FORMER Grays boss Frank Gray has come in for huge praise for ordering his current side Woking to concede a goal on Wednesday night's visit to his old club at the New Rec.

The visiting Cards had gone ahead in bizarre style when Mark Pattison, attempting to pass the ball back to home goalkeeper Ross Flitney after an injury stoppage, lobbed the ball into the net accidentally.

Chaos ensued but Gray stepped into the fury and calmly ordered his side to allow Ben Watson to run through and score from the restart.

After the 1-1 draw Gray said: "It's not something I've seen or been involved in before, but the unwritten rule is that you give the ball back after an injury.

"Mark was trying to do that. I'm sure he didn't mean to knock it into the net - he just misplaced his pass.

"I didn't consider doing anything else but letting Grays score. It was the right thing to do in the circumstances.

"If I hadn't done that I don't think I would have lived with it. I would hope that it's something that everyone who is right-thinking in football would do."

After their second successive draw - they finished 0-0 at Torquay on Sunday - Grays will be without ex Southend United midfielder Stuart Thurgood at home to Kidderminster tomorrow.

The midfielder had to come off during the Woking match with a suspected broken foot.

>THURROCK, having lost their first two Blue Square South matches, host Basingstoke Town tomorrow.