Grays win 2-0 in hard fought FA Cup victory

Grays Athletic 2, AFC Totton 0

CASH-STRAPPED Grays put themselves in with the change of a lucrative first round FA Cup tie with a hard-fought win over AFC Totton.

This is a Blues 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 Ellliott 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.

Grays: David Button, Kenny Davis, Rob Gier (Fabian Wilnis 69), Jamie Stuart, Sam Sloma, Luke Hick (Bradley Lodge 46), Stuart Thurgood, Stuart Elliott, Barry Cogan, Jon Dixon (Ishmael Welsh 46), Bradley Gray. Subs not used: Steve Arnold, Gavyn Dayes, Jamie Taylor, Stefan Bailey.

AFC Totton: Gareth Barfoot, Phil Warner, Anthony Lloyd, Ian Richardson, Matt Troon (Fouad Hamoud 85), Joshua Dutton-Black, Jamie Austen, Craig Davis, Ryan Hill (Nathaniel Sherbourne 78), Mark Osman, James Taylor. Subs not used: Graham Mills, Joe Bye, Ross Bottomley.

Attendance: 480.