Grays Athletic travelled to promotion-chasing Waltham Abbey on Saturday, with a new interim management team in place and more than a smattering of debutants on the pitch - and put in a battling performance that kept the opposition in hold until the very death. Given that Paul Joynes and Mitch Hahn had only had one training session with the players, there was much to like and some clear improvements.

Blues started brightly, with the newly-coiffeured Aron Gordon challenging the Abbey defence from the start. But it was the home side that had the first clear chance, when Prince Domafriye rose highest in the penalty area but he headed over the bar.

Grays injury curse then struck again, for the umpteenth time this season, when Macauley Joynes, restored to the starting line-up, was forced off after just ten minutes following an innocuous clash of legs in midfield.

Waltham Abbey are a good side and they looked to take advantage of Blues lack of familiarity. Domafriye again tried his luck from distance but George Marsh was alert and pushed the shot away. Then former Blue, Kai Brown almost got on the end of a ball into the area but just couldn’t reach.

Blues then sparked into life. A Joe Paxman free kick was headed goalwards but Bradley Robinson made a comfortable save. Connor Martin, making his second debut for Grays, then slid a lovely ball through to Manny Ogunrinde but his shot was deflected for a corner. At the other end, George Marsh almost committed the cardinal sin for a goalkeeper of not just clearing his line but he somehow managed to recover and get the ball out for a corner - from which Oscar Shelvey-Negus was the hero clearing off the line following a goalmouth scramble.

There was then the traditional moment of controversy. Ogunrinde made ground into the penalty area and went over with defender Edwin Menah right in his back. But referee, Mr Greatorex, decided there was not enough in the challenge to award the spot-kick.

The final chance of the half fell to the home side, when Declan Rydings’ slide-rule pass found Aaron Eyoma but his shot went just wide of the target.

Half time : Waltham Abbey 0 v 0 Grays Athletic

Grays started the second half by putting together a lovely team move, passing the ball through several men. Judah Tawaih, who made a very solid first appearance at full-back, found Joe Paxman running through but he just couldn’t keep the ball in-play under pressure from the home defence.

Eventually though, Waltham Abbey managed to execute a complete move. The ever-lively Amrit Bansal-McNulty found Kai Brown in behind the Blues back line and he finished smartly past Marsh to give the Abbots the lead.

But to their credit, Blues’ heads didn’t drop, with Sid Walker in particular providing the energy and commitment needed across the pitch. Ogunrinde pulled the ball back but Shelvey-Negus could only shoot straight at Robinson and Charlie Stimson found sub Ned Hepburn with a great long ball down the ring but he could do no more than win another corner.

Kai Brown then had another chance for the home side after looking to have been well off-side but Marsh was equal to the task.

Then midway through the half, Robinson twice kept his side in the game with fine saves. Firstly, a shot from Hepburn through a crowd of players that the keeper must have seen late and then similarly a long-range effort from Charlie Stimson was pushed round the post.

Kai Brown then fashioned another chance for the Abbots when he tricked past Connor Martin but sub Casey Nolan-Samuels was on hand to intercept inside the six yard box.

Waltham Abbey’s squad strength was shown by the late introduction of perennial and much-travelled goalscorer Matt Price. In an end-of-game cameo, he brought a good save from Marsh before finally sealing the game for the Abbots when rifling in a chance five minutes into added time.

Following this encouraging performance against a quality outfit, new management team Joynes and Hahn will be much better informed about what they have to work with. They now have a full week’s training to instill their messages into the squad, before the visit of Bowers & Pitsea next Saturday.

Final score : Waltham Abbey 2 v 0 Grays Athletic

Grays Ath : Marsh, Tawiah (71, Nolan-Samuels), Joynes (9, Norton), Walker, Martin, Gordon (56, Hepburn), Shelvey-Negus, Paxman (67, Sartorius), Ogunrinde, Remy-Dee (67, Wade), Stimson