Match Report

Canvey Island won through to the final of the Essex Thameside Trophy with a 4-2 victory over Ilford at Park Lane. It was a reasonably comfortable victory for the Gulls over their fellow Ryman Division One North opponents although they did make hard work at times of winning a game that was often scrappy and disrupted by the referee’s whistle.

Canvey dominated much of the first half but struggled to test Nicholas Pyne in the Ilford goal.
Jon Stuart headed a corner wide and then Nicky Rugg broke on to a through ball but a weak touch allowed Pyne to get to the ball just before the Canvey striker.

Ian Luck had Canvey’s best chance on 18 minutes when he broke through down the left but he fired his shot into the side netting.

Ilford created very little up front but the scrappy, disjointed nature of the game was suiting them better and Canvey were struggling at times to find their rhythm despite the best promptings of Clydie Roberts and Richard Halle in the midfield.

Canvey though got a lucky break on 37 minutes to take the lead. Pyne misjudged Chris Bourne’s right wing corner as it caught on the wind and the curl of the ball was enough to beat him at his near post as it spun into the top corner of the net.

Canvey nearly extended their lead two minutes later. Bourne’s left wing cross fell to Roberts on the edge of the area and his shot took a slight deflection as it just cleared the crossbar.

Gulls grabbed a second on 43 minutes with a superb strike. Rugg was fouled on the edge of the penalty area and up stepped Halle to curl the resulting free kick around the wall and into the top corner of the net from the right hand side.

Sloppy play though allowed Ilford to pull a goal back right on half time when Ricky Simmons was allowed to run through the Canvey defence and calmly place his shot past James Russell.

It gave Ilford a way back into the game but Canvey continued to boss the game and create the better chances in the second half. James Russell in the Canvey goal was only really called upon on a few occasions to deal with high balls into the box and for the most part Canvey’s backline looked reasonably solid.

Luck fired an effort from outside the penalty area into the side netting on 47 minutes as Canvey looked to kill the game off as a contest.

On 66 minutes, a surging run from Halle saw him up-ended on the edge of the area but Rugg curled the resulting free kick high over the bar.

A minute later, Luck was inches away from grabbing Canvey’s third but he dragged his shot just wide of the post from the edge of the penalty area after Daniel Francis’ lay off had set up the opportunity.

Leon Gordon came on for Francis on 69 minutes and three minutes later, Canvey sealed the game with their third goal.

Luck did well to get a cross in from the left and Rugg was there to hook the ball home from close range.

Luck nearly extended the score on 77 minutes firing in a powerful first time volley from the edge of the penalty area that Pyne had to parry away for a corner.

Moments later and Luck was close to scoring again but his header from a right wing cross from Gordon lacked power and Pyne was able to scramble back and save on his goal-line.

The former Redbridge striker got on the score sheet on 84 minutes though, scoring the best goal of the evening. Luck burst on to a through ball and as Pyne came off his line to narrow the angle, he sent a cheeky and precise lob over his head and into the net.

Luck was replaced shortly afterwards by Stuart Batch and Ilford reduced the arrears on 86 minutes when substitute Eli Kayembe bundled home a right wing corner from close range.

Roberts may have scored a fifth for Canvey as the game approached stoppage time but Pyne was able to turn his blistering shot from the edge of the area on to the crossbar and away for a corner.

The final whistle blew soon after to seal a safe passage through to the final where the Gulls will play either Bowers & Pitsea or Brimsdown Rovers.

Yellow’s Man of the Match:

IAN LUCK: Looked extremely lively up front and capped a fine display with a superbly taken goal.

Match Report by David Powell.