Grays Athletic travel to Carlisle United in FA Cup first round

CASH-STRAPPED Grays will travel to Carlisle United in the FA Cup after a hard-fought 2-0 win over AFC Totton.

This is a Grays side woefully short of confidence, but they had just enough to see off a spirited performance from the Southern Division One South and West side.

A rocket from Stuart Elliott broke the deadlock, but the game was in the balance until the 85th minute when a controversial penalty was converted by Barry Cogan.

A relieved Gary Phillips, Grays’ assistant manager, said: “We needed that result.

“The situation of this club has been well documented and this gives us the chance to kick on in the league and, perhaps, get a good cup draw.”

AFC Totton manager Stuart Ritchie said: “We are massively disappointed. We had the better chances in the first half, but their extra bit of quality told in the second half.”

The Stags were the better side for much of the first half and had, in Mark Osman,the most threatening player on the pitch.

The striker forced David Button into a smart save, after being put through by James Taylor, and nearly prodded his side in front, only to be denied by a deflection from Jamie Stuart.

Grays’ best chance was a low drive from Stuart Thurgood, which almost sneaked into the bottom corner.

Grays made two changes at the interval, which injected some life into their game, and they went ahead six minutes after the re-start.

Thurgood and Barry Cogan both had shots blocked before the ball fell to Elliott who smashed a 25-yard shot into the top corner.

Totton refused to buckle and should have equalised five minutes later when a ricochet in the box left Taylor completely free, but the striker blazed horribly over.

But the game was put beyond their reach, five minutes before the final whistle, when defender Phil Warner was harshly adjudged to have handled in the area as he threw himself at Bradley Gray’s shot.

Barry Cogan stepped up to convert the spot-kick and kill off the spirited Stags effort.

Other results: Ashford Town (Middx) 0 Forest Green 0, Aylesbury 0 Sutton Utd 2, Blyth Spartans 3 Sheffield 1, Boston Utd 2 Cambridge Utd 3, Burgess Hill Town 0 Harlow 3, Bury Town 4 Basingstoke 1, Crawley Town 0 Havant & Waterlooville 3, Dorchester 1 Bishop's Stortford 0, Droylsden 0 Belper Town 0, Durham City 2 Histon 2, Evesham 2 Rushden & Diamonds 9, Fleetwood Town 4 Nantwich Town 3, Hampton & Richmond 0 Brackley 1, Hinckley Utd 1 Curzon Ashton 1, Kettering 3 Burton Albion 0, King's Lynn 1 Kidderminster 5, Leiston 1 Lewes 1, Maidstone 0 AFC Wimbledon 1, Oxford City 0 Eastbourne Borough 1, Oxford Utd 2 Hayes & Yeading 9, Retford Utd 1 Alfreton Town 3, Stevenage 2 Horsham 2, Tamworth 0 Barrow 4, Team Bath 1 Salisbury 0, Torquay 4 Chipstead 1, Weymouth 1 AFC Hornchurch 2, Woking 2 Ebbsfleet United 2, Wrexham 0 Eastwood Town 0, York 0 Mansfield 0.

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