Match Report

Canvey Island exited the Ryman League Cup losing 4-1 to Dover Athletic at the Crabble Athletic Ground on a bitterly cold evening. Dover were in the end comfortable winners but despite the margin of victory, Gulls certainly in the first half tested the Athletic defence and created some excellent scoring opportunities.

Canvey used the opportunity to give the likes of Ryan Oliva, Ian Luck, Jay Curran and Steve Corbell a run out and they started brightly missing two great chances in the opening 15 minutes. After 7 minutes, Ian Luck got on the end of a through pass, beat Dover keeper Rob Lindley to the loose ball but with the open goal gaping somehow managed to fire wide of the target.

Six minutes later, Luck chased a long ball and got there fractionally before Lindley.  His lob seemed to be dropping into the corner of the net but Danny Allen raced back to brilliantly clear off of the line.

At this stage, Canvey were by far the better team with Richard Halle and Jon Edwards busy in the midfield.

Completely against the run of play, Dover grabbed the opening goal on 30 minutes. Shaun Welford was sent through down the right hand side of the area and his shot was saved by Canvey keeper Mel Capleton. The rebound fell conveniently to Nathan Bailey who fired home despite Capleton getting a hand to the ball.

Canvey responded well and felt they should have had a penalty when Halle contested a loose ball with keeper Lindley shortly afterwards.

The first half ended 1-0 in the Kent side’s favour but it was a different story in the second half as the Ryman Premier league leaders upped their game and ran out comfortable winners.

Player manager Andy Hessenthaler and John Keister started to dominate the midfield and wingers Jerahl Hughes and Sam Jones began to look a real threat.

Dover grabbed their second goal just after the hour mark. Welford got on the end of a right wing cross at the far post to fire an angled shot beyond Capleton and into the corner of the net.

It was 3-0 on 68 minutes. Jones picked up the ball on the left hand side of the area, dribbled past a couple of tackles before firing home into the corner of the net.

Canvey sent on Stuart Ainsley, Leon Gordon and Stuart Batch but by now the game was out of their reach.

Dover grabbed their 4th goal on 86 minutes. Bailey was there to snatch his second goal, tapping home a right wing cross from close range.

Canvey to their credit kept battling to the end. Jay Curran got on the end of a fine pass but saw his shot from the right hand side of the area thump against the base of the post and away to safety.

In injury time, Canvey got the goal that their efforts deserved. Gordon chased a long ball into the area and got to it just before Lindley. The ball rolled slowly into the corner of the net despite the efforts of a defender to keep it out.

The whistle blew soon after to confirm defeat for the Gulls.

So, Canvey are out of the Ryman League Cup but can now concentrate on continuing their fine run of form in the league.

Yellow’s Man of the Match:

RICHARD HALLE:  Another good battling display in midfield.

Match Report by David Powell.