Match Report

Three first half goals gave Canvey Island a 3-1 victory over struggling Harrow Borough at Park Lane. This victory ended a run of seven league games without a win and the Gulls were good value for their win on a cold afternoon in front of a crowd of 259.

The Canvey groundsmen worked miracles in getting the match on after the heavy snow and Arctic conditions of the previous few days and the team repaid them with a positive result.

They dominated the first half, continually opening up the Harrow defence with some incisive attacking breaks and although Harrow had the better of the second half, they were unable to do enough to get back into the contest.

Canvey started brightly and took the lead within three minutes. Tarkan Mustafa broke down the right and his high looping cross was converted by Leon Gordon via the aid of the woodwork at the far post.

A minute later, Gabriel Fanibuyan had a shot from the edge of the area deflected just wide after a half cleared corner fell to him as Canvey put the Harrow defence under considerable pressure.
Harrow briefly threatened on occasions but didn’t really do enough to test Ricky Wiseman in the Canvey goal during the first half.  Chris Moore and Stuart Ainsley were impressive at the back for Canvey and contained the Harrow forwards well.

Jay Curran was booked after a tussle with a defender and some robust tackling from Bobby Heighton earned the Harrow defender a caution.

Canvey increased their lead on 25 minutes. An attack saw the ball worked out to Fanibuyan on the left hand edge of the penalty area and he was given far too much space by the defender to curl a sweet shot beyond keeper Andray Baptiste and into the top corner of the net.

Harrow keeper Baptiste looked extremely uncomfortable and unconvincing when dealing with set pieces and high balls into the penalty area and Canvey took advantage of this.

On 38 minutes, a dreadful mistake by Baptiste saw Canvey grab a third. Stuart Ainsley drilled a free kick from wide on the left towards goal that Baptiste could only fumble. The rebound fell conveniently for Moore who had a simple tap in from 2 yards out.

Canvey held a 3-0 half time lead but after dominating the first half, they seemed to take their foot off the pedal and allow Harrow back into the game after half time.

Within a minute, they had got a goal back. Jonathon Constant surged through the Canvey defence and dinked the ball over the onrushing Wiseman and into the net.

The Canvey defence which had looked so solid and organised in the first half all of a sudden looked rather brittle. Harrow flashed a header across goal from a corner and Wiseman had to be alert on a couple of occasions as Borough started to dominate.

Constant did well to turn and wriggle away from a defender down the right hand side of the penalty area and then fire in a shot that went inches wide of the far post on 58 minutes.

Dewayne Clarke received a caution for Harrow and soon after Dean Fenton came close when he volleyed into the side netting at the far post from a left wing corner.

Canvey though seemed to weather this storm and gradually got a grip of the game again.

On 71 minutes, Baptiste made a fine reaction save to tip over Moore’s close range volley after Ainsley’s free kick had caused a scramble in the box.

Canvey replaced Ben Patten with Jon Edwards a minute later with Richard Halle moving back into defence.

Canvey saw out the remaining 15 minutes fairly comfortably with the determined running of Curran and Gordon always a threat to the Harrow defence.

To their credit Harrow battled well in the second half and Tobi Jinadu was impressive at the heart of their defence reading the game well at times and clearing the danger.

Kevin Dobinson forced Baptiste into another save just before the end when he did well to find space on the edge of the area and drill in a low shot that the keeper parried and held at the second attempt.
The final whistle blew a few minutes later to confirm a valuable victory for Canvey that ends a poor run of results.

They are in action next Saturday when they face a tough game away to second placed Staines Town.

Oysterfleet Man of the Match:

STUART AINSLEY: Decent display at left back. Was instrumental in Canvey’s third goal.

Match Report by David Powell.