This much anticipated game between the leaders and third placed Grays Athletic had been a long time coming. The two teams had avoided each other to date in league and cup competitions and it was clear from the very outset that the visitors were not going to turn up and roll over. 

Our pre-match discussions were all about staying disciplined and playing our game. We had a couple of enforced changes from last week due to Bezmir Hoxhaj and Sam Sheppard being unavailable due to illness. It was particularly disappointing for Bez as he started the season with Grays and had been looking forward to playing against his former teammates, but it wasn’t to be. This meant that Jonny Forsyth came in for his second game for the club at right back with young Muzi Mkhwanazi starting the game in midfield.

Barking had the best of the early encounters and caused a few problems for the imposing looking Grays defensive line. Despite some ‘tasty’ early challenges it was a fine move on seven minutes involving a pass down the line from Jonny Forsyth to Zak Harry, who skilfully turned inside his defender and squared the ball to skipper James CLARKE whose first touch saw the ball sit nicely before smashing a left foot shot into the bottom corner of the net to put us one nil up.  There followed a lengthy spell of home pressure that saw another couple of good efforts go just wide of the Grays goal. Despite the size and strength of the visitor’s defence Harry Shirt continued where he left off last week by winning headers and using the ball intelligently bringing others into the game.

We maintained our discipline superbly throughout the half and continued to pose the home defence problems, specifically down our left through wide man James Barlow. One through ball saw the Grays right back wrong footed only for him to drag Barlow back, earning him a yellow card. This was followed only ten minutes later when the same player brought Barlow down again and the same decision from the ref saw him sent off on 40 minutes.

Another free kick from the left just before half time saw James Clarke challenge the keeper, who spilled the cross and Muzi Mkhwanazi was on hand to bury the rebound for what looked like a perfectly good second goal and appeared to be signalled as such by the referee. However the referee consulted the assistant provided by Grays Athletic and disallowed it for a
foul on the keeper. The half ended soon after with Barking leading one nil but, apart from a few self-inflicted problems, our defence was holding firm and keeper Mark Richardson spent most of the half enjoying plenty of 'banter' with the crowd behind his goal.

Our half time contentment was marred slightly by a recurrence of Tony McDonald’s hamstring injury and Sid Markaj replaced him for the second half. Brian Lindsay emphasised the need to remain calm, keep our shape and discipline and be prepared to match the physical onslaught that was inevitable at the start of the second half. The simple statement was drilled home ‘we match the challenge and if we don’t concede we win the game’.

We were right to be prepared as the visitors were determined to get back in the game with a robust approach. The second half became a fractious physical affair with the visitors' 10 men working very hard to get back on level terms, but our defensive strength and superb discipline all over the pitch was again the key to winning the game with Luke Gabriel and Charlie
Massey-Reed controlling the central areas and Jonny Forsyth and Sid Markaj snuffing out any problems from wide areas. All the quality play came from the home team with Zak Harry playing some great balls down the sides of the defenders, James Barlow utilising the extra space wide and James Clarke, Muzi Mkhwanazi and Jason Kane putting in a tireless shift in midfield.

On 75 minutes Sam Gross who has missed the last eight weeks through injury made a welcome return replacing Muzi Mkhwanazi who had run himself to a standstill. Sam was the first to admit after the game that he should have scored with a couple of close range efforts and several other chances were created by our inventive running and passing, but no further goals came our way despite several claims for penalties (one of which was actually claimed by yours truly who was deeply embarrassed when told it was the keeper that had handballed it - apparently he is allowed to!!!)

With the difference remaining just one goal the game became quite tense and some tempers were nearing boiling point but apart from a few crosses into the area from free-kicks and the very occasional corner the lads held out well for a deserved win. The delight after the game was evident to all in the ground as this was a huge milestone for our lads. We have now played everyone in the division and have yet to lose a league game. We really are now beginning to think, you never know!!!!!!!! But I’m still not going to say it - yet.

Any opinions expressed in this report are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Barking Football Club.