Grays Athletic vs Wroxham (From Thurrock Gazette)

9:38pm

Durrant goes close for Wroxham with a shot from outside the box.

9:35pm

Beaney clears a Wroxham free kick into the box. Blues well on course for yet another clean sheet. Johnson's not really been tested.

9:34pm

About two minutes to play here.

9:34pm

And there goes Carlos, skipping round Rio Starkins. He then hits a low cross-come-shot but West can't reach it and it goes out for a goal kick.

9:28pm

Grays subs:

Danny Bunce and Jared Small are replaced by Joao Carlos and Daniel Subuola

Not sure, if I was a freezing cold Wroxham defender i'd want to see Blues' top scorer Joao Carlos coming on...

9:26pm

Corner for Grays. Great build up. Beaney and Lalite at the heart of it. They are quite literally running rings around the Wroxham midfield.

9:22pm

West squanders the chance for a hat-trick as he shoots low at the keeper after the ball fell to him following good work from Small.

9:21pm

Wroxham management are well tucked away in their touchline shelter. I would say they're quite looking forward to going home...

Blake as just hit a rasping shot from the edge of the area which Johnson needs two bites at to gather. A rare get-out for the visitors who have been very much pinned in their own half since half time.

9:19pm

Free kick to Blues after Sweeney is impeded. It's cleared as far as Bunce whose low shot is blocked.

Great atmosphere at Rush Green. Not as many here as there normally are, but some good songs being sung and there's - dare-I-say-it - a jovial party atmosphere.

9:16pm

Great low shot on the run by Bunce after West had lofted a diagonal ball out to him. Saved.

9:15pm

Wroxham sub:

Andrew Eastaugh is replaced by Joshua Carus

9:13pm

Flynn plays the free kick short to Bunce who fires over from 18-yards

9:10pm

Jared Small clears off the line for Grays. Matthew Blake, a Wroxham sub, works a shooting opportunity in the box, with Johnson committed, but it's tame and Small gets in to clear.

9:07pm

Lalite's error midway inside the visitor's half sees Blues hit on the counter attack. The ball is worked wide to Durrant whose low shot from fair way out is caught by Johnson.

9:06pm

Bunce is unlucky as a great run from midway inside his own half sees him eventually collect the ball off West on the edge of the Wroxham box, he does his impression of Gazza, circa 96, juggling the ball in the run, flicking the ball over Eastaugh before Jessup comes out to gather.

9:04pm

Quick free kick taken by Small. It's in to Sweeney, who takes  touch, toys with the defender before his low shot is saved and cleared at the near post.

9:02pm

That's Jack West's seventh goal in five games. Great run of form for striker

And we have snow in Romford.

9:00pm

Really good goal from Blues who have well and truly killed this game off six minutes into the second half.

Sweeney gets up to head on Johnson's goal kick. It's expertly taken down inside the Wroxham half. He then plays a beautifully dinked pass over the top to West, who gets between Halliday and Eastaugh to fire past Jessup.

8:55pm

Great ball into the box by Bunce, but Jessup claims for his first touch of the second period.

8:54pm

No efforts on goal for here yet. If Maldon fail to win at Ware then that's a real turn up! They're torrid form since New Year could be their undoing!

8:53pm

Great start to the second hal for Blues!! Ware have equalised at Maldon, having been 2-0 down!!

8:51pm

Now a last second huddle as Blues keep Wroxham waiting a tad longer!

8:50pm

We're about set then.

Big ask for Wroxham, this.

8:49pm

The players are coming out for the second half now. Ware are out. Waiting for Blues...

8:36pm

And again Forshaw! He cuts inside of East and from 12 yards shoots low, but agains Johnson saves. He'll score eventually!

West goes really close with a header before Bunce is set away, he ends up drifting quite wide before hitting a cross-come-shot that misses Sweeney and goes just wide.

8:33pm

Forshaw again for Wroxham. He's had a hat-trick of chances but is yet to find the net. He gets between Kirby and Baker before going to lob Johnson. It's ambitious as Johnson isn't far off his line. The keeper gathers well.

