Grays in a daze

A run of five matches since their last Conference win - a 1-0 triumph at Stevenage - has seen the Essex club drop to fourth place, 11 points adrift of current table-toppers Accrington Stanley.

During that sequence, Mark Stimson's men have lost twice to Canvey Island, been defeated by Morecambe and only managed draws against Altrincham and Stevenage.

Last season's Conference South champions have, however, managed to make progress in the FA Trophy, beating Kidderminster 1-0 and Aldershot by the same scoreline after a replay and extra time.

Grays are also still the division's highest marksmen with 48 goals but that now seems a misleading statistic having been swollen by heavy victories over Gravesend (6-1), Cambridge (5-3), Scarborough (5-0) and Southport (4-1) during the first two-and-a-half months of the season.

Joint eight-goal top scorer Jamie Slabber (pictured on the ball) has not found the net since Grays won 3-0 at KitKat Crescent in the first round of the FA Cup on November 5 and has been left out of the starting line-up for the last three matches.

Gary Hooper, who shares Grays' leading marksman honours, has also failed to score in six matches.

Grays have been beaten in their last two away fixtures after being undefeated in ten matches on their travels at the start of the season.

The Recreation Ground club have still lost fewer league games away from home than any other team in the Conference this season.

Only Exeter City can match their tally of seven away wins and no side can beat their 21-goal haul on the road.

Grays will be without centre-backs Jamie Stuart and Lee Matthews for tomorrow's game.

Former Charlton and England Under-21 international defender Stuart is suspended, while Matthews is out with a knee injury.

Their absence means ex-Middlesbrough trainee Christian Hanson is poised to make his Conference debut alongside veteran stopper Stevland Angus, who ended four years of service at Cambridge United last summer.

Updated: 10:24 Friday, January 20, 2006