Grays Athletic eased to an opening day home league win against our old friends from Lowestoft (co-incidentally, the same opponents as the last home game of last season). Blues were dominant from the off and there is clearly a developing brand of youth and experience driving the team forward.

Time and again in the opening few minutes Rob Harvey made good ground down the right, getting in several tantalising crosses, one of which was almost sliced into his own net by Ashton Blogg. From the same side, Denim Nnamudi cut into the box but his shot was comfortably saved by Ben Self.

But it was only a matter of time before Grays got on the scoresheet. Macca Joynes took a short corner to Nnamudi and this time his curling shot cannoned back off the far post and Connor Hogan was on hand to tuck away the rebound for a 1-0 lead.

Soon after, Harvey played an expansive pass to last week’s two-goal hero Ned Hepburn and he advanced into the penalty area but again Self was in the right place.

Luca Upton had the Trawlerboys first chance midway through the half but he pulled his shot wide of the post, before much against the run of play, Lowestoft were level. A corner was swung in and Henry Pollock’s glancing header made its way through a crowd of players into the net, making it 1-1.

But Blues were not in the mood to give up the lead easily. And just three minutes later, Denim Nnamidi produced an almost identical cut in and curling shot from the one that had led to the opening goal but this time, the swerve took the ball inside the post, to put Grays back in front.

Upton had another half chance just before the break but again Danny Sambridge in the Grays goal was untroubled.

Half time : Grays Athletic 2 v 1 Lowestoft

Blues started the second half in the same manner as the first, not content to sit back on their lead but going in search for more.

Hepburn played a lovely through ball for Harvey to run onto, but keeper Self was just alert enough to come out of his area and beat the Grays man to the ball. Gabriel Chapps then had two chances, a long range effort saved by Self and a stab at a Hepburn cross that went just wide.

Manager, Mitch Hahn, made changes from the bench but there was no let up in the attack. And Blues should really have sealed the game with quarter of an hour left. Sub Gael Keliba danced his way into the box and was upended by Bailey Sutton. Gabriel Chapps, usually so clinical from the spot, seemed to be caught in about three minds and his weak shot was comfortably kept out by Self, who went the right way.
At the other end, the Grays back line put in an assured performance, although they will surely have more to deal with in future fixtures. Jordan Clark and Alex Moss cleared everything with some comfort, ensuring there was little chance of a second equaliser.

There was though an unsavory end to the game, when after a nice interplay of passes out wide by Blues, there was an altercation off the ball resulting in an unnecessary outbreak of handbags between the two sides - completely out of line with the rest of the game, which hadn’t seen a nasty challenge throughout. Referee, Jerahl Hall, who had a good afternoon (yes, I do commend officials who do their job well) had little option but to send both Denim Nnamudi and Ben Haddoch for an early bath - although the final whistle followed very soon after.

After the game, manager Mitch was delighted with the overall outcome, especially against a side that have historically given Blues the runaround. It’s clear that work on the training ground is starting to pay dividends on the pitch. With fixtures coming thick and fast at this time of the season, there are further opportunities to continue this development - both away at Walthamstow in the league on Tuesday evening and then next Saturday in the FA Cup against Hutton (who play at Billericay)

Final score : Grays Athletic 2 v 1 Lowestoft

Grays Ath : Sambridge, Brampton, Joynes, Moss, J Clark, Hogan, Harvey (65, Keliba), Muldoon (70, Moncur), Chapps, Nnamidi, Hepburn

Subs not used : Norton, Jude, Effah