Grays Athletic 3, Cambridge City 2

GRAYS produced a performance on Saturday (15 March) to climax a week full of character and resolve to record another Isthmian North victory and build their points tally towards greater respectability.

Buoyed by their win on Tuesday evening, there was a real spring in their step and a determination to take the three points.

Aron Gordon started the match in lightning form creating an early chance for Sam Bantick and then a fine run and shot himself, saved on the line by James Philp for the visitors. Blues probably had more shots at goal in the first twenty minutes than in the whole of most games.

Elliott Sartorius then became provider, as a lovely reverse pass opened the way for Harry Hope, whose shot was shovelled round the post by Philp; and then a cross met by Alejandro Machado, whose looping header was tipped over the bar.

The pressure eventually told but in bizarre fashion. Aron Gordon's shot from the edge of the box skewed through a crowd of players, Philp hesitated as the spinning ball headed goalwards and Michael Finneran reacted quickest to poke the chance inside the post for the lead.

Cambridge enjoyed periods of possession but couldn't break down the Grays defence, for whom Alex Moss was outstanding. At the other end, chances kept coming, with Sid Walker having a sighter and Machado sending an acrobatic shot over the bar.

The visitors' main weapon was Ramiah Mills and his outrageously long throw-ins, which regularly caused consternation in the home penalty area. And it was from one such set piece that the equaliser came. Blues failed to clear a throw launched into the box and Alex Teniola finished cleverly to make it 1-1.

Almost immediately, Cambridge nearly made it two, when Mills hit the post with a chance he probably should have buried.

But just before the break, Blues were back in the lead, and how. A Matas Skarna cross was cleared out of the box to Sid Walker, lurking on the edge of the D, and he let fly an unstoppable thunderbolt, for a 2-1 half time scoreline.

From the outset of the second half, the visitors racked up the pressure on the Grays goal. And with Bantick having hobbled off early and Finneran not coming out after the break, Blues were patched up and in need of real character from the team to hold their position.

Another long throw bounced around the Grays area, with the ball flicking off the post and then Jack Thompson tested Danny Sambridge from distance. And it was yet another Mills Exocet into the box, that Blues failed to deal with, with ball falling to Alfie Mason who drove the ball past Sambridge, to bring Cambridge level for the second time in the afternoon.

Mills then thought he was through on goal himself, but Moss produced a fine defensive tackle to snuff out the chance.

Elliott Sartorius saw his snapshot go wide before Harry Hope went on a charging run from midfield before he met one defender too many.

With five minutes left on the clock Hope was brought down outside the penalty area by Jayden Randell creating perhaps a final chance for Blues. In a moment of inspiration, manager Darren Manning rolled the dice and threw Louie Remi into the fray. He went up to the ball and produced the perfect free kick, over the wall and out of Philp's reach to reclaim the lead for a third and ultimately successful time.

After the match, manager Darren Manning was full of praise for his squad, with players playing through the pain barrier and putting in that extra shift for the Blue shirt.

This was a much-needed three points to continue Grays push towards a decent end-of-season total and a performance to send the Blues faithful home happy from Tilbury for the first time since the end of November. With fixtures coming thick and fast, fans will be hoping for more.

Grays Ath: Sambridge, Dariri, Skarna, Machado, Finneran (46, Temple), Moss, Gordon (90, Plusa), Walker, Bantick (15, Ali) (84, Remi) Sartorius, Hope. Sub not used : Munyard.

Grays are back in action on Tuesday (18 March) at bottom club Ipswich Wanderers.