Grays Athletic 1-1 Hendon
From Mill Field
Ryman Premier League
GRAYS Athletic came from behind to take a point in their league opener with last season’s rivals Hendon.
In a match that never really got going, Mark Bentley’s Grays struggled to play the fluid football that won them so many admirers towards the back end of last season.
Grays and Hendon will be in the mix for promotion this term, having finished sixth and second respectively last term, and having contested the Ryman League Cup final last April in a thrilling encounter more fireworks may have been expected today.
Hendon made the first significant breakthrough after 16 minutes, when Russell Short burst through in midfield and fed the ball into the path of Aaron Morgan.
The striker ran through, held off the challenge of Sean Cronin and slotted past Lamar Johnson.
Mark Bentley’s outfit had created a number of openings in the first half, albeit without testing the stopper properly and former Billericay Town goalkeeper Joe Wright was largely untested.
But Grays came out stronger after the break, with away defender Ryan Wharton denying the hosts with a terrific block, before Joao Carlos, a persistent threat, was kept out by Wright.
But Grays did draw level midway through the second-half, and the breakthrough came from an unlikely source.
Sam Flegg slashed at an attempted clearance past his goalkeeper to the away side’s frustration and Grays, on level terms, pushed forwards in search for the winner.
But it didn’t come and the points were shared.
Grays Athletic: Johnson, Cummings, Siva, Cronin, Leader, Stevens, Michael-Percil, Beaney, Fortnam-Tomlinson, Ferguson, Carlos
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