more verve than in past weeks and creating enough chances to win the game, they fell just short against a strong and well-organised opposition.

The game was very much an end-to-end one for most of the night. The first chance fell to Manny Ogunrinde in just the second minute but he was unable to profit. Then at the other end, the tricky Jordan Elongo created an opportunity for himself, with Sid Walker coming to Blues rescue, clearing the ball off the line. Sam Wade then found Gabriel Chapps and his cross created a scramble in the Witham six yard box, with keeper Harry Fairs eventually claiming the ball.

Witham then enjoyed a period of dominance in the game. Former Blue, Tommy Stagg shot from the edge of the box but George Marsh saved low down by his post. From the ensuing corner, Fred King rose highest but his header came back off the crossbar.

Midway through the half, Chapps came up with a contender for pass of the season, with a superb curling crossfield ball that picked out Ogunrinde who couldn’t beat Ollie Bell and had to settle for a corner, taken quickly by Ned Hepburn, who found Oscar Shelvey in the box, but he guided his header over the bar.

The best banter of the evening when recent Blues favourite, Sam Bantick broke through the Grays back line but was halted by an offside flag. Both Banno and the Blues fans behind the goal saw the funny side.

The deadlock was broken just before the break when a Witham corner caused panic in the Grays six yard box, with Marsh failing to command his area. Jordan Elongo latched onto the loose ball and netted from close range to give the home side a 1-0 lead. There was though still time for Grays to almost find an equaliser, when Chapps set up a double chance for Wade and Ogunrinde but the massed home defence blocked both shots.

Half time : Witham Town 1 v 0 Grays Athletic

WItham almost doubled their lead straight from the kick-off, when an Elongo shot was parried out by Marsh but Stagg following up put the ball wide of the post. It was a wake-up call for Blues who then created a series of chances. But not before the Grays injury curse struck yet again. This time Manny Ogunrinde went down with what looked like a hamstring injury and had to be helped from the field - when will it end ? His replacement, Caiden-Ellis Remy-Dee chased down a long ball from midfield but was crowded out by the defence.

Then the night’s moment of controversy. Another Hepburn corner was headed goalwards through a crowd of players by Oscar Shelvey and the ball was blocked on the line amidst a loud appeal from the Grays players for handball. From the stands, it was impossible to make a call through the mass of bodies, and referee Mr Marr may too have been unsighted, but he indicated “ball to chest” and waved play on.
Remy-Dee should then have done much better with a close-range header from a lovely Chapps cross but he seemed to get under the ball and missed the target. It was a costly mistake.

The game could have turned with 15 minutes left when Charlie Stimson lost the ball on the edge of the Witham area and Sid Walker made a desperate tackle to try to prevent the breakaway - receiving his second yellow card of the evening and an early end to his participation in the game.

Witham sensed their opportunity to seal the game but Blues held strong and the defence refused to buckle. Paul Joynes emptied the bench looking for the equaliser but it just wouldn’t come, with nothing more than half chances on offer. Even more than eight minutes added time couldn’t come to Grays’ rescue.

Over the ninety (or maybe a hundred) minutes Grays did more than enough to take a point from the encounter but away games at Witham seem to have been cursed now for many years. There remains though more than enough on show to suggest a stronger showing over the coming games than might have been expected just a couple of weeks ago.

Final score : Witham Town 1 v 0 Grays Athletic

Grays Ath : Marsh, Tawiah (90, Paxman), Martin, Stimson (77, Blower), Walker, Clark, Ogunrinde (69, Remi-Dee), Shelvey (88, Sartorius), Wade (46, Gordon), Hepburn, Chapps