Veteran slays Grays

Veteran Neil Grayson made it a black day for Grays in the relegation battle at Stafford.

The 42-year-old striker bagged two goals as the Blues crashed to the team with one of the worst home records in the division.

But Stafford are on a roll at the moment and their Cameroonian front man Guy Madjo gave the Grays defence - and Tom Kemp in particular - a torrid time.

Kemp was fooled trying to usher the ball out of play in the 19th minute and Madjo set up Grayson for the opening goal, a simple right footer from about eight yards.

Grays didn't take that lying down though and both Matt Bodkin and Dennis Oli were not far away from an equaliser. Aaron O'Connor though nearly hit the corner flag having worked himself into a great position just past the half hour.

Grays probably knew it wasn't going to be their day when Grayson cleared a lob from Kemp off the line.

But it was a terrible foul by Bodkin on young keeper Robbie Duggan six minutes before the break which was their ultimate undoing. Bodkin escaped with a yellow card, Duggan solidered on for the rest of the game with a shoulder injury. And Stafford took their 'revenge' in the proper fashion - by grabbing two more goals before the break.

The second, in the 44th minute, was a real scorcher, a 30 yard thunderbolt from defender Craig McAughtrie, who had stolen forward for a rehearsed corner kick routine that left him free to lash his shot past Ashley Bayes.

The visitors didn't have time to draw breath before Bayes was pawing away a header by Wayne Daniel. But moments later, in injury time, Bayes blocked a shot from Robin Gibson, only to see Grayson hitting in the rebound.

Grays started the second half as though they meant business and when O'Connor was upended by Craig Lovatt in the box just two minutes after the change-round, the Blues sensed it was not a hopeless cause. Stuart Thurgood netted from the spot.

However, their hopes of a miraculous revival were dashed by Madjo just short of the hour. He'd just given Grayson the chance of a hat trick, which the veteran sidefooted wide of an open goal, when the Cameroonian cut in from the right flank and left Bayes flat-footed with a shot just inside the near post.

To their credit, Grays kept their heads up and had Stafford penned back into their own half for long periods.

But once Duggan had saved shots from Ben Harding and O'Connor, time began to run out on the Blues.

Substitute Alex Rhodes's header from Anthony Tonkin's cross in the 84th minute which cut the deficit again to two goals came too late to put Stafford under any real pressure.

Stafford: Duggan, Sutton, McAughtrie, Daniel, Talbott, Robin Gibson, Lovatt, Griffith, Reid (Murphy 9), Madjo, Grayson.

Subs Not Used: Edwards, Alex Gibson, Murray, White.

Grays Athletic: Bayes, Sambrook, Kemp (Barness 64), Stuart, Tonkin, Bodkin (Rhodes 65), Thurgood, Harding, Howell, O'Connor (Joseph-Dubois 79), Oli.

Subs Not Used: Barness, Nicholls.

Referee: A Hendley (West Midlands).

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