Calamity as Blues tumble out of FA Cup
Writes StewieG
Humbled again in the cup by lower league opposition

Grays Ath should have had enough warning in their previous two FA Cup ties this season to know that match-ups against lower league opposition are no easy ride. And at the third time of asking, Blues simply failed to put in the kind of performance to see off Shefford Town & Campton, playing in the biggest game in their history.
The opening encounters were all too fast and furious, with Shefford successfully stopping Grays from asserting any early dominance. Only the flying Josh Osude was showing the level needed to take the game to the opposition. He was upended in the 10th minute by full back, Tom Cooksley, who went into referee Mr Merchant’s notebook. The resulting free kick broke to Ryan Melaugh whose shot from wide out on the left was tipped over by keeper Kyle Forster.
Other half chances came and went for Blues, although the closest to a goal came from the visitors, Charlie Thake who tried his luck from very long range, with the ball catching the breeze and nearly catching out Danny Sambridge.
Blues weren’t helped by first half injuries to Malaki Toussaint and Ronnie Winn, disrupting their pattern of play. But Courteney Homans and Aron Gordon were both ready-made replacements.
The breakthrough came on 36 minutes after a period when Shefford had started to see more of the ball and create chances of their own. Blues failed to deal with a Shefford long throw, with Sambridge missing his punch. The ball fell to Sam Day by the penalty spot and he finished calmly for a 1-0 half-time lead.

Half time: Grays Ath 0 v 1 Shefford Town & Campton

Manager Lewis Dark must have thought that his half-time words had sunk home, when Grays immediately brought the game back level. Josh Osude was brought down in the box and the referee had no doubt in awarding the penalty, which Anointed Chukwu despatched clinically. Home fans would have hoped that this would light the blue touch paper on a second half masterclass but there was nothing doing. Shefford remained organised and resolute in their defence and as much as Grays huffed and puffed there was to be no breakthrough. The Blues forwards had clearly left their shooting boots at home, with the Shefford keeper untroubled by a cavalcade of attempts on goal that went high or wide or both.
And Shefford made Grays pay just after the hour mark, when Mark Ansell-Carter found Scott Metcalfe out on the right wing and his cross was met by Henry Snee at the far post. He scuffed his shot but somehow the ball squirmed slowly and agonisingly straight through Danny Sambridge. A horror goal for Blues to concede.
Captain Lewis Clark tried to drive his side forward but to little avail. Gordon and Osude sought to use their pace to create something and Mitch Hahn launched a series of long throws into the box but Shefford stayed strong and composed in holding their lead. With Grays pressing forward in the final minutes, the icing was pasted firmly on Shefford’s cake when with the final kick of the game, the ball was cleared to Charlie Thake, who advance forward and fired Shefford’s third of the afternoon.
So congratulations to Shefford, who came to Parkside with a plan and executed it to perfection. That said, the performance by the Blues was so far short of what the fans have seen in recent weeks that it is hard to explain and thoroughly disheartening when a great cup run looked a distinct possibility.
Final score: Grays Ath 1 v 3 Shefford Town & Campton

Grays Ath: Sambridge, Toussaint (Homans, 24), Joynes, R.Winn (Gordon, 37), L.Clark, Okonkwo, Osude, R.Clark, Chukwu, Hahn, Melaugh (Oyenuga, 75)
Subs not used: Griek, G.Winn, Karby, Sobhir