Match Report

Canvey Island secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Ashford Town Middlesex at Park Lane. In front of a crowd of 294, a late goal from Kevin Dobinson gave the Gulls a deserved victory.

They dominated much of the game, looking solid in defence and played some good football at times.
Ashford started brightly and Mel Capleton was called into action on 9 minutes making a fine double save. Capleton did well to get down and save a low shot from the edge of the penalty area from Ricky Wellard and then reacted well to deflect Scott Harris’s rebound away with his foot.

Canvey gradually settled though with both Chris Moore and Frankie Everett having excellent games in defence and Dobinson stamping his authority in midfield.

In the space of 5 minutes, Ashford keeper Craig Ross was forced into making saves.

On 19 minutes, Stuart Ainsley tested the keeper with a low free kick from 20 yards that he curled around the defensive wall but Ross got down well to parry the ball away for a corner.

Dobinson then tried his luck with a low driven free kick from 25 yards that Ross had to guide around the post on 23 minutes.

Both Leon Antoine and Leon Gordon were linking up well and on 30 minutes, Antoine did well to flick the ball on to Gordon inside the penalty area but his shot was blocked well by a defender for a corner.

From the resulting set piece, Gordon got his head to Ainsley’s delivery from the right at the near post but his header crashed off of the underside of the crossbar and away.

Both Ashford forwards, Byron Harrison and Scott Harris were kept reasonably quiet by the Canvey defence with Moore and Andrew West in particular having outstanding games and on numerous occasions had to make great interceptions to prevent goal-scoring opportunities.

Antoine sent a couple of efforts high and wide of the goal as the half ended goalless.

The second half was a fairly tight affair and for the first 20 minutes of the half, both sides struggled to create goal-scoring opportunities.

Both Moore and West had to be alert to hack away dangerous low crosses from the left but it was Canvey who should have taken the lead on 68 minutes.

The Gulls were starting to have a period of concerted pressure and they won a penalty when Dobinson dribbled into the penalty area from the left but was tripped as he attempted to work a shooting opportunity.

Craig Davidson stepped up but hammered his spot kick against the top of the crossbar and over.

Canvey were nearly made to pay for that miss, 9 minutes later when Scott Harris eluded his way past Moore as he got on the end of a long pass but fired his shot inches wide of Capleton’s far post from the right hand side of the area.

Capleton was then forced into making a decent save at his near post from Warren Harris’s shot 3 minutes later as Ashford started to put the Canvey defence under a bit of pressure.

It was a moment of real quality that gave Canvey their winning goal on 84 minutes. Gabriel Fanibuyan broke through the middle and released Gordon with a fine pass down the right. Gordon sent in a superb low pass into the area and Dobinson swept the ball home into the empty net from a few yards out.

It proved to be the winning goal as Canvey held out for the remaining 6 minutes.

Jon Edwards came on for Antoine and Canvey had a scare in injury time when a dipping first time volley from outside the penalty area from Wellard appeared to be dropping into the net but Capleton judged the flight of the ball superbly and was able to clutch and hold the ball.

The whistle blew moments later and a victory moves Canvey back into the top ten and confirms their place in the Ryman Premier League for next season.

The Gulls now make the short trip across the River Thames on Easter Monday to play Dartford.

Oysterfleet Man of the Match:

ANDREW WEST: Superb game at the back, making a number of vital interceptions and clearances.

Match Report by David Powell.