Grays Athletic put up a battling performance away at Cambridge City on Saturday afternoon to bring a well-deserved point back down the M11. With the Blues injury list still not shortening, manager, Darren Manning, continues to bring in re-inforcements, giving a debut to young Sutton United loanee, Ned Hepburn.

This certainly wasn’t a game full of thrills and spills, played on a very heavy surface. The 90 minutes produced very few chances, at either end. Too often the game descended into midfield trench warfare - with Sid Walker and Oscar Shelvey in their element and as the game wore on, pushing the home side further back into their own territory.

Cambridge probably had the better of the first half, certainly in terms of possession. Their first chance came from a corner that produced a scramble in the Grays box. The shot when it came (unfortunately it was impossible in the crowd of bodies to say from which player) was well saved low down by George Marsh, pushing the ball round the post for another corner.

It took until the half hour mark for another chance of note to materialise but Shaun Mavididi shot into the side netting. As the half wore on, Grays came more into the game. A Casey Nolan-Samuels long throw eventually fell to Alex Moss who had two shots at goal but Cambridge got bodies in the way to block the chance.

Half time : Cambridge City 0 v 0 Grays Athletic

Cambridge came out for the second half looking to exert more pressure on the Grays goal and in the first minute, Mavididi brought a fine save from Marsh as he dived to push the curling shot round the post. But that apart, the Blues back line, led in great fashion by Jordan Clark held firm. Much as Jayden Randell was doing at the other end for the Lilywhites. But it was Alex Moss who got a great tackle in to deny George Smith. And then Joe Paxman was on hand to block a Solomon Ofori shot.

Grays wide men, Toheeb Elegushi and debutant Ned Hepburn were starting to come more into the game as the balance of possession started to swing. As players from both sides started to tire in the energy-sapping conditions, the play started to open up for the first time in the afternoon. Blues best chance of the match came from a Joe Paxman corner, Jordan Clark rose highest and his header was only stopped on the line by Charley Barker, standing guard on the far post.

Elegushi then broke clear and he fed Hepburn who got into the box but then found the home defence squeezing him out. At the other end, Aaron Williams-Bushell went on a great run down the left but the Blues defence shepherded him well, conceding only a corner.

With the clock ticking into added time, Grays could have nicked it when Hepburn shot across goal from inside the penalty area but he saw the ball run wide of the opposite post. It would have been harsh on either side to have conceded late on and a share of the points was a fair outcome.

This Grays performance showed much more character than we have seen in earlier games. There was a steely determination to keep hold of the point, which shows greater promise for the fixtures ahead, With the new recruits bedding in well and hopefully one or two returns from the treatment room, Blues fans can look forward to more profitable Saturday afternoons.

Final score : Cambridge City 0 v 0 Grays Athletic

Grays Ath : Marsh, Nolan-Samuels (60, Gordon), Walker, Moss, Clark, Paxman, Shelvey (83, Strugurean), Sartorius (74, Blower), Hepburn, Elegushi, Norton

Subs not used : Joynes, Gjonbala