Grays Athletic 0, Waltham Abbey 1

GRAYS were unable to upset the formbook but gave the visiting Abbots a tough match at Chadfields on Wednesday evening (26 November).

The win lifted Abbey to fifth place in the Isthmian North - but they had to work incredibly hard to pick up three points against a side lifted by Saturday's win against Gorleston, another team in the upper echelons of the table.

The Abbotts arrived in good form, and were looking for a fourth win in a row; while Athletic had ended a three match losing run with victory at the weekend and were hoping to build on that.

The first half came and went without a goal, though Abbotts keeper Bradley Robinson was perhaps the busier of two stoppers.

But the visitors went up a gear in the early stages of the second half and finally made a breakthrough just after the hour, Ellis Brown heading home from a corner. 

Grays weren't prepared to lie down and fought hard for an equaliser, and right at the end came close to grabbing a point when forcing another fine stop from Robinson, but the match ended with only one goal. 

Grays are back in action on Saturday when they make the trip to Takeley, who sit third from bottom.