Match Report

Canvey Island won promotion to the Ryman Premier League after a nail biting penalty shoot out victory over Redbridge in the Ryman One North play off final at Oakside.

The game ended 1-1 after normal time and despite Gulls being down to ten men for the entire period of extra time after Colin Wall’s sending off, they held out to win from the penalty spot with Nicky Rugg scoring the winning penalty.

The game was a tense affair but both teams produced an entertaining game in front of a large crowd of over 900 at a warm and sunny Oakside.

Canvey started brightly with former Redbridge striker Ian Luck hitting the post after a few minutes. Redbridge responded with Leon Antoine heading an effort off target.

Canvey settled though and enjoyed a good spell of pressure that could have yielded a goal.

On 17 minutes, a corner from Leon Gordon was partially cleared but fell to Gabriel Fanibuyan on the edge of the area who fired in a low drive that Tony Tucker managed to parry away.

Moments later, Gordon got down the right and played in an excellent cross that Luck got his knee to but saw the ball bounce off the crossbar and away with Tucker beaten.

After these scares, Redbridge started to take a stranglehold on the game and dominated the rest of the half.

Both Leon Antoine and Leon Townrow were starting to unsettle the Canvey defence and on 22 minutes, Mel Capleton in the Canvey goal was forced into a fine diving save to turn a low first time shot from the edge of the area by Mitch Hahn around the post for a corner.

Two minutes later and Fanibuyan was in the right place to hook an effort from Antoine off the line and away to safety.

With Dave Collins a constant threat with his delivery from set pieces, Canvey found themselves under some heavy pressure. Anthony Church came close to giving Redbridge the lead when he headed a left wing cross just inches over the bar at the near post on 26 minutes.

The Motormen finally took the lead on 31 minutes when Antoine tapped home a left wing cross from Collins from close range.

Canvey were struggling to get possession in the midfield and were finding it difficult to get any service to Gordon and Luck up front.

They did end the half positively with Craig Davidson bursting down the left wing and playing in a fine cross that Gordon couldn’t quite direct towards the goal at the far post.

The half ended with Redbridge holding a slender advantage and they had the opportunities to extend their lead at the start of the second half.

A powerful shot from distance by Hahn forced Capleton into a good scrambling save on 57 minutes but Canvey responded with some opportunities of their own.

Craig Davidson again drove forward down the left and provided a fine low cross that Luck flicked towards goal but Tucker did brilliantly to get down and push the ball away for a corner. Moments later and Richard Halle got on the end of Gordon’s right wing cross but could only head just too high and wide.

Six minutes later, Redbridge really should have put the game beyond doubt. Antoine burst through on goal with just Capleton to beat but the veteran keeper spread himself well to save. The rebound fell to Townrow who seemed set to apply the finish but Capleton did brilliantly to somehow fling himself across goal and deflect the shot away for a corner.

That save seemed to give Canvey an extra burst of confidence and minutes later, Fanibuyan did brilliantly to find space in the penalty area and poke a pass through to Wall. Tucker though did well to save Wall’s shot with his feet.

On 73 minutes, Canvey replaced Luck with Nicky Rugg who was still struggling with a knee injury picked up in Tuesday’s semi final with Sudbury.

Rugg’s introduction gave Canvey new impetus as he constantly put the Redbridge defence under pressure with his hard running and work rate.

Time was running out though for Canvey but they grabbed an equaliser on 80 minutes. Halle’s pass released Davidson down the left and he sent in an inch perfect cross into the area where Wall got to the ball a fraction before Tucker to thump a header into the back of the net much to the delight of the travelling Canvey fans.

Wall’s afternoon though was to turn sour in injury time when he was sent off for a second yellow card after climbing on Antoine.

It left Canvey with an uphill task of playing extra time with just ten men but to their credit they dug in and showed immense spirit. It was Canvey who edged an extra time period of few scoring opportunities as both teams started to tire.

Some good play by Rugg to hold the ball up allowed Davidson to provide another quality cross from the left that Gordon headed just over the upright on 94 minutes. Chris Bourne then replaced Fanibuyan on 97 minutes to add fresh legs down the left wing.

Redbridge might have grabbed the lead as the first period of extra time came to a close but substitute Billy Holland saw his header at the far post from a left wing cross tipped over by Capleton.

The second period of extra time continued in the same vein with the ten men of Canvey taking the game to their opponents and Redbridge content to attack on the break.

Collins had to be alert to clear an effort off the line from a goalmouth scramble and as Davidson started to tire, Steve Butterworth started to exploit this. He fired an effort over the bar from the right hand side of the area and then fired in a cross that flew across the goalmouth with nobody able to get a touch.

Clydie Roberts fired in an effort from long range that took a deflection and just dipped over the crossbar in the last action of extra time.

So, the game had to be decided by penalties. Collins stepped up for Redbridge and scored as did Steve Corbell who replaced Davidson just before the end of extra time.

Holland was next up for Redbridge but after taking an eternity to place the ball, the former Billericay striker fired his effort high over the bar.

Richard Halle then fired home to give Canvey the lead after two penalties each.

Tarkan Mustafa, Townrow and Butterworth all scored to complete Redbridge’s five penalties and with Gordon and Kevin Dobinson confidently firing home, it was up to Nicky Rugg to score to send Canvey into the Ryman Premier League.

He stepped up but his effort was saved by Tucker. Controversially the referee ordered a re-take as he had spotted that Tucker had moved off his line before the kick had been taken.

Rugg  re-took the penalty and this time made no mistake firing home into the roof of the net to complete a 5-4 penalty shoot out win for Canvey and spark a pitch invasion from the celebrating Canvey support.

This was a great climax to an exciting and memorable season. Two years after Canvey had to resign from the Conference, the Gulls are now working their way back up the football pyramid and can look forward to resuming old rivalries with the likes of Billericay and AFC Hornchurch in a league they last graced in 2003/04.

John Batch has assembled a team of youth and experience and will be relishing the prospect of his side competing at a higher level next season.

Yellow’s Man of the Match:

MEL CAPLETON:  Made several outstanding stops including a remarkable double save that kept Canvey in the contest.

Match Report by David Powell.