The final game of the season saw AFC record a 1-0 victory courtesy of a Phil Kelly goal, over their Essex opponents and to finish the season in twelfth place in the Bostik North league table.

AFC Manager Mark Morsley selected a fairly familiar side that included two players playing the final games for the club, at the moment, Ollie Peters and Joe Wright as they set off for new lifestyle changes in America.

The early part of the first period was pretty tame stuff from both sides, Callum Harrison had a shot saved by Lamar Johnson and Darryl Coakley saw a header from a corner clawed away by the goalkeeper with Kelly seeing the follow up saved.

Grays had an effort from Joe Bruce go over and then there was a fifteen minute spell with nothing of real note occurring giving the game a real end of term feel.

Ten minutes before the break Sam Mills cleared over the bar from Barry Cogan and then Kieran Bishop fired over as Luca Collins in the AFC goal making his home debut came out. The visitors almost scored when from a Bishop cross Dennis Oli headed onto the AFC post but it was scoreless at the interval.

The second period was a slightly more lively affair, Collins early on did well to save with an outstretched leg to deny Bishop and concede a corner from which Bruce headed over.

Kelly had a shot saved and at the other end Collins was on hand to deny Oli. Kane Munday put Callum Harrison away and his pass to Kelly saw the AFC striker shot at the Grays goal but it was saved. Harrison then blasted a shot from the edge of the area that had so much force it felled the Grays player manager Jamie Stuart.

Tom Dettmar replaced Joe Wright and he got in a good pass to Mills and Johnson saved his shot low down. There was danger for AFC as Tyler French appeared to stop and allow Bishop a free run at goal but the Grays man shot wide.

Ollie Gravett and Ben Hunter took over from Munday and Harrison with twenty minutes left and AFC took the lead that was to be conclusive eight minutes later. From a right wing corner put in well by Coakley the ball found the head of Phil Kelly and went into the back of the net giving Johnson no chance. It was the striker’s eighth goal of the season.

The remaining twelve minutes or so saw no real problems for the home side as they saw it out the take the three points and send the home supporters away and hopefully looking forward to next season when better thing will be expected.

Att 245

YNOT