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16.11.2004 @ 19:45 The Recreation Ground Crowd: 463
Grays Athletic 6 - 0 Bognor Regis Town
Referee: I Crouch Conference South-Match

Goalscorers
Gary Hooper (10)
Steve West (20)
Mitchell Cole (22)
Stuart Thurgood (pen) (58)
Tony Battersby (80)
Dennis Oli (88)
None
Starting Line-ups
Ashley Bayes
John Nutter
Jamie Stuart
Lee Matthews
Joe Bruce
Dean Brennan
Mitchell Cole
Stuart Thurgood
Steve West
Vil Powell
Gary Hooper
Mark Torcaso
David Piper
Ben Moore
Jamie Howell
Chris Breach
Kevin Murphy
Richard Hudson
Guy Rutherford
Ben Watson
Luke Nightingale
Jodey Rowlands
Substitutes
Scott Barrett
Steve Robinson
Martin Carthy
Dennis Oli
Tony Battersby
David Birmingham
Matty Russell
Warren Hunt
David Wright
Substitutions
Dennis Oli -> Mitchell Cole (43)
Tony Battersby -> Steve West (70)
Matty Russell -> Luke Nightingale (64)
Warren Hunt -> Ben Watson (68)
David Birmingham -> Jodey Rowlands (72)
Yellow cards
None None
Red cards
None None
Match report |
These are heady times at Bridge Road. Another colourful performance greeted Rec regulars who were thrilled by their team's 6-0 thrashing of Bognor Regis on Tuesday night.

Top-of-the-table Grays sent shockwaves through the division after trouncing one of the best sides in the Conference South.

Mark Stimson's rampaging squad - strenghened by players from Hornchurch's meltdown - knocked half a dozen goals past third placed Bognor Regis.

It was an entertaining, if one-sided encounter, but Stimmo's boys are becoming used to big wins.

Grays astonishing goal tally - taking into account Tuesday's goalfest - has reached 31 goals in six games.

On Tuesday, fans did not have to wait long to Blues net their first.

Gary Hooper stabbed in number one following a goal-mouth scramble with a little over ten minutes gone.

Former Urchin Steve West scored the second in the 22nd minute when his close range shot bobbled in. It was dawning on Grays that visiting keeper Mark Torcaso was not up to sustained Grays pressure.

Bognor's first choice goalkeeperis out recoverin from a bad sprain and grays made their visitors regret the golf course injury.

Two minutes later, a beautifully struck Mitchell Cole right foot drive from Vill Powell's neat cutback added to the scoreline.

Only Bognor's Ben Watson managed to conjur up much in the way of attacking spirit and despite his speedy runs he failed to out-trick Jamie Stuart or Joe Bruce.

Urchins incomer, new Grays keeper Ashley Bayes had virtually nothing to do all night.

But he's probably looking forward to being able to show Stimmo what he is capable of....if Grays can find a team capable of pushing their present formation.

More goals looked likely, and the fourth came just six minutes after the restart. A defensive blunder on the hour by Bognor's Kevin Murphy brought down Vill Powell just inside the visitors box, and England's Under 23 national side player Stuart Thurgood drove home the resulting penalty low and right.

Bognor brought on Warren Hunt and David Birmingham, but the duo made little difference and if anythin their posession decreased still further.

But when Grays made changes - bringing on striking firebrand Tony Battersby for West - the shot count just got better.

Two more goals came in the last eight minutes. In the 81st Battersby linked with sub Dennis Oli. Oli's cross from the wing was met by the big striker's head for an easy nod in.

Oli got his name on the scoresheet himself with just 60 seconds remaining. A 25-yard Grays frekick drew a palmed save from Torcaso, but the ball was only cleared as far as Oli who half-volleyed Grays sixth.

Report by Frazer Clark
Thanks to The Thurrock Gazette for the report.