Match Report

Canvey Island completed a magnificent Bank Holiday weekend for them with a stunning 4-0 victory over close rivals Billericay Town at Park Lane.

In front of a crowd off 577, The Gulls followed up Saturday’s impressive 4-0 victory over Margate with another great display of attacking football.

They dominated much of this derby game looking solid in defence and lively in attack but like Saturday, the midfield was instrumental in this victory with David Lee in particular having another outstanding game.

Lee was at the heart of some of Canvey’s best moves, showing great composure, skill and awareness at times.

Canvey started briskly making the early running but it was Billericay who had the first shot on goal after 8 minutes. Steven Ferguson swapped passes with Billy Bricknell and fired in a shot from the right hand edge of the area that hit the side netting.

Canvey were already starting to unsettle the Billericay defence especially down the flanks where Leon Gordon and Gabriel Fanibuyan were giving Ashley Dumas and Wayne Semanshia respectively a torrid time.

Canvey took the lead on 14 minutes with Lee providing another moment of class. Some great build up play by Jay Curran and Gordon saw Gordon fouled on the edge of the area.

Lee stepped up to curl his shot around the wall and into the bottom right hand corner of the net giving Billericay keeper Ronnie Worster no chance.

Six minutes later and Richard Halle lashed a shot wide from around 25 yards after more good work by Curran.

Kevin Dobinson then tried his luck from a similar distance two minutes later with a low drive that forced Worster into a scrambling save.

Billericay recovered their composure slightly and a well worked free kick nearly caught Canvey out with Curran heading a left wing cross inches wide of his own post.

Canvey though continued to be a constant threat with their pace down the flanks and extended their lead on 28 minutes with another spectacular goal from an unlikely source.

Dobinson’s powerful header from Lee’s right wing corner crashed against the crossbar and the rebound fell to Moore on the right hand corner of the 6 yard box. Somehow with his back to goal, Moore attempted an overhead kick that looped over Worster and the Billericay defence and dropped into the net.

Billericay were stunned and Canvey continued to boss the game especially in midfield with Halle and Dobinson at their combative best.

Moore had to make a great tackle to deny the forward on 36 minutes as he threatened to get a shot in on goal and Billericay captain Leon Hunter was booked for a robust challenge as the half came to an end.

Billericay replaced Joe Flack with former Hornchurch forward Rikki Burbridge at half time.

As Canvey started to sit back and defend their lead this allowed Billericay a greater share of the possession but despite Ferguson looking lively down the right wing they were unable to really test a well organised Canvey defence.

Some of Billericay’s approach play was good at times but their final ball was often poor and they lacked a creative edge.

For the most part, Ricky Wiseman in the Canvey goal was only tested by ambitious long range efforts that he dealt with well.

Wiseman was extended on 66 minutes when Moore failed to cut out Dumas’s cross from the left and the ball fell to Burbridge who fired in an angled drive that the Canvey keeper had to beat away at his near post.

Canvey responded well with an effort themselves three minutes later. Gordon scampered past a couple of defenders down the left and passed the ball into the middle of the penalty area for the onrushing Tarkan Mustafa whose well executed volley struck the top of the crossbar and bounced over.

Billericay came again with substitute Harrison Chatting curling a free kick high over the bar and Paul Shave testing Wiseman with a dipping shot that the keeper held well.

Fanibuyan curled an effort wide from the left hand edge of the penalty area after a good run and Canvey replaced the hard working Curran with Ian Luck with just over ten minutes to go.

Billericay tried desperately to find a way through but by now were running out of ideas and Ben Patten, Moore and Craig Davidson were proving a stubborn resistance in front of Wiseman.

Some fine play by Mustafa down the right saw Worster have to palm his swirling cross away but Canvey finished the game with a flourish sealing the match with another great strike.

Fanibuyan and Lee combined down the left and Fanibuyan burst past the defender near the byline. He cut the ball back to Gordon coming in at the near post who fired home an emphatic left foot volley into the roof of the net much to the joy of the Canvey support.

There was still time for Canvey to rub salt into Billericay wounds with a 4th goal deep into injury time. Ian Luck showed great persistence to chase down a weak back-pass, beat Worster to the ball and stroll through to tap home into an empty net.

This goal completed an emphatic victory that will delight Canvey supporters and leave morale amongst players and staff sky high.

Canvey sit 7th in the table after a positive opening to the season but face a tough challenge next weekend when they travel to West London to play an Ashford Town side who have won all of their opening four games of the season.

Oysterfleet Man of the Match:

DAVID LEE:  Another magnificent display in the centre of the park topped off by a well executed free kick.

Match Report by David Powell.