Match Report

Canvey Island continued their pre season in impressive fashion with an emphatic 4-0 victory over FC Clacton at the Rush Green Bowl.

On a scorching hot day, The Gulls put in a professional display taking their chances well and limiting their Ridgeons League Division One opponents to very few scoring opportunities.

Last year, Canvey were 3-0 up in this fixture before conceding 4 goals in the final 25 minutes to lose the game but there was very little danger of this happening as they raced into a two goal lead within the first ten minutes.

The opening goal came after just 6 minutes with former Hornchurch and Welling defender Chris Moore applying the final touch from close range after a right wing corner found him in the six yard box.

Three minutes later and it was 2-0. Mark Nougher was sent through on goal after a good interchange of passes and he finished confidently beyond keeper Craig Rulton into the bottom corner of the net.

Canvey were playing some fine football at times and some good play by Steve Corbell and Nougher down the left saw Ian Luck blaze his shot over the bar from close range.

Luck tested Rulton with a curling shot from just inside the area on 24 minutes that seemed to be heading for the bottom corner until Rulton pushed it out for a corner.

Chris Moore fired an effort from long range wide as Canvey comfortably held a 2-0 half time lead.

The Gulls brought on Stuart Batch and trialists David Lee and Ryan Oliva at half time and Clacton began the half with a bit more attacking purpose. Some sloppiness in the Canvey defence allowed the Clacton forward a clear sight on goal but Ricky Wiseman was quick off of his line to make a fine block.

Apart from this opportunity, Clacton rarely threatened and Canvey soon began to dominate again with Lee and Gabriel Fanibuyan at the heart of the Gulls’ best moves.

Fanibuyan tested Rulton with a low shot before winning a penalty on 71 minutes. Gareth Gibson was harshly adjudged to have handled Fanibuyan’s shot in the area and up stepped Luck to fire his penalty home despite Rulton getting a hand to the ball.

Rulton was forced into another save soon afterwards this time from one of his own players as the defender deflected a Fanibuyan pass towards his own goal. Rulton did well to get across and push the ball out for a corner.

This was a short lived reprieve. David Lee’s left wing corner was cleared but only as far as Andrew West who sent a low cross into the area from the right. Kieran English on as a sub was there to sweep the ball home into the bottom corner of the net.

That goal completed the scoring as Canvey comfortably saw out the remaining 15 minutes.

Canvey continue their pre season campaign with another trip to a Ridgeons League side on Tuesday night when they face Tiptree.

Yellow’s Man of the Match:

CHRIS MOORE:  Another commanding performance at the back and scored the opening goal.

Match Report by David Powell.