FOR the second week running, the lights went out on Grays Athletic as last night’s FA Cup first round replay with Carlisle United was abandoned after just 20 minutes for floodlight failure – just seconds after Sam Sloma had given the Blue Square Premier side the lead.

Last Tuesday's scheduled Setanta Shield tie with Chelmsford never even got underway as the lights failed in the match build-up.

On Tuesday, lightning struck twice as the lights went out in one corner of the New Rec.

After around 30 minutes in the semi-darkness it was announced that the match had been abandoned by referee David Phillips for health and safety reasons and two coachloads of unhappy Carlisle fans embarked on a premature and long journey back to the far north west.

Before the game, Grays supremo Mike Woodward presented Jamie Stuart with an award to mark his 200th appearance for the club, but he may now have to return that gong after the game was not officially completed.

Before the blackout, Grays opened brightly and within the opening minutes Barry Cogan and Jon Ashton both had strikes at goal, but Ben Williams wasn't really tested.

Carlise did not threaten until the 13th minute when Simon Hackney's strike was comfortably dealt with by David Button.

However, the deadlock was broken on 19 minutes when, as two of the lights in the floodlight tower popped, Grays attacked and from 18 yards Sloma struck the ball low and across the goal into the bottom corner of Williams' goal.

As Grays fans celebrated the whole floodlight tower failed and play was stopped.

Grays manager Wayne Burnett said: "It is very disappointing. For the first 20 minutes we were terrific. We scored a goal and were on top and then the lights go out and there's not a great deal we can do about it."

Referee Phillips said: "Once the floodlights went out we took advice from experts looking at the situation who told us there was no way they would come back on again, we made the decision to abandon the game. You can't play with three floodlights.”

No new date has been set for the re-arranged replay.

Grays Athletic: Button, Gier, Dayes, Stuart, Wilnis, Welsh, Cogan, Thurgood, Sloma, McCollin, Ashton.