Match Photos by Paul Chesterton

Match Report

Canvey Island continued their excellent start to the new season with a 3-0 victory over Potters Bar Town at Park Lane. In front of a decent midweek crowd of 319, Canvey dominated this game for long periods against a Potters Bar side who played a robust and rather physical game that failed to disorientate the Gulls.
Canvey started brightly and could have taken the lead within 7 minutes. Andrew West knocked down a left wing corner at the far post to Ian Luck who headed wide.

On 14 minutes though Canvey were in front. Craig Davidson’s free kick from the left flank was delivered perfectly to Leon Gordon who was hovering near the penalty spot and Gordon connected with a powerful header that gave keeper Ashley Jones no chance.

Potters Bar at times did look a threat on the counter attack. Duane Jackman dragged a shot wide of the goal from outside the area and then Ricky Wiseman had to be alert to race from his goal and save at the feet of speedy winger Leon Osei as he raced on to a long ball down the left flank.

It was still Canvey who were playing the better football and Colin Wall nearly continued where he left off on Saturday by claiming another goal. The tall defender though volleyed his effort from outside the box high over the bar.

Wall was booked on 31 minutes after a tussle with a Potters Bar forward but the Yellow Army were soon celebrating two minutes later with Ian Luck grabbing an early goal of the season contender. The pacey striker still had a lot of work to do when he chased a hopeful long ball from Wiseman down the right wing. Luck outpaced a couple of defenders to reach the ball then dribbled past a couple of players before cutting in and unleashing a piledriver of a shot that dipped around the keeper and into the net. It was a goal that would certainly grace a much higher level of football.

This boosted Canvey’s confidence further and they poured forward for the remainder of the half. Nicky Rugg headed over from another superb Davidson free kick from the left and then on the stroke of half time, a surging run from Ryan Edgar saw the ball eventually worked to Chris Bourne who drilled his shot from 20 yards wide of the target.

So Canvey 2-0 ahead at half time and very pleased with a solid performance.

The second half got rather scrappy as Potters Bar’s over zealous tackling threatened to disrupt Canvey’s rhythm. The referee tried to keep a grip on proceedings by booking several players but as a result the game became rather stop start that suited Potters Bar more than it did Canvey.

Potters Bar had their best spell of pressure at this stage but rarely tested Ricky Wiseman. Victor Renner blasted a 25 yard free kick over the bar on 52 minutes and a couple of set pieces caused Canvey a few headaches but the Gulls’ back three were having a solid evening dealing with anything thrown their way efficiently and with confidence.

The nearest they came to scoring was on 76 minutes when substitute Darryl Wilson’s lob beat the onrushing Wiseman but dropped inches wide of the post.

That miss was to prove costly as two minutes later Canvey wrapped up the game with a well worked third goal. Leon Gordon showed great tenacity and pace to beat his man down the right wing and then head for goal. He passed to Jay Curran who minutes earlier had replaced Rugg. The angle was tight for Curran but he did well to force the ball past Jones at his near post and into the net.

That goal ended any resistance Potters Bar might have had. They could have grabbed a consolation on 87 minutes when a free header from Osei’s left wing cross was spurned but it was Canvey who nearly had the last word in injury time.

First Colin Wall saw two efforts blocked by defenders after another good delivery from a free kick and then from a fantastic run and cross down the right by Andrew West, Curran side-footed his effort wide of the far post.

Oysterfleet Man of the Match:

Match Report by David Powell.