Akinfenwa excelled at the Reebok Stadium despite playing with a large bandage covering a head injury and Gray was more than happy with the powerful forward's exploits.
He said: "He suffered a head wound against Cheltenham and it re-opened last Saturday. We just keep stitching him up, bandaging him up and putting him out there.
"He is still not 100 per cent as he is coming to terms with having a steel rod taken out of his leg (in the summer), but is making progress.
"We just shut him down during the week and roll him out for games. He bullied Danny Shittu and Gary Cahill all night."