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11.07.2008 @ 19:45 Silverlake Stadium |
Crowd: 203
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Eastleigh
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2 - 2
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Grays Athletic
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Referee: A Laver
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Friendly-Match
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Grays started their 2008/09 pre-season campaign with a decent 2-2 draw this evening away at Conference South side Eastleigh.
Manager Mick Woodward began the match with a strong starting eleven as summer signings Rob Gier, Ishmael Welsh, Mark Molesley, Stefan Bailey & Charlie Ide got their first run-outs in a Grays shirt. Keeper Joe Worsley & centre-half John Munday were the only trialists in the first half; the latter was with QPR before signing for Kidderminster last season. Adam Gross, Jamie Stuart, Barry Cogan & Danny Kedwell made the starting line-up.
The match started quietly with both teams seemingly happy to begin their first pre-season match at a slow pace.
The Spitfires took the lead in the 24th minute, as John Munday was robbed on the right-hand side of the penalty area. The ball was taken towards goal, and passed across the six-yard area where striker Matt Groves was on hand to tap in from five yards.
Soon after Grays were on the attack, and ex-Gillingham player Barry Cogan tested the keeper from 18 yards.
The home side went 2-0 up through Tony Taggart in the 37th minute, with a 20-yard screamer that Worsley had no chance with as the ball whistled past him into the top left hand corner or the goal.
The Blues finished the first half strongly with Kedwell shooting from distance that the keeper parried for a corner, whilst Cogan & Bailey having half-hearted penalty appeals turned down.
At the break, Woodward rang the changes as Jeff Goulding, Jamie Taylor, Matt Bodkin and Jon Ashton joined trialists Alex Campana & Kenny Davis joining in the action. Campana is a right-winger who has been on the books of Watford, whilst Davis was Harlow’s player of the season last term.
Campana started brightly down the left flank and his right-footed shot from the left-hand side of the box drew a great save from Jason Matthews in the Eastleigh goal, as the ball headed for the top corner.
After 58 minutes, Grays pulled a goal back as Bodkin was released down the right; his cross from the by-line was met by Campana, whose header nestled into the net via the crossbar.
Mark Haines & Sam Sloma entered the game midway through the second half, as Kedwell, Ide & Bailey also got another run-out following being taken off at half time.
Grays were beginning to up the tempo and a succession of corners followed.
Bodkin, who had swapped sides with the impressive Campana, was having a fine game and it was the ex-Welling winger who created Grays’ equaliser. This time it was a mirror image cross from the left, onto the head of Jamie Taylor to finish from close-range.
The game ended as it had begun, with both sides happy to knock the ball around and I’m sure both managers would have been happy the workout the players received and the final result.
A crowd of 203 (9 away fans) were in attendance at The Silverlake Stadium.
As the old cliché goes, this was most definitely a ‘game of two halves’.
Next up for Grays is a weekend on the south coast, as they are staying in Bognor ahead of Monday afternoon's friendly against a Portsmouth XI.
Grays Ath Starting Lineup:
Joe Woolley
Rob Gier
Adam Gross
Jon Munday
Jamie Stuart
Barry Cogan
Ishmael Welsh
Stefan Bailey
Mark Molesley
Danny Kedwell
Charlie Ide
Subs Used
Kenny Davis
Jon Ashton
Alex Campana
Matt Bodkin
Sam Sloma
Jamie Taylor
Jeff Goulding
Eastleigh Starting Lineup
Jason Matthews
Andy Harris
Trevor Challis
Anthony Riviere
Tom Jordan
Ashley Vickers
Peter Adenyi
Tony Taggart
Matt Groves
James Baker
Tom Bird
Subs Used
Aaron Martin
Neil Davies
Luke Byles
Chris Mason
Aaron Milburn
Joe Maxwell
Adam Shepard
Jerome Walker
Report by Chris Jones
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