Match Report

Canvey Island picked up a valuable three points with a 1-0 win over Boreham Wood at Meadow Park.

Gulls started the game just 5 points above the relegation zone and but went some way towards confirming their Ryman Premier status for next season with a narrow victory in a poor match.

This was a game of few goal-scoring opportunities and a strike by substitute Leon Antoine nine minutes from time was all that separated the two teams.

This match was played in wet and windy conditions as well as a heavy hail storm that made life difficult for both sets of players.

Canvey started sluggishly and it was Boreham Wood who made the better start taking the game to the Gulls in the opening 20 minutes.

On 8 minutes, Canvey failed to defend a short corner on the right and Billy Hawes was allowed space to cross to Curtis Ujah who was unmarked but headed over the crossbar from close range.

Chris Watters and former Canvey player Mario Noto provided Boreham Wood’s main attacking threat but Canvey defended well and weathered this storm with Richard Halle and Andrew West both having excellent matches.

Wood won a string of corners but failed to really test Ricky Wiseman in the Canvey goal and gradually the Gulls started to settle.

Their first opportunity of the game came on 23 minutes. Craig Davidson floated a free kick into the penalty area from the right and Leon Gordon managed to go up with a defender and flick the ball back to Chris Moore who looped his header high and wide of the target.

Gordon was getting some joy down the flanks as he often switched wings with Stuart Ainsley and a good run down the left on 36 minutes saw him drill a low ball into the box that Wood keeper Simon Overland could only parry back into the goalmouth. This caused a scramble in the penalty area but no Canvey player could convert the loose ball with Boreham Wood eventually clearing the danger.

Gordon did well again on 41 minutes to get down the left and cross to the near post but Jay Curran was unable to control the ball and it ran out for a goal kick.

No goals at half time and just like in the first half, it was Boreham Wood who started the second half well.

Other than a few flurries, Ricky Wiseman was never seriously tested and Canvey gradually started to get back into the game.

Tarkan Mustafa tested Overland with a low drive from 25 yards that the keeper held well on 61 minutes and then Gordon made a great surging run towards goal and fired a shot from the edge of the penalty area that just cleared the crossbar.

Ainsley then showed a great bit of skill to slalom past a couple of defenders but nobody was able to get on the end of his delivery across goal from the left.

Boreham Wood did create a couple of moments of danger. On 72 minutes, Watters found space in the area but Wiseman beat his shot away with the Canvey defence hacking the ball clear.

Then Watters delivered a fantastic ball from the left to the far post but Sean Sonner was unable to direct his header on target.

A minute later, Andrew West crossed from the left to Curran who was unmarked in the penalty area but he steered his header high over the crossbar.

The game seemed to turn in Canvey’s favour with the introduction of Leon Antoine for Curran on 79 minutes.

Antoine had only been on the field two minutes, when he chased a long ball into the penalty area, used his strength to outmuscle Jon Wordsworth as they both contested the ball and then show great composure to chip the ball over the onrushing Overland and into the net for the only goal of the game.

Canvey replaced Ainsley with Jon Edwards and saw out the remaining time quite comfortably despite a fierce hailstorm making conditions awkward in the final moments of the match.

In injury time, Kevin Dobinson did well to break down the right and pick out Gordon with a great cross to the far post but Gordon was only able to head the ball back from a difficult angle into Overland’s arms.

The whistle blew soon after to secure an important victory for Canvey. Defeat would have seen Canvey possibly being sucked into the relegation dogfight but the Gulls barring a near disaster have now probably secured a place in the Ryman Premier next season.

Gulls now face a tough match next weekend when play off chasing Carshalton visit Park Lane.

Oysterfleet Man of the Match:

ANDREW WEST: Composed performance at the back. Rarely put a foot wrong all game.

Match Report by David Powell.