Confident Blues maintain winning start
Writes StewieG
Following victory earlier in the week against Aveley, Grays continued their promising pre-season with victory against Cheshunt, themselves recently promoted via the play-offs to National League South, under the guidance of former Blues manager, Craig Edwards.
Grays gave first starts of the season to Courteney Homans, Geoff Okonkwo, Aron Gordon, Callum Watts, and Brian Moses; with the Cheshunt line led by Anointed Chukwu, recently of this parish.
The first half hour saw little action of note, with neither side able to fashion a clear chance in front of goal. Not until the 37th minute was either keeper troubled, when a Cheshunt long throw and flick header was comfortably dealt with by Danny Sambridge. Everything changed though five minutes later when fine work by Homans down the right fed into Sam Bantick, who finished smartly for his second goal in two games and a 1-0 lead. Cheshunt sought to strike back quickly but again Sambridge was alert to the danger.
At the start of the second half, Blues were fortunate when Brian Moses almost put through his own net from a Cheshunt free kick. But moments later, the same player held the ball up brilliantly in the opposition box, laying a pass back to Callum Watts, who unleashed an unstoppable 25-yard piledriver past the helpless Cheshunt keeper to make it 2-0.
Ten minutes later, history nearly repeated itself when Watts let fly again from almost the same spot. This time the keeper was able to parry the ball out, with Ryan Melaugh unable to bury the rebound.
Manager Lewis Dark used the scoreline to give a number of the younger squad members a run out, with none looking out of place and showing real commitment to the cause. The future is definitely bright.
A 2-0 win against a side now two divisions higher, who played some neat football, together with the clean sheet (shared between Sambridge and Griek) was a fine afternoon’s work.