Champions kicking off to decide overall winners

Grays Athletic and Maidstone United are kicking off in the first leg of their play-off final on Wednesday to decide the Ryman U21 League's overall champions.

The Blues won the Ryman U21 North Division with a game to spare when they beat Thamesmead FC 5-0 at Mill field while The Stones won the South Division title for the second successive season earlier this month, also with a game to spare, clinching the championship in style with a 4-0 win over Lewes.

Aveley’s Mill Field hosts the first leg before Saturday’s second leg takes place at the Gallagher Stadium in Kent. Under the competition's rules, away goals will not count as double and if the scores are still level this weekend after 90 minutes, extra-time will be played before penalties.

Grays Athletic's officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the Ryman Premier club's stars of the future can complete a quadruple of league and cup successes when they go head to head against the Stones after their youngsters lifted the Essex Pelly U18s Cup last Wednesday night.

Gary Fuller’s side, already Eastern Junior Alliance U18 league champions, completed a league and cup double last week when they overturned a 2-0 deficit to beat Bowers & Pitsea 3-2 after extra-time at Billerciay’s New Lodge to win the Essex FA’s premier trophy which was first presented in 1937.

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