The cold cold reality is that Grays Athletic have not won a game since January 1st.
The question is whether they will win any of the fourteen games left?
On this evidence the answer has to be no.
They are trying so so hard and did well to get back into this game in the first half. They always looked a shade behind Cambridge but in awful conditions, looked the equal partner of Torquay.
The fact is that in every game, it is not a question of Grays looking like fodder or out of their depth. They look like combative competitors.
It seems a done deal, that they will lose by one goal to those at the top and draw with the relegation candidates.
The big question is how will they fare with the middling teams? The answer will come on Saturday. If Altrincham prove to be one goal better then it doesn’t look good.
Altrincham’s away form is pretty wretched with three defeats and a draw.
The club have gone to great lengths to issue free tickets to all 42 infant and junior schools in the borough so there should be a big crowd to watch this vital fixture.
The first game in hand on Woking has already been used up and there are just three to go. Suddenly, Forest Green are four points in front.
Last night (Tuesday March 3rd) was played in dreadful conditions but both teams did well to try as best they could to play good football.
Grays have every right to complain regarding the decision to give the free kick outside the area which lead to the first goal in the 13th minute. However Kevin Nicholson scored with a fine low effort that gave Steve Arnold no chance.
Ishmael Welsh continued to give defenders a very hard time but at times you feel his crosses are aching to be met by a bustling centre forward.
Barry Cogan and Andy Pugh showed a high degree of skill in close control and twisting and turning but you started to feel that Grays were playing with a man short.
Tyrone Berry was attacking manfully down the right, much more assertively than on Saturday while at the back Fabian Wilnis and Jamie Stuart simply never put a foot wrong. Stuart Thurgood continued to hunt and gather.
Grays equalised in the 28th minute when Tony Dinning repaid the compliment by also placing a clinical free kick from outside the area.
The game was in the balance. Sometimes it wasn’t pretty, such as a desperate comedy of errors in the Grays box at the end of the first half.
Andy Pugh continued to plough a furrow up front. It was foul on Pugh that led to the Dinning free kick and he was willing to either shoot on site or seek out his colleagues throughout the game.
In the 57th minute, George Beavan slid a lovely ball through to Ishmael Welsh but his head goes up when shooting into the ball court end as the ball once again sailed over the bar.
The Gulls moved their pieces with the subsitution as they knew that three points meant they would return to the play off zone. Wayne Carlisle came on and started to bring penetration to the left.
A skidding shot from Elliot Benyon got underneath Steve Arnold’s body but Fabian Wilnis cleared off the line.
Territory and possession being ceded by Grays, Torquay seized their chance. In the 86th minute a lovely piece of one-touch inter-linking play saw Elliot Benyon spot Carlisle unmarked at the far post who slipped Kenny Davis to head home and grab the three points.
Grays players and the minute crowd were crestfallen. It will take all of Gary Phillips' positive powers to get the players back up for Saturday in what is now shaping up to be a huge game.
Report by Michael Casey
Thanks to Your Thurrock for the match report
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