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19.07.2006 @ 19:45 The Recreation Ground |
Crowd:
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Grays Athletic
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2 - 3
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Leyton Orient
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Grays' pre-season has been thrown into turmoil after influential skipper Stuart Thurgood broke his leg in a friendly with Leyton Orient on Wednesday night.
The 24-year-old snapped his fibula in a seemingly innocuous tackle with Orient midfielder Donny Barnard in the first-half of Blues' 3-2 defeat to the Londoners.
Thurgood sustained the break as he chased a loose ball in his own half and collided with Barnard.
The game was held up for around 10 minutes as Blues physio Steve Snelling and other staff tended to the midfielder who was then rushed to hospital.
Blues boss Frank Gray said: "Injuries are your worst fear in friendlies and especially when they happen to someone as important to us as Stuart. He is a great captain on the pitch and we will need to get him back as soon as possible."
On the pitch, Grays 3-2 defeat means it is now three pre-season defeats on the bounce but Gray remains upbeat and revealed he took many positives from the game.
Either side of half-time Blues showed glimpses of hitting top-form and even went two goals up before the interval before shipping a trio of goals in the second period.
"There were a lot of good things to take from the game," said Gray. "For periods of the match we looked good. They made a lot more substitutions and finished the game the stronger. They had the fresher legs and it showed. But I thought for the period just before and just after half time we looked pretty good."
Gray was particularly encouraged by the understanding stuck up by Aaron McLean and new-recruit Lee Boylan in just their second game together.
Both strikers grabbed a goal supplied by the other and Gray was delighted with the pair's efforts.
He said: "It's a good start for them and we hope that can continue. The more they play together the more they will learn from each other and develop."
On Boylan Gray added: "Nobody's guaranteed anything at any level but he has got a good goalscoring record and we hope he continues that."
Among a familiar-looking starting line-up Gray included two triallists in the back four - right back Mark Ricketts and centre back Jerome Sobers.
Both men didn't look out of place in the Blues line-up and Sobers, who was once bought by Ipswich after impressing as a 17-year-old at Ford United, could be the strapping centre half that Gray is on the look-out for.
The Blues boss, however, was keeping his cards close to his chest.
"Both did ok," he said. "We are looking to strengthen the centre of the defence but I'm not going to say whether they are going to be the ones. There's a few we are looking at and we hope to get it sorted as soon as possible.
"Ideally we will have them on board at least two weeks before the season starts but that's not always guaranteed."
By Ryan Goad
Thanks to the Thurrock Gazette for the report.
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