Dereham blew a perfect start as they suffered a heavy defeat at the Parkside Stadium.

The Magpies started positively, with Danny Beaumont firing into home keeper Clark Bogard's arms before Jamie Forshaw hit a diagonal drive wide.

And then went ahead on eight minutes when Tom McLeish's centre from a corner unsettled the defence and the ball was squared to Joe Gatting who slotted home.

Grays responded, with Kirian Bishop slicing the ball wide before they levelled in the 17th minute when Bishop looked to handle the ball before setting up Tommy Wade to net from close range. Minutes later Dion Frary was harshly adjudged to have fouled Wade in the area, and Wade scored from the spot to put Grays in front.

After the break Grays' Adalberti Pinto linked well with Joao Carlos whose low drive forced Elliot Pride into a vital full-stretch save.

The Magpies keeper then made a great save to keep out Wade's header but was powerless to prevent his low drive from entering the net to increase the home lead in the 59th minute.

Dereham came close to reducing the deficit with Jamie Forshaw finding Murphy, whose superb cross was headed against the bar by Gatting. The striker had another header saved after Beaumont's free-kick.

In the 73rd minute David Hinton burst forward and fed Beaumont who progressed before setting up Gatting but his close-range effort was saved. Dereham's Quantrell fired wide from 30 yards before Grays sealed the game in the 80th minute. Carlos beat three men with ease on the left before finding Mitchell Hahn 20 yards out and he beat Pride with a precise drive. In the 85th minute Michael Finneran glanced home Hahn's cross to complete Grays' nap hand and Dereham's misery.

Dereham: Pride, Murphy, McLeish, Hinton, Ebbage (Linford 74), Frary, Forshaw (Crisp 65), Quantrell, Gatting, Hipperson (Kelleher 25), Beaumont. Sub not used: Manning.

Ref: R Carter. Att: 188