GRAYS Athletic were pegged back in the dying embers as Staines Town scraped a 2-2 draw at Mill Field.

It looked as though Blues were set to take the points as goals from L’heureux Menga and Etienne Mukanya Kabobola had given them the lead heading into the opening exchanges before Dan Brown levelled.

Grays had fallen behind midway through the first-half when Tyrell Miller-Rodney put the visitors in front.

But two goals in five second-half minutes put Grays in the driving seat, only for Brown to have the last laugh.

Aveley came from two goals down to earn a thrilling 3-3 draw at Thamesmead Town.

Town had taken the lead inside 10 minutes when Adrian Stone lost his marker to head beyond the goalkeeper and 10 minutes later it was 2-0.

Cristian Nanetti made the most of some poor defending to fire the ball into the goal.

But back came the Millers, with Billy Coyne bundling home just two minutes later and soon after the visitors were level.

There was a touch of good fortune about the goal as Frankie Sinclair’s cross beat everyone in the box, including the goalkeeper 10 minutes before half-time.

But Stone restored Thamesmead’s lead on the stroke of half-time.

The final goal came on 57 minutes and what a goal it was as Dan McCullock beat several opponents and buried a strike at the near post.

Both sides had chances to win it but the game ended all square.

A goal in each half saw Thurrock beaten at the hands of AFC Hornchurch.

The Urchins, who beat Fleet in the Ryman North play-off semi-final last season, could have fallen behind before they took the lead with Joe Christou almost forcing the opener.

George Purcell scored the first with a near post finish 10 minutes before half-time, with chances going begging for David Knight and Abs Thompson.

Elliot Styles got the second three minutes into the second-half and that was how it stayed.

Tilbury went down 2-1 to a late goal at Great Wakering Rovers.

It looked as though Eli Benoit’s goal would be enough for the Dockers 10 minutes into the second-half but it was not to be.

Substitute Jay Nash had put Rovers in front, and Billy Johnson, on 88 minutes, won the match for the hosts.