Grays Athletic 3, Sittingbourne 3

A LATE change of opponent brought Isthmian League South East Division Sittingbourne to Chadfields on Tuesday (30 July), rather than scheduled opponents Potters Bar.

It was Grays' last match of the pre-season campaign that has been encouraging for Darren Manning's side, though in the early stages of this match it looked as if they were heading for a disappointing outcome.

The visitors looked good but for all their pressure, it took Sittingbourne half an hour to break the deadlock, scoring after a good move down the right flank.

And they increased their lead by the break, doubling their score with a close range finish in the closing moments of the half.

Sittingbourne continued their pressure early in the second half and after missing a couple of very presentable chances, extended their lead.

This game could have got messy for Blues, and with an hour gone, few would have foreseen the final result. But the sense of purpose Manning has instilled in his squad came to the and, as both teams rang the changes, Grays found another gear and surprised the visitors with their skill and determination.

Admittedly, the first two Blues goals both had something of fortune about them – Michael Finneran's lobbed ball into the box and Joe Damrell's corner both found their way straight into the net. But they were a fine and deserved reward for a concerted period of pressure that Sittingbourne could not deal with.

And when Joao Carlos buried a last-minute penalty to level the scores at 3-3, the comeback was complete.

The real action begins on Sunday (4 August), when Grays play host to Hullbridge Sports in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round match at the EMR Stadium. Kick-off is 1pm.