Grays ease through in cup
Grays were made to work far harder than they could have imagined to secure a place in the FA Cup First Round and a trip to Conference rivals York City.
A plucky Wanderers outfit frustrated the Blues for long periods with visiting goalkeeper, Steve Northwood, playing the game of his life to keep his side afloat.
Aaron McLean thought he had opened the floodgates when he netted his first goal of the season in the 25th minute. But some heroic defending from the Cray rearguard meant the Ryman Division One side were never out of the tie until Michael Kightly doubled Grays’ advantage a minute before time.
”Their goalkeeper was magnificent today, he was man-of-the-match by a mile,” said boss Mark Stimson afterwards. “We asked question after question of him and at one stage it looked like he would have all the answers. But we kept going, as we have been doing all season, and we’re in the next round which is all that matters.
Stimson was also delighted that McLean managed to bag himself a goal after coming so close in the past handful of game.
”It’s great for the lad,” he said. “Every week he gives 100 per cent in desire and effort and he’s playing in a position which maybe isn’t his favourite but he’s got in their and got the goal he deserved” .
McLean’s goal injected some life into the Conference leaders after a lethargic start, which could have been punished if their opponents had been a bit more clinical in front of goal.
Jamie Kempster and Leigh Bremner both had gilt-edged chances to hand Wanderers a shock lead, but neither could find a way past Nicky Eyre.
Kempster was in acres of space when he latched onto Jamie Wood’s mis-hit shot but his strike was straight down the throat of the ex-Spurs stopper, while lone-striker, Bremner, forced Eyre into a more acrobatic mistake when a mis-judgement from Jamie Stuart gifted him a free shot on goal.
At the other end, Dean Morris was forced to hack a Dennis Oli header off his own line before McLean broker the deadlock and his own scoring drought to boot.
The ex-Aldershot man hadn’t netted all season and looked like a man who was carrying that statistic like a millstone around his neck. So the relief when he volleyed home a Stuart Thurgood free kick was palpable.
Grays should have kicked on from there with Glenn Poole and Jamie Slabber both guilty of missing food headed opportunities.
Indeed, twice Poole should have scored after getting on the end of Andy Sambrook and Oli crosses respectively while Slabber will have felt he should have done better when he diverted a McLean’s cross past Northwood’s near post.
Wanderers defender Danny Bower then somehow managed to twice block the ball on his own goal line with Slabber and John Martin the men foiled as Grays looked odds on to tear their visitors’ apart.
But the half time whistle came at just the right time for Ian Jenkins’ men as the Kent-based outfit re-grouped and freshened things up by bringing on ex-Grays striker Gary Abbott.
The 41-year-old was a member of the Blues squad when Stimson took over nearly three years’ ago and he came close to forcing a replay when his header from a huge throw from Bower smacked the corner of post and bar with five minutes left.
Quite how Cray managed to still be in the game at that point is anybody’s guess though much of it can be attributed to the brilliance of Northwood.
The 27-year-old produced a string of fine saves to keep his side’s head above water denying Poole, Slabber and most notably Stuart, whose thumping header seemed destined for the back of the net until an acrobatic intervention from Northwood diverted it over the bar.
Stimson threw on Kightly and Gary Hooper in a bid to put the game to bed but a mixture of over-elaboration, fantastic goalkeeping and a huge sluice of luck kept the visitors in with a chance.
Kightly fizzed a cracking shot over the bar, after cutting in from the left and Stuart stooped to head a Martin corner on to the post as Blues piled on the pressure but to no avail.
And when Abbot headed onto the woodwork hearts were really in mouths but the pressure eventually told on the Cray back line and when the two substitutes combined in the closing minutes it really was game, set and match.
Oli escaped down the right and crossed for Hooper, who forced Northwood into another fantastic save, but this time the keeper’s luck was out and Kightly was on hand to crash home the rebound.
Abbot should have scored deep into injury time when he blasted wide with the goal gaping but by that time it was all academic and attentions were already turned to the First Round draw, which turned out to be less than ideal for the Blues.
York City away fulfilled neither the large league club away, or lower club at home criteria that fans were hoping for, but Stimson was a bit more upbeat. “It’s not a bad draw,” he said.
”Obviously the two sides know each other well, possibly I’d have preferred it to have been at home, but it gives us a real chance.
Report by Ryan Goad
Thanks to the Thurrock Gazette for the match report
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