York end a great romance as Grays crash
A sparse crowd of 528 saw dire Grays Athletic's love affair with the FA Trophy brutally ended.
Two wins and a narrow semi-final defeat in the last three seasons have shown this to be one of the Blues' favourite competitions and they were the dominant force at the first time of asking in this tie, only denied by a late, controversial penalty at York.
However, this time it was the Minstermen who were top dogs and after a bright beginning by the home side there only ever looked one likely winner.
Grays did start well and in the eighth minute Saturday's two goal hero Michael Standing took up the mantle again with a dribble and shot that whistled just over the bar.
But at the other end things began to wobble, much of which centred around a strangely hesitant Jon Ashton who appeared to have other things on his mind.
Reportedly a transfer target of Gillingham and former Blues boss Mark Stimson, he also came under the watchful gaze of Stevenage's Peter Taylor and Gary Waddock of Blue Square Premier leaders Aldershot.
They won't have been too impressed by his performance here though.
York began to dominate as early as the 13th minute when Martin Woolford looped the ball over Ashton's head and played a one-two with Richard Brodie. The chance came to nothing but it was an omen of things to come.
The deadlock was broken on 34 minutes when a Woolford throughball split the home defence. Brodie's shot was only parried by keeper David Button into the path of Nicky Wroe and he accepted the chance.
Blues boss Justin Edinburgh replaced the ineffective Ian Selley with Danny Kedwell at half time but just two minutes after the restart things got a lot tougher when a speculative Wroe shot was deflected off Cameron Mawer into the net.
The issue was put beyond doubt in the 58th minute when the outstanding Brodie made space for himself on the left hand side, crossed and from eight yards Woolford made no mistake.
With Grays' hearts breaking as hopes of a date at Wembley slipped away the final nail in the dream came on 65 minutes when the hapless Santo Gaia fouled Brodie in the box. The Minsterman got up and put away the penalty.
That was it as far as Grays were concerned.
There was no way back and though Danny Kedwell produced a late consolation, it was nothing more than the last chocolate in the box as the visitors from the Kit Kat stadium wrapped up a sweet victory and a place in the next round, where the winners of the postponed Alfreton v Farsley Celtic tie await.
Report by Michael Casey
Thanks to the Thurrock Gazette for the match report
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