8:32pm

Ball in by Small, comes up and down quicker than expected and Bunce is at the back post. He goes for the spectacular first time volley, but misjudges it in style!

8:30pm

Forshaw then goes close for Wroxham. He gathers the ball at the back post following a corner. Completely unmarked, he leathers the ball across goal, but it flies over.

8:29pm

That's a fantastic finish by Lee Flynn. Leon Lalite crosses in from the right, it's headed clear, but falls kindly to Flynn, who on the left-hand corner of the box, strikes a sweet first time half-volley that flies past Jessup.

8:24pm

Bunce's teasing ball in goes straight out as Baker just fails to connect.

8:24pm

Good pressure now from Blues. Corner won by Small.

8:23pm

Sweeney crosses in, Lalite takes the ball on (a tricky one to control) but the keeper does well off his line to clear.

8:22pm

Forshaw shoots low from outside the edge of the area, wide. Wroxam need something soon, I feel, here.

8:19pm

More quality from Lalite and Beaney in the middle, breaking play up and getting the side ticking.

Joe Sweeney is coming on for Jeff Hammond now. He's pulled up her.

8:17pm

Grays have the ball in the back of the net again, West after a great run from Hammond but the ball had gone out before he cut it back.

8:14pm

Still 2-0 here, Blues have created a few openings. The hassling across the defensive line by Hammond is causing all kinds of problems. The Wroxham back four haven't had a chance to settle at all.

8:10pm

Couple of corners now for Blues who continue to pile on the pressure. No Newby in the Grays Athletic side this evening, the paperwork for his loan move was not processed in time.

8:07pm

Best possible first 15 minutes here for Blues though. Fans in good voice as their side dominate on the pitch!

8:07pm

Only need North and South to score now and we've got a full house!!

Neither of those are playing by the way...

8:05pm

Talk about taking your chances! West turns in from six yards after the ball had spun loose to Bunce, who hit a low, right-footed shot. It was going wide, but West turned it in.

8:01pm

Jamie Forshaw goes exceptionally close for the visitors! He picks up a poor ball from Kirby, intended for East. Forshaw makes for goal before taking the shot on early. It goes just over the bar!

7:59pm

Baker then heads just wide! Super stuff from Blues.

7:59pm

East cuts in from the right, makes toward goal before looping a super 25 yard strike into the top corner!! Cracking goal from the right back.

7:55pm

Lovely turn in the middle by Lalite. He's forged a great partnership with Beaney. The pair have been integral to Blues' season.

Throw in right in the corner of Blues half to Wroxham now. Baker clears before the ball goes back in and Johnson gathers.

7:53pm

Maldon are away to Ware this evening. No easy task travelling to a relegation battler at this stage.

But here at Rush Green, it's all Blues, but Jessup in the visitor's goal is yet to be tested.

7:51pm

Big test this now for Grays. The race for the title is well and tuly in their hands. Can they stay focusses enough and keep grinding out results.

There is an argument that with every game Maldon lose, a little more pressure is added to Blues.

They've started this one well enough, several balls into the box. Beaney shouts: "Good start." And a good start it has been!

7:46pm

Players are in the tunnel. And here they come...

7:42pm

Here are the teams:

Grays Athletic:

Johnson; East, Baker, Kirby, Flynn; Bunce, Lalite, Beaney; Small, Hammond, West.

Subs: Subuola, Sweeney, Marshall, Moses, Carlos

Wroxham:

Jessup; Jones, Starkins, Halliday, Eastaugh; Lemmon, Durrant, Harty, Lewis; Forshaw, Harrop.

Subs: Carus, Hilton, Spellar, Blake, Cook.

7:38pm

Good evening!

I'm in the press box at Rush Green. It's exceptionally cold but thankfully, snow-less.

All of Thurrock's other non-league games have fallen foul of this late winter cold snap, but Blues charge for the title continues this evening.

They host Wroxham.