Little Oakley mounted a second-half comeback to defeat Grays Athletic 2-1 in a Division 1 North encounter on Saturday. The visitors initially took control of the match, opening the scoring in the 16th minute through Gabriel Chapps, who beat Little Oakley goalkeeper James Askew to give Grays Athletic an early advantage.

Despite the early deficit, Little Oakley gradually found their rhythm and increased pressure on the visitors’ defense. Their persistence was rewarded three minutes before halftime when Tobias Braney capitalized on a defensive error to level the score. Braney’s goal reinvigorated the home side as they sought to turn the game around in the second half.

Throughout the remainder of the match, Braney remained a continuous threat, using his attacking abilities to unsettle Grays Athletic’s backline. His efforts culminated in the 75th minute when he scored the decisive goal, completing Little Oakley’s comeback and securing the victory. Braney’s influential performance earned him the player-of-the-match accolade.

The win boosts Little Oakley’s position in the Division 1 North standings and demonstrated their resilience against a strong Grays Athletic side that started the match brightly but struggled to contain the home team’s attacking resurgence in the later stages.