Match Report

Canvey Island suffered an August Bank Holiday to forget when they went down 3-2 to Tilbury at Chadfields. Tilbury did the double over Gulls last season and are starting to prove to be something of a bogey team for them. Despite Canvey dominating proceedings, Tilbury held firm with Paul King at the back in particular having an excellent game. They made the most of some poor goalkeeping and slack defending to register an unlikely victory despite being reduced to ten men after 81 minutes.

The Dockers made the best possible start to the game grabbing a goal after just 4 minutes. Kurt Smith latched on to a decent through ball from Danny Smith and after a slip from Craig Davidson he fired a low shot beyond Wiseman and into the net.

Canvey responded well to this set back and with Nicky Rugg and Ian Luck linking well up front and Leon Gordon finding plenty of space on the right, they attempted to find a way back into the game.
Luck fired a shot just over from the right hand side of the box after 11 minutes and then Ryan Edgar created an opportunity for himself with a good surging run that ended with a low shot drilled wide of the post from just outside the area.

On 32 minutes Canvey finally tested Tilbury keeper Richard Wray. Davidson’s left wing free kick was perfect for Leon Gordon whose header was plucked from the air by Wray.

It was Canvey who equalised in controversial fashion on 40 minutes. Tilbury were stunned when the referee gave a corner rather than a goal kick. After clearing the initial corner, the ball fell to Andrew West on the right wing who played in a perfect cross that Ian Luck managed to flick home with the goalkeeper flat-footed.
To their credit Tilbury responded well and could have retaken the lead two minutes later. Lee Springer picked out Kurt Smith with a fine ball and his first time shot forced Wiseman into a full length save.
Canvey though started the second half positively with Chris Bourne looking lively on the left wing and Gabriel Fanibuyan a growing influence in midfield.

Gordon headed over a decent cross from Bourne at the far post but despite their pressure, Tilbury took the lead on 65 minutes thanks to a gift of a goal.

There seemed to be no danger as a high aimless ball was played into the box. Wiseman came out to claim but inexplicably let the ball bounce. On a hard, dry pitch the awkward bounce favoured the Tilbury forwards and as Wiseman dithered, James Twist was able to nip in ahead of the Canvey goalie and tap home into the net much to the stunned disbelief of the travelling support.

Two minutes later Canvey were level. Gabriel Fanibuyan picked out Andrew West’s run into the box with a fine lofted pass from the left and as Wray raced from his goal, West got to the ball just ahead of him to head into the net. The keeper was injured in this attack after colliding with his defender Gbenga Somuga but was able to continue.

Despite their pressure Canvey just couldn’t seem to test Richard Wray. They had a decent penalty shout turned down when Luck was cynically fouled seemingly just inside the box. The referee though awarded a free kick on the edge of the area.

Canvey had a scare on 79 minutes when Tilbury missed a golden chance to retake the lead. Clydie Roberts was booked for a foul on Luke Stanley and from the resulting free kick from nearly 30 yards, Paul King’s blistering effort crashed off the crossbar and fell to Kurt Smith who volleyed the rebound waywardly high and wide of the goal.

Worse was to follow for Smith two minutes later when he was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for charging down a free kick at close range. Canvey must have thought their luck was in and with their hosts now down to ten men, they piled forward in search of the winning goal. Some more good play by Edgar saw a fine run and cross from the left cleared for a corner by King with Ian Luck in close attendance.
With the game drifting towards its’ conclusion it was Tilbury who had the last word taking advantage of some more defensive indecision by the Gulls to score an unlikely winner.

Canvey’s attempts to play the offside trap from substitute Erkan Yusuf’s through ball failed and their failure to play to the whistle was to prove costly. The Canvey defence stopped thinking substitute Babatunde Olagunju was offside. The forward had all the time in the world to cut in from the right flank and slot the ball past Wiseman as he committed himself.

There was still time for West to head a Leon Gordon corner over the bar in the last few seconds.
So a third straight defeat against Tilbury for the Gulls and two defeats over the Bank Holiday weekend that have seriously dented what was a positive start to the season.

Canvey take a break from league activities when they make the lengthy trip up to Northamptonshire to play Rothwell Town on Saturday as they begin their FA Cup campaign at the Preliminary Round stage. They’ll be hoping for a far better defensive performance and to eradicate any mistakes if they are to progress further in this competition.

Yellow’s Man of the Match:

ANDREW WEST:  Another good defensive display and played a part in both of the goals, scoring one and creating the other for Ian Luck.

Match Report by David Powell.