GRAYS Athletic registered their first away win of the season on Saturday, with a 2-0 win over Maidenhead United at York Road.
Ironically, the one positive aspect of United’s game was their rock-solid defence, with the back three of Orlando Jeffrey, Chris Elsegood and Brian Connor all producing vintage performances.
Unfortunately, the rest of the team were far less convincing, with the midfield in particular failing to live up to expectations.
In a scrappy first-half, the better of the early chances fell to the Magpies, beginning in the sixth minute when Adrian Allen found himself alone in the Grays box, only to under-hit his delicate chip straight into Mel Capleton’s grateful arms.
The visitors struck back on 18 minutes when they sprang United’s offside trap, giving Wayne Vaughan and Danny Hayzelden a clear route to goal.
The pair looked certain to score, before Elsegood made a sublime interception and pushed the ball behind for a corner.
Having survived the scare, United then forced Grays into some last-ditch defending, when Lawrence Yaku fired a low cross into the six-yard box. Unfortunately, Allen was quickly surrounded and the ball was cleared to safety following a panicky goalmouth scramble.
It proved to be the last decent chance of the half, as the two defences began to dominate, while the midfields cancelled each other out in a rather tiresome stalemate.
Nil-nil at half-time would probably have been a fair reflection on the game – if only football were fair.
With the seconds counting down, debutant wing-back Mark Boyce tangled with Hayzelden in the box, sending both players sprawling to the deck in an ungainly heap.
The referee pointed to the spot and Vaughan sent Barnard the wrong way to break the deadlock with a stinging drive into the bottom left-hand corner.
Geed-up by the half-time team talk, United made their traditionally bright start to the second half and could have equalised three minutes in, when Boyce hoisted a deep cross to the far post.
Ryan Ashe rose to meet it but steered the ball wide of the near post, with the keeper flapping.
Jeffrey then flashed a header just wide of the woodwork from a Matt Glynn free-kick, before Andy Cook had a powerful header saved on the line. Things were looking up for United, but they were about to be caught by a sucker punch.
On 71 minutes, Grays wing-back Steve Robinson rose highest at the near post to flick the ball on from a Grays corner.
It was the slightest of touches but was enough to carry the ball to the unmarked Aaron McLean, who made no mistake with a bullet header from 10 yards out.
Initially, United’s response was fairly positive, as they set about rescuing the game.
However, with the midfield playing well below their best, chances were few and far between.
The best fell to Cook, who came within inches of clawing a goal back on 79 minutes, when he steered Elsegood’s free-kick goalward, only for Capleton to acrobatically tip the ball over the bar.
The save seemed to knock any remaining life out of United, leaving jubilant Grays to claim all three points.

Teams:
Maidenhead United: Barnard, Boyce, Connor, Cook, Jeffrey, Elsegood, Ashe, Yaku, Glynn, Ulasi. Subs: Nicholls (for Ulasi, 69), Goss (for Glynn, 83), Rose, Croxford, Keywood.
Grays Athletic: Capleton, Robinson, Broom, Smith, Coll, Collis, Miller, McLeod, McLean, Vaughan, Hayzelden. Subs: Cooper (for Hayzelden, 70) Lunan, Douglas, Keeper (for Coll, 45), Abbott.