Grays Athletic vs Cheshunt (From Thurrock Gazette)

5:12pm

Redbridge 1 - 3 Tilbury - Dockers win their third on the bounce!

5:11pm

Some scathing comments from a very unhappy Hakan Heyrettin, the Grays boss.

Frustrated at the performance of Junior Baker and George Kamurasi. Irritated at the officials. But not impressed with his side's performance either.

Bad day at the office for Blue, beaten at home for the first time in the league this season.

5:11pm

Some scathing comments from a very unhappy Hakan Heyrettin, the Grays boss.

Frustrated at the performance of Junior Baker and George Kamurasi. Irritated at the officials. But not impressed with his side's performance either.

Bad day at the office for Blue, beaten at home for the first time in the league this season.

5:09pm

Results from elsewhere:

East Thurrock United 2 - 0 Enfield Town

Thurrock P - P Lowestoft Town

AFC Sudbury 2 - 3 Aveley

4:57pm

Beaney goes close with a late free kick. But that's that.

A combination of poor refereeing but some excellent hard work and clinical finishing from the visitors is enough.

Cheshunt's first was through Courtney White, who capitalised on some poor defending. The second was from a penalty scored by Burke, but the foul looked to have been outside the box.

The third was White again, but he looked to be offside after receiving the pass from Corey Whitely.

Blues got one back through Sweeney, but Greene added a fourth in the 90th minute as he darted through midfield before coolly beating Kamurasi.

4:52pm

Grays were unbeaten at home in the league before today. That record has been quite emphatically done away with!

4:50pm

More poor defeding by Blues. They were committed again, Baker was out of position, and David Greene just skipped past Beaney, then Bunce, before bearing down on Kamurasi and slotting coolly past him.

4:47pm

His low penalty strikes the post. Could be it for Grays now.

4:45pm

Joao Carlos is felled by keeper Murefu, with his feet.

4:45pm

PENALTY for Blues!!

4:45pm

Carlos gathers Sweeney's pass on the edge of the area, looks to go past Clemo before his tame shot is collected by Murefu.

Then Carlos crosses for Hammons but he can't divert it.

4:42pm

Blues loading the box, but not threatening the goal as Corey Whitely leads a Cheshunt counter attack. He feeds in Tony Burke, but his cut back on the byline is poor.

4:39pm

Nice finish by Sweeney, coming in off the right and shooting from just inside the box.

Still lots to do.

4:36pm

Grays sub:

Jack West comes on for Jake Hall

4:34pm

Cheshunt sub:

David Hicks is replaced by Lee Brennan

Junior Baker heads on target, but straight at Murefu.

4:34pm

Cheshunt sub:

David Hicks is replaced by Lee Brennan

Junior Baker heads on target, but straight at Murefu.

4:30pm

Good stuff from Bunce as he comes in from the left, steps over the ball a few time, before cutting in and shooting with his right foot. Just wide.

15 minutes to play here.

4:28pm

4:27pm

4:27pm

Apologies, the feed is a little behind. So the action below happened a couple of minutes before advertised.

4:24pm

Cheshunt sub:

Mark Twumasi on for Murat Karagul

Grays sub:

Joe Sweeney on for Jared Small

Luke Marshall on for Harry Agombar

4:23pm

Tommy Fletcher sent off for Cheshunt! Second yellow!

4:21pm

Tall order now for Blues. Need a bit of a miracle.

Jared Small has just been booked for diving in the box, too.

4:20pm

Oh dear the game has descended into farce.

So Blues, denied a blatant penalty in the first half are furious that the penalty was given in the first place. Burke converts, shooting straight down the middle.

Then minutes later, White receives the ball in the box from a cross, but he looked to be ahead of play and therefore offside, but the flag stayed down. White rounded Kamurasi and netted.

4:14pm

It was a foul right on the edge of the box and a booking for Bunce.

4:12pm

PENALTY to Cheshunt!

4:09pm

There are 189 here today.

Second half has started much as the first ended. Blues seeing all the ball, but not able to pick out a final ball so far.

Carlos takes a short corner then gets it back from Agombar. His deflected shot is saved by Murefu.

3:57pm

Think Leon Lalite would be a good option for Blues in the second half. Lots of pace in the Grays front three and Lalite is the man that can pick a pass.

Blues a little lethargic in that first half, but Cheshunt's endeavour and defending can't be faulted.

They took the lead after four minutes through Courtney White, who, after some poor defending by Kirby, hit a speculative effort that Kamurasi should have saved.

3:51pm

Elsewhere:

Ryman Premier League:

East Thurrock 2 - 0 Enfield Town - Bryant scoring on his debut for Rocks

Thurrock P - P Lowestoft Town

Ryman Division One North:

AFC Sudbury 1 - 1 Aveley

Redbridge 1 - 2 Tilbury

3:48pm

Murefu booked as ventured into no mans land and fouled Hammond on the edge of the box, with the ball in the air.

Agombar hits the free kick, but it's deflected wide and the corner is cleared.

