Match Report

Canvey Island’s push for a play off place suffered a setback with a disappointing 0-0 draw against Waltham Abbey at Capershotts.

In a game played in strong winds and a hailstorm during the second half, Canvey struggled to break down a committed Waltham Abbey defence despite dominating possession for periods of the game.

Gulls, just like they had done in their previous match with Witham were often guilty of playing long aimless balls that were easily snuffed out by the Abbey defence. They struggled to adapt to the windy conditions and were often let down by their final ball into the box.

Canvey started brightly in front of an impressive Good Friday crowd of 263, forcing a string of corners in the opening 10 minutes. Colin Wall very nearly got on the end of Steve Corbell’s right wing corner after just 2 minutes but the ball just eluded him as it flashed across the area.

Corbell then got on the end of a long pass on 11 minutes but with just keeper John Hickman to beat, he hesitated and tried to find Nicky Rugg instead of shooting. The Abbey defence was able to scramble the ball away.

Kevin Dobinson headed over Corbell’s right wing corner on 15 minutes and a few minutes later, Hickman was finally tested in the Abbey goal.

Jay Curran found some room on the edge of the area and fired in a shot that appeared to be going wide but forced Hickman to scramble across his goal and concede the corner.

Abbey up until now had created very little but had a couple of moments of danger before the end of the half.

Dobinson had to make a superb challenge to deny the forward as Abbey broke on goal and then a right wing cross flashed across the goal with nobody quite able to get a touch to convert the chance.

Canvey responded with Jay Curran going close on 37 minutes. Chasing a long ball into the area, Curran latched on to some indecision by the defender to get to the ball first but Hickman did well to make a good block from his shot and concede the corner.

The game by now was already becoming something of a scrappy affair and it continued in the same vein in the second half with Waltham Abbey happy to soak up Canvey’s pressure and hit them on the break.

Rugg should have opened the scoring on 53 minutes but after Leon Gordon’s low cross from the right wing fell to him at the far post, the normally reliable forward scuffed his shot wide of the target.

Canvey replaced Clydie Roberts with Ryan Edgar on 59 minutes but by now the weather had worsened considerably with a raging hailstorm making conditions difficult for both sets of players.
Abbey started to enjoy their best spell of pressure around this time and twice could have gone in front.

On 62 minutes James Elmes should have given them the lead but with the goal gaping he headed a right wing cross wide at the far post.

A few minutes later and Sontag got the better of Andrew West in the box but Canvey keeper James Russell was quickly out of his goal to block the shot.

Canvey replaced Corbell with Chris Bourne on 71 minutes but still struggled to create any noteworthy chances.

Craig Davidson had a shot blocked by a defender and Dobinson saw a free kick from just outside the box charged down by the wall.

Canvey’s sloppyness in defence nearly caught them out just before the end of the game when Gabriel Fanibuyan was forced into a rash challenge conceding a free kick on the edge of the area after Abbey broke on a counter attack.

Fortunately Lee White’s kick was blocked well by the defensive wall.

Canvey ended the game on the attack winning a corner in injury time but Bourne’s set piece was cleared and from the loose ball, Bourne wasn’t quite able to find Fanibuyan at the near post with Hickman claiming well.

A disappointing game was brought to its’ conclusion soon after and now Canvey will be desperate to reignite their play off ambitions with victory over league leaders Dartford at Park Lane on Easter Monday.

Yellow’s Man of the Match:

KEVIN DOBINSON:  Another calm and assured performance at the back.

Match Report by David Powell.