Grays Athletic 1, Takeley 2

WEDNESDAY (30 September) night's Isthmian North home defeat ended a disappointing month for Grays, who managed just one win from six outings.

That came on Saturday, 12 September against Newmarket and was a positive bounce-back from an FA Cup defeat, over two matches, at the hands of higher league Leiston.

However, it flattered to deceive and there have been three successive league defeats since, with just one goal scored.

That came in Wednesday's match-up with surprise high-fliers Takeley who went into the match with the possibility of going into the top seven.

Joseph Pullen put Takeley ahead after just nine minutes, heading home the first goal of the evening and his first of the campaign, but new Grays arrival, the much-travelled goalscorer Matt Price, did what he's been doing for many regional clubs over the years and scored to put the Blues level seven minutes before half time.

Ten minutes before the end the visitors sealed victory, George Sykes making it two-one - and they climbed to eighth, only goal difference separating them from the play off places.

Grays have only goal difference keeping them outside the bottom four - and they travel to seventh-place Newmarket on Saturday (3 October) hoping to repeat that success at Chadfields last month.