3:47pm

3:46pm

3:45pm

Another shocking decision by the officials as Murefu handles outside the area. He went to collect a ball in the air, and under pressure from Kirby seemed to step outside the box as he gathered.

3:42pm

It's punched clear by Murefu only as far as Small who shoots from the edge of the area, but the ball's deflected wide. Hall heads over the corner.

3:41pm

Yellow card for Tommy Fletcher who scythed down Jared Small. Terrible tackle, needless too. Free kick to Blues, crossing opportunity for Agombar.

3:38pm

I've only just seen that Thurrock vs Lowestoft was called off at 1.30 today. Referee there declared the pitch unfit to play on.

3:37pm

Again nice football from the home side, with Pope, Beaney and Agombar all involved down the right. Pope's cross is blocked before Agombar miscontrols and the ball goes behind.

3:35pm

Nice build up from Grays with Hall and Agombar exchanging passes smartly on the edge of the box, but just lacked that final ball. Best play for a while though, the game's become a bit scrappy. Cheshunt are working hard.

3:31pm

3:30pm

A booking for Pope now, who held back Burke on the edge of the Cheshunt box as the visitors looked to break after clearing a Blues free kick.

3:28pm

Cheshunt coming back into the game now - they lead, obviously - but have hardly had a touch in the opening 30 minutes. But they're seeing much more of the ball now.

3:23pm

Ironic cheers as the referee gives a free kick against Cheshunt's Joe Clemo and books him for dissent. Free kick to Blues just inside the Cheshunt half.

3:21pm

3:21pm

Beaney being booked for dissent now. Blues, understandably, not happy at several of the referee's decisions.

There's a referee assessor here, too. Wonder what he made of the referee's decision not to give that penalty earlier?

3:19pm

Another goal mouth scramble in the Cheshunt box with bodies flying all over the place. But Cheshunt again survive as Hammond's shot deflects over the bar.

Blues have the ball back in, but Carlos' cross is collected by Murefu in the Cheshunt goal.

He's a diminuitive fellow, but brave! His goal is living a charmed life at the moment.

3:17pm

This is the same defence for Blues that lined up against Romford. It lacks pace. And Cheshunt know it. They're looking to play a ball over the top every time and Grays are playing such a high line.

3:15pm

Poor effort from the Macclesfield loanee. Low and straight into the wall.

3:14pm

Free kick for Blues, 20 yards out, left of centre. Good chance, this.

Agombar over it..

3:12pm

BIG penalty shout for Grays! But ref says no.

It was a real scramble in the Cheshunt area, as they throw bodies to block the ball. But Small shot from close range and Dean Michael who moved his arm to the ball to stop it going in on the line.

Referee can't have seen it through the bodies. But it was a clear penalty.

Blues fans incensed here. But it's much better from Grays in the last ten minutes. To be fair, one poor piece of defending aside, Grays have actually started this game quite well!

3:09pm

They've come close twice since though Blues as they look to get back into the game straight away. Small crossed the ball back to Joao Carlos from the byline but his shot from six yards was deflected and cleared. Then Harry Agombar has had a shot gathered from 20-yards. Would have been better to pass it to Hammond sprinting past his left.

3:07pm

Shocking start for Blues.

Undone by a long ball from the left back position, Kirby was caught in the air. White gathered and hit a speculative shot, albeit with a fair amount of vigour from 20 yards and it flies through Kamurasi's hands into the top corner. He should have done much better.

2:54pm

As always, there will be updates from game's involving the borough's other teams.

In the Ryman Premier, Thurrock are hosting Lowestoft Town at Ship Lane, East Thurrock are at home to Enfield Town.

Elsewhere in this league, Tilbury are at a beleagured Redbridge and Aveley at AFC Sudbury.

2:52pm

Another interesting pre-kick off pointer for you, Luke Marshall, on the bench for Blues this afternoon, turned down an approach from Cheshunt a few weeks ago. I'm told he has a few mates playing for the visitors today, so he'll be itching to get on.

2:47pm

Interesting to note Courtney White up top for Cheshunt. He was a very popular figure in the Billericay side that was promoted from the Ryman Premier League last season.

He has three goals in two so could be one to watch out for today!

Jeff Hammond, sent off on Wednesday evening, is playing, too. His suspension doesn't start for a couple of games.

2:43pm

Here are today's teams:

Grays Athletic, unchanged from Tuesday's exciting 3-2 home win over Romford:

Kamurasi; Pope, Baker, Kirby, Bunce; Agombar, Beaney, Hall; Small, Hammond, Carlos

Subs: Lalite, Sweeney, Flynn, West, Marshall

Cheshunt:

Murefu; Clemo, Deane, West, Fletcher; Hicks, Whitely, Greene, Burke; White, Karagul

Subs: Twumasi, Mitchell, Mason, Archer, Brennon

2:37pm

Good afternoon and welcome to the Thurrock Gazette's live non-league coverage.

Pitch looking very good at Rush Green after a bit of respite following weeks of relentless rain.

Grays looking to make it three wins out of three since Christmas today and it's Cheshunt who are today's visitors.