Grays Athletic 3, Mildenhall Town 1

GRAYS Athletic got back to winning ways after three successive defeats with a late flurry of goals to take all three Isthmian North points against Mildenhall at Chadfields on Saturday (10 January).

Having struggled to find the back of the net in recent weeks, three goals in 15 minutes was something of a real relief to the Blues faithful.

Grays gave debuts to recent signing Toheeb Elegushi, a winger who numbers Romford and Saffron Walden Town among his previous clubs, and the returning Manny Ogunrinde.  Home favourite Aron Gordon was back on the bench after an extended period out with injury.

The first half was forty-five minutes of watchers; lives that no-one will ever get back. It was very thin fare.

Joe McNeil had the first chance of the afternoon early on for the visitors but shot tamely at George Marsh. But it then took another twenty minutes before the next opportunity arose when Ryan Swift connected a header with an inswinging corner but the Grays defence was able to hack the ball away to safety.

The story of the half was too many misplaced passes from both sides and a midfield battle that produced no clear winner. Mildenhall's best work was out wide but the Grays back four held firm, with Jordan Clark leading the line.

It took Blues more than 40 minutes to seriously ruffle the visitors' feathers. The ball was worked out to Elegushi and his shot went just wide of the far post with keeper, Finley Iron, looking beaten.

Whatever both managers said during the break clearly had some effect with greater intent all round. But again it was the visitors that made the early running. Luke Brown broke through the line but Alex Moss recovered well to kill the chance. Jordan Clark then inadvertently trod on the ball letting Swift in but he shot straight at Marsh before Adam Capel should have done better with a header from another Mildenhall corner.

Eventually the pressure told though. Macaulay Joynes seemed to have things under control out wide but his pocket was picked by Jordan Nicholson and his ball into the box found Swift who finished smartly for a 1-0 lead.

However, whereas in recent weeks, Blues heads have dropped when conceding first, this time it just seemed to poke the bear and stir Grays into action. SId Walker and Oscar Shelvey started to control the midfield and Casey Nolan-Samuels found space to run dangerously at the opposition.

WIth a quarter of an hour left on the clock Grays went on the attack and let loose a volley of shots, the last of which from Ogunrinde felled defender Jed Wigley from close range - the Mildenhall defender already sporting a head bandage from a first half clash.

From the resulting Joe Paxman corner, and with Wigley still receiving treatment, Oscar Shelvey was first to the header, guiding the ball beyond keeper, Iron, into the net to level things up at 1-1.

Grays were now in the ascendency and five minutes later, Casey Nolan-Samuels launched a trademark long throw into the visitors' penalty area. Shelvey again won the first header and eventually the ball fell to Alex Moss six yards out and he was able to poke the ball home to turn things round and give Blues the lead.

With the Mildenhall defence tiring, Ogunrinde was twice able to run through the line, the first after a bulldozer of a run from Sid Walker who then had the composure to find a great through ball. Only some last ditch defending preserved the scoreline. However, deep into injury time, Grays sealed the points when Nolan-Samuels set Gordon free and one-on-one with the keeper. He was never going to miss and he didn't, much to the delight of the home fans.

The final 3-1 scoreline was probably somewhat harsh on the visitors, who for periods were the better side. But to their credit, Grays stayed in the game and the late rush of goals secured the three points.

Grays Ath : Marsh, Nolan-Samuels, Joynes, Walker, Clark, Moss, Paxman (78, Gordon), Shelvey, Ogunrinde, Sartorius (90, Blower), Elegushi (88, Norton).

Grays are next in action on Saturday, 17 January at Cambridge City.