Concord Rangers 2, Grays Athletic 2

TWO goalkeeping errors, one at the start of each half, meant that Grays Athletic left Concord Rangers on Bank Holiday Monday (31 August) afternoon with no more than a share of the spoils in an Isthmian North game they would otherwise have won comfortably - the kind of mistakes that at this level it's difficult to ignore.

Manager Mitch Hahn was looking for a reaction to Saturday's debacle at Canvey Island and was generally happy with what he saw.

Straight from the whistle, a long ball downfield from Alex Moss found Rob Harvey who won a corner. Macca Joynes swung the set piece into the box which was cleared downfield to Kai Udofot-Torres who brushed Harvey aside and set off towards goal. But with Grays keeper Danny Sambridge advancing out and seemingly getting his angles wrong, the Beachboys had an easy finish for a barely-believable 1-0 lead.

Grays could though have been level from the restart as Gabriel Chapps found the returning Denim Nnamudi on the edge of the box but he shot over the bar.

After that helter-skelter start, the game calmed down somewhat but there were still chances at both ends. A Joynes free kick was headed goalwards by Moss but without the power to trouble Charlie Brown in between the sticks for Concord.

At the other end, Udofot-Torres, who was a threat all afternoon, broke free again but this time shot straight at Sambridge, before the Blues keeper missed the same player's ball in from goal-line that the defence had to hack away.

A home corner from Charlie Allum should then have been converted by Callum Knowlden but he headed over.

However, for the last 15 minutes of the half, Blues woke up and played some of their best football of the season thus far.

Max Dorili conceded a free kick on the edge of the Concord box, climbing all over Chapps, who got up and put the free kick just wide. Conor Hogan and Ned Hepburn then combined nicely. Chapps mishit his shot but it still had Brown scrambling across to turn the ball round the post for a corner.

Blues launched a wave of attacks, looking for a deserved equaliser. Some nifty footwork in the penalty area by Jordan Clark was only stopped by a fine, goal-saving tackle from Dorili; before Harvey fed Nnamudi who went on a trademark weaving run but again Brown saved and conceded the corner.

From the dead ball, and with the half time whistle fast approaching, Alex Moss headed back across goal and Chapps set the ball back to Olly Muldoon who lashed it into the net to make it 1-1, much to the relief of the travelling Blues faithful.

Having fought so hard to get back in the game, Blues again threw away the lead at the start of the second half. Udofot-Torres found Toheeb Elegushi who looked up to see Sambridge in the middle of nowhere with the goal gaping. He kept his head for a simple finish to make it 2-1 to the Beachboys.

Grays had to reset and for a while the game got bogged down in a midfield battle. Nnamudi had a shot blocked and Khris Oti, for Concord, should have done better with a chance that went high and wide.

Midway through the half, Gael Kileba, off the bench jinked past a couple of players through the left channel and was brought down 25 yards out.

Gabriel Chapps put the ball down and planted the perfect free kick into the top corner of the net for the second equaliser of the afternoon. 2-2 and game on.

Just a couple of minutes later there was a near identical repeat. Kileba brought down in the same spot, Chapps free kick. But this time, Brown made a good diving save and Hogan on the rebound couldn't clear the bodies in front of him.

At the other end, it was only some great defending from Jordan Clark that denied Oti a sight of goal before late on, Muldoon, for Grays, hit a spinning volley and Brown had to be alert as the ball dipped under the bar.

So points shared in a game that Grays really should have won on the balance of play, although Concord presented a challenge all afternoon with their array of fast, physical forwards.

But if they are to make serious progress in this division, Blues cannot keep giving away cheap goals as they did here.

Grays Ath : Sambridge, Brampton, Joynes, Moss, J.Clark, Hogan, Hepburn, Muldoon, Chapps, Nnamudi, Harvey (59, Kileba)

Subs not used : Effah, Moncur, Jude, L.Clark

Grays are next in action in the FA Cup at Chadfields on Saturday (5 September), when Leiston are the visitors.