Match Report

A last minute penalty from Stuart Ainsley gave Canvey Island a deserved 2-2 draw against highflying Carshalton Athletic at Colston Avenue.

Gulls will feel they perhaps deserved more than a point. They took the lead just after the hour mark thanks to a fine finish from Leon Gordon but a sloppy passage of play allowed Carshalton to equalise and then take the lead with just a few minutes remaining.

Ainsley’s penalty saw Canvey grab a draw that they thoroughly deserved for a lively and spirited performance.

Gulls dominated much of this game and for the most part their rearguard kept Robins’ forwards Michael Power and Richard Jolly reasonably quiet with Ben Patten and Richard Halle in particular having solid matches.

Ryan Martin did look lively on the left wing at times for them and he had the first shooting chance of the game on 2 minutes when a right wing cross from Dean Carpenter dropped to him at the far post but he volleyed his effort high and wide of the goal.

Canvey gradually settled though and began to play some good football with Craig Davidson and Kevin Dobinson dominating the midfield. Dobinson in particular was having an excellent game. He was quick to close down the player in possession and showed an impressive array of passing especially some superb balls down either wing.

Dobinson was unlucky not to open the scoring on 13 minutes when he got on the end of Ainsley’s right wing corner but his near post header struck the crossbar and bounced away for a goal kick.

The Robins responded with their best chance of the half on 18 minutes. Jolly broke down the left and sent in a low cross into the penalty area. Barry Stevens looked certain to score but somehow was unable to apply the finishing touch with the goal gaping.

After this Canvey dominated the rest of the half without really testing Stuart Searle in the Carshalton goal. A flurry of corners put the keeper under pressure but to his credit he dealt with these well.

Both Gabriel Fanibuyan and Leon Antoine looked lively up front but Carshalton defender Adrian Toppin was having a fine game and managed to keep them at bay.

A tight first half ended 0-0 but the second half saw Canvey come out with renewed vigour and they really started to test the Carshalton defence especially down both wings.

Gordon in particular was starting to become an influential figure in most of Canvey’s attacks and he contributed to a shooting opportunity on 51 minutes. Gordon did well to put a high hanging cross back into the penalty area that Antoine was able to flick back to Dobinson with his head. Dobinson’s shot from the edge of the area arrowed inches over the crossbar.

Canvey continued to attack and some good play by Ainsley and Davidson down the left on 60 minutes saw Davidson play a fine cross into the penalty area. Antoine got his head to the ball but could only direct it high over the bar.

Moments later, Canvey grabbed a superb opening goal. A pass found Gordon in some space on the edge of the 18 yard box. His first touch appeared to have let him down but he got away from the defender to fire a sweet low shot beyond Searle and into the bottom corner of the net much to the delight of the travelling Canvey support.

It was all Canvey now and Antoine, Fanibuyan and Gordon were beginning to terrorise the Carshalton defence with their pace and movement.

Carshalton did have a great opportunity to draw the scores level soon after but after getting on the end of Searle’s long goal kick, Jolly lobbed his effort over the bar with just Ricky Wiseman to beat.

Some great persistence by Gordon on 68 minutes saw him bundle his way past a couple of Carshalton defenders down the left hand side of the area but Searle was quickly out to block his effort with his foot.

Canvey were playing some of their best football of the season and the sheer strength and pace of Antoine saw him muscle past a defender down the right wing and play in a cross that Ainsley volleyed over at the near post a minute later.

A swirling right wing corner from Ainsley then bounced off the top of the crossbar and away to safety as Canvey continued to put the Carshalton defence under pressure.

As the match drifted towards the final 15 minutes, Canvey became more conscious of protecting their slender lead and started to sit deeper. As a result this gave the Robins more possession and they now began to look more of a threat.

Carshalton brought on former Canvey winger Dwain Clarke and on 77 minutes, they grabbed an equaliser. Richard Jolly had scored 17 goals in 18 appearances before this game and the prolific ex AFC Wimbledon striker added to his growing reputation with a further two goals.

His first goal came when the Canvey defence failed to clear a cross from the right and as the ball bobbled around the penalty area, Jolly was there to volley an emphatic finish beyond Ricky Wiseman from close range.

Canvey now seemed to panic and Carshalton poured forward in an attempt to grab the winner. It looked like the three points would be theirs with four minutes to go when Jolly broke through down the right hand side of the area from Stevens’ pass and slipped the ball beyond Wiseman and into the corner of the net.

Canvey were stunned but didn’t let their heads go down. Almost straight away they found themselves back in the game.

Gordon broke from the right wing into the penalty area but was caught by Clarke. The referee had no hesitation but to point to the penalty spot and after a long delay, Ainsley stepped up to calmly fire his kick beyond Searle and into the roof of the net as injury time approached.

The referee played over 6 minutes of stoppage time but neither side could find the winner and a thoroughly entertaining game was brought to a close with Gulls maybe feeling they deserved more from this game against a talented Carshalton outfit.

Certainly Canvey will be heartened by a fine attacking performance and they played some excellent passing football at times.

Canvey are next in action on Tuesday evening when Boreham Wood travel to Park Lane.

Oysterfleet Man of the Match:

LEON GORDON: Another excellent display. Scored a superb opening goal and was influential in winning the penalty that gave Gulls a point.

Match Report by David Powell.