By Stephen Allen
After a bad run Grays needed to up their game to resurrect any play-off dreams they still harboured.
From the start both teams looked up for a game as the ball moved easily from end to end. Athletic set up the first attack when Tom Harvey released debutant Danny Hearty for his shot to go just wide of the goal. Wingate came straight back when Murat Karagul put a pass through to Gary Burrell for the shot to go wide. The Blues set about putting the away defence to task with a period of sustained pressure where the Wingate forwards looked surplus to requirements.
From a corner Steve Demetriou crossed to Hearty to see his goal bound shot deflected out. Danny Bunce crossed to find Dean Pennant but his miss was cleared to Osborn who, in turn, shot over the bar.. Hearty was having a dream league debut and a cross found Pennant free but he lost out to the Wingate defence. The away team started to turn the game around as they came into the match. The Burrell and Ahmet Rifat pairing always looked lively and tested the Blues defence when they released Karagul for Steve Northwood to hold the ball well. Hearty intercepted a ball only to see his shot go over. Alex Osborn crossed for Bobby Smith to drop the ball, luckily to be cleared by Paul Wright.
Wingate moved forward when Josh Cooper chipped the ball into the Grays area. The ball came out to a fast running Marc Henry, who’s shot from 25 yards deflected past Northwood into the goal to give the away side the lead on the half hour against the run. From the restart the Blues moved forward and the ball came to Duran Reynolds who hit a shot from forty yards to see Smith tip the ball onto the bar. From the corner the ball came to Tom Harvey who placed the ball into the path of Si Thomas to equalise within five minutes.
Both teams moved from end to end to play some neat football but both keepers were on top form. Smith saved from Pennant. Osborn and Thomas, as Northwood held onto shots from Josh Cooper, Rifat, Henry, and Karagul. Half time arrived with the home team just on top.
Wingate put on top scorer Leon Smith at half time and his extra pace caused the home defence a new challenge as Wingate came out looking hungry to win and attacked from the off. Northwood in the home goal had to be on top of his game as Burrell and Henry had shots saved. Leon Smith was unkucky when the ball was cleared when he was free. Grays were looking dis-jointed as both settled down to a midfield battle and their attacks were easily kept out by an efficient Wingate defence. Harvey and Bunce both shot wide as they were closed down.
Alex Osborn could find no space in the box as Cooper snapped at his heels. Leon Smith saw his shots saved by Northwood, first by his legs then by punching the ball as Wingate came forward again. With twenty minutes to go Grays made a double sub as Baker and Fontaine came on for Reynolds and Hearty to change the momentum of the game. Junior Baker managed to keep Smith at bay as the Blues moved forward. The width that Jason Fontaine brought to the game stretched the away defence for long periods but neither Si Thomas nor Osborn could put Grays in front as they shot wide. A quick attack saw Burrell have a long shot for Northwood to tip the ball onto the bar to give Grays a fright.
With five minutes to go Jared Small came on for Osborn as the Blues looked to take the points and his strength allowed Si Thomas and Fontaine more space. A clever through ball from Thomas to Fontaine saw him run at the away goal and deftly chip the away keeper to give Athletic the points with minutes to go. A last ditch attack by Henry saw Northwood hold the ball to cap a man-of-the-match performance. Grays now have a run of home games to see how far up the table they can move with their play-off dreams still alive.
Grays Athletic :- Steve Northwood, Eljay Worrell, Brad Thomas, Duran Reynolds ( Jumior Baker 70), Danny Bunce, Danny Hearty (Jason Fontaine 70), Tom Harvey, Steve Demetriou, Dean Pennant. Alex Osborn (Jared Small 85), Si Thomas
