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Grays Athletic 2 Forest Green Rovers 1

Sun, April 26, 2009. Kick off: 4:00 PM in Matches

Match Report By Martin Candler

On a glorious sunny spring Sunday afternoon, Grays finished a roller-coaster season on a high by beating Forest Green to chalk up their 12th home win in the Blue Square Premier. But the day really belonged to Fabian Wilnis who was playing in his final competitive game in a distinguished career which took him via NAC Breda and De Graafschap in Holland to Suffolk's Ipswich Town. Around a hundred Ipswich fans made the trip to honour a fine professional and along with the sizeable "kids for free" contingent swelling the gate to a season's best 1246 the occasion had a bubbly carnival feel to it.

Injury-hit Forest Green recruited James Baldwin and Ben Pugh from Shortwood United for their debuts, having played for the Hellenic Premier side just 24 hours previously. However, although safe from relegation, Grays were determined to finish the season on a positive note and played throughout at a high tempo and produced some exciting one-touch football which was received in noisy, boisterous fashion by the home faithful who kept up a match-long, humorous variety of songs, mostly in support of young Wilnis.

In the 12th minute, the Premier's leading scorer, Andy Mangan was put through on goal. but was thwarted by the alert home custodian, Lee Butcher. Grays responded with Barrie Cogan twice going close before Forest Green opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Stuart Thurgood inexplicably handled in the box and Mangan duly converted the penalty to take his goal tally to 30 for the season. Jamie Slabber, with a sublime turn and shot, was denied by a finger-tip save by former Don's keeper, Terry Brown.

The second half continued in the same vein with Grays creating and missing a hatful of chances; Cogan weaved his way past several defenders before shooting past the post, George Beavan played a one-two and from close-in side-footed wide. Cogan then shot over from barely three yards out and Grays fans were wondering was it going to be one of those days. Perhaps the turning point of the match came in the 63rd minute when sub Marcus Palmer, profiting from a slip by the master Jamie Stuart ( playing even though he had been debilitated with food poisoning overnight), beat Butcher with a chip that hit the post and rebounded to safety.

Grays piled on the pressure and two goals in the 69th minute turned the match on its head; the first came when Stuart Thurgood's sheer willpower took him into the box and he fired past Brown, fifty seconds later a good spot by Tommy Black, whose passing was both inspired and casual in turn, found sub Tyrone Berry on the left who unerringly shot home.

When referee Mr S.Creighton blew the final whistle most of the crowd stayed behind to celebrate an emotional Fabian's last game and applaud one of the true gentlemen of football. Good luck and best wishes Fabian and thanks for your immense contribution to the cause! Also thanks to Mickey Woodward and the board for offering a "kids for free" day and for discounting match ticket prices for the travelling Ipswich fans, a gesture that contributed greatly to a fun day out for the fans.

Grays Athletic: Butcher, Davis (Long 59), Wilnis, Stuart, Beavan, Cogan, Thurgood, Elliott, Welsh (Berry 59), Black, Slabber, Berry (Hudson-Odoi 76).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Sweeney.

Booked: Beavan.

Goalscorers: Thurgood(69), Berry(69)

Forest Green: Burton, Baldwin, Jones (Courtney 62), Preece, Pugh (Casey 50), Else, Smith, Rigoglioso (Palmer 59), Lloyd, Platt, Mangan.
Subs Not Used: Robinson, Fowler.

Goalscorer: Mangan(26 pen)

Attn: 1246.

Ref: S Creighton (England).