Grays Athletic suffered a humiliating 5-0 thrashing against old rivals Harlow Town as their bid to end the season on a positive took a blow.

Already relegated, manager Jamie Stuart was looking for some light relief although they found Harlow in clinical mood - with Alex Read scored a hat-trick.

It took 12 minutes for Harlow to go ahead. A long ball was played into Read and sent in a low drive, which he didn’t connect sweetly with, to beat Amadou Tangara.

Grays youth talent Brian Kasander was substituted after a difficult start to the game, although it remained just 1-0 at half-time.

Five minutes into the second period it was 2-0.

Read found space in the box after some poor defending and he slotted home.

And the same man completed his hat-trick before long.

A long ball was allowed to bounce by Chidi Williams-Agunabor and Read nipped in to lob the ball into the goal.

Junior Dadson added a fourth after Tangara only half cleared a corner, and five minutes from time he completed Grays’ miserable afternoon.

The striker was left unmarked and he powered home Grays Athletic: Tangara, Mahal (Adebiyi 68’), Payne, Stuart, Kasanda, Williams-Agunabor, Watkins, Baxter (Gogo-Ibiama 53’), Layne, Bishop, Carlos