By Stephen Allen
Grays Athletic 2 v 0 Enfield
A battling Grays side fought out a physical game against a tough Enfield team looking to keep their play-off aims alive.
Grays started quickly looking to bear down on the away defence, Alex Osborn looked his normal lively self and ran at the away defence and had an early shot blocked by Mark Kirby, who in turn hit a long ball to Leon Osei to run at the Blues defence. He found Joe Stevens but his shot went woefully wide. John Docker picked up the goal kick and released Danny Morgan, who’s pass went to Osborn to hit his shot wide. Docker put the ball wide toward Danny Charge and a mis-timed challenge saw Charge stay down. He was immediately subbed by Si Thomas, on ten minutes and the sad sight of Charge taken away on a stretcher didn’t look good.
Grays seemed galvanised by this incident and started pushing forward. Docker had a shot deflected for a corner. His corner found Si Thomas in the box but his shot was blocked and Morgan following up hit the ball wide. Enfield came back at Grays and were given a free kick just outside the box. Andy Jones hit a powerful pass but too fast for eveyone in the box as it went wide. Grays should have taken the lead when debutant Joe McEvoy put Osborn clear but his shot hit the post when it looked easier to score.
The Blues pressurised the Enfield defence but the ball would not sit right on a bumpy pitch. Si Thomas had a shot saved, a free kick by Docker went over, and a solid shot from Osborn went just over. Enfield were reduced to long ball tactics and a long pass upfiled found Osei and Kirby clear but Kirby’s shot went high over the bar. The ref blew to end the half with the home side satisfied that they had the chance to win the game.
The second half started with the news that Charge had gone to hospital for X-rays on a suspected dislocated ankle, and this seemed to play on the Blues minds as Enfield came out looking to stamp their presence on Grays. Osei broke clear to see his shot go over the bar, a free kick by Andy Jones was deflected over the bar and the corner was hit over the bar by Jon Stevenson. The home side now knew they were into a game and began to get on top.
A Docker free kick went to Si Thomas but his shot was blocked, the loose ball came to Morgan but the Enfield keeper, Rob Blackburne saved well on the line. Osborn ran forward to find Si Thomas and Morgan clear. The ball was deflected out for a corner, and a floated ball from Docker saw Brad Thomas jump clear of everyone to head into the goal to give the Blues the lead on the hour.
A Grays substitution brought Steve Demetriou on for McEvoy, to put some extra pace into the midfield. Immediately he released Osborn for his shot to rattled the upright. A triple substitution by Enfield midway through the half put fresh legs into the game as the away side looked for the equaliser. Stevens had a shot saved by Steve Northwood, Osei kept Northwood busy as he crept through to have his shot cleared off the line. Enfield pushed forward and the Blues defence looked shaky as Enfield pushed tem men into the Blues half but the ball was kept out by any means possible.
Grays brought on Jared Small for Danny Morgan to try to steady the momentum with ten minutes left, and take the pressure off the home defence. Enfield were not be denied possession and had all ten outfield players in the Blues half. Kirby, Rich Morgan and Osei all had their shots blocked as they pushed to level the game. A superb shot by Stevenson pulled out a wonderful one-handed save by Northwood to give away the corner. Osei, Hope and Hammell could not put the ball in the net as Grays rode their luck.
Pennant managed to clear the ball over the heads of the rampant Enfield attack to find Docker who ran the ball into the corner area, he managed to find Osborn clear for his cross to drop to Small in front of goal. He slotted the ball into the net to finish the game off in time added on and give Grays the victory their efforts deserved. The final whistle sounded to put the Blues back on track, with a hard fought win.
Grays Athletic :- Steve Northwood, Danny Smith, Brad Thomas, Duran Reynolds, Eljay Worrell, John Docker, Dean Pennant, Joe McEvoy (Steve Demetriou 65), Danny Morgan (Jared Small 80), Alex Osborn, Danny Charge (Si Thomas 10)
