Leiston 5, Grays Athletic 0

GRAYS were comprehensively dumped out of the FA Cup in Tuesday (8 September) evening's First Preliminary Round replay at the Flannery Stadium.

There were no goals in Saturday's tie at Chadfields but Leiston were quickly on the scoreboard in the replay and never looked back to earn a second qualifying round tie at Hitch Town, who beat Biggleswade Town (qualifying round conquerors of Tilbury) 3-0 on the same evening.

The Southern Premier Central hosts were on the front foot from the off and several chances went begging before they opened the scoring on ten minutes.

Grays keeper Danny Sambridge has been kept busy with a number of saves but there was little he could do when a well-worked moved in the middle of midfield saw the ball moved out to the right and Harvey Sayer cut inside to shoot into Sambridge's bottom corner.

Grays thought they had drawn level when a cross was converted from close range, but officials deemed the ball had run out of play in the build-up.

And it was on a counter-attack after more Grays pressure that Leiston got a second goal in the 18^th minute when Adam Mills latch on to a long ball and then guided the ball over the advancing Sambridge.

Grays were far from beaten and a spirited response brought more pressure and they won a couple of corners, before Macauley Joynes' free kick was headed just wide by Alex Moss , clipping the upright.

But Leiston effectively made the game safe on 32 minutes when Seb Dunbar's pinpoint ball on the left found Mills who got away from his defender and got into the box to net past Sambridge at a tight angle.

Grays had an early chance in the second period but Robinson got down to his left to save.

The fourth goal came on 50 minutes when Mills reacted well to quickly execute an overhead kick and complete his hat-trick.

Another good move allowed Joe Henman to get in on the left in the 58th-minute and the midfielder was allowed to cut inside and shoot into Sambridge's bottom right hand corner for goal number five and Grays were well and truly beyond any sort of comeback.

By way of small consolation, Grays picked up a loser's check of £750 to go with their winnings from earlier in the competition.

The Blues will be back in Isthmian North action at the weekend, when they are at home to second-placed Redbridge.