Match Report

Canvey Island got back to winning ways with an emphatic 5-2 victory over Hastings at Park Lane.
In front of a crowd of 324, the Gulls were dominant throughout this match playing some fine attacking football at times.

They lead 4-0 at half time after an exhilarating first half display and although they took their foot off the pedal a little in the second half and allowed Hastings to snatch 2 goals, they were able to raise their game when they needed to.

Canvey started brightly and really should have taken the lead after 2 minutes. Leon Gordon raced on to a through pass but with just the keeper to beat his shot narrowly went wide of the post.

The Gulls though were in front on 11 minutes. Kevin Dobinson did superbly to trick his way past a couple of defenders down the left by-line and his low driven cross fell to Stuart Ainsley on the edge of the area. Ainsley fired his shot home beyond Hastings’ keeper Greg Nessling into the roof of the net.

Hastings rarely troubled Ricky Wiseman in the Canvey goal during the first half and the Gulls’ defence of Andrew West, Richard Halle, Chris Moore and Tarkan Mustafa looked solid throughout.

Canvey thought they had scored again on 18 minutes when a Gordon corner from the left created havoc in the goalmouth. The ball was blocked on the line twice with Canvey claiming the ball had in fact crossed the goal-line but the referee waved away the protests.

Ainsley who enjoyed a fine game, fired an effort wide 5 minutes later from the edge of the area before Canvey got a second goal on the half hour mark.

Craig Davidson’s right wing free kick found the head of Leon Antoine and his flicked header went into the corner of the net despite Nessling getting both of his hands to the ball.

Canvey were rampant now and the pace of Antoine, Gordon and Gabriel Fanibuyan was constantly opening up Hastings’ brittle defence.

It was 3-0, two minutes later. A through ball released Gordon down the left hand side of the penalty area and this time he made no mistake firing home an emphatic finish into the bottom corner of the net.

Hastings were shell shocked and Canvey at this stage were looking capable of scoring every-time they attacked.

Goal number four arrived on the stroke of half time. Canvey cleared a corner and broke quickly and decisively. Gordon freed Antoine with an excellent pass down the right hand side of the area and the former Redbridge striker fired home a powerful angled shot that gave Nessling no chance for his second strike of the match.

Hastings were well and truly out of the game and still had to endure another 45 minutes against a rampant Canvey attack.

To their credit, they fought well in the second half and at least made the score a little bit more respectable.

Antoine saw a shot deflected wide within the first few minutes of the half and then Canvey won a string of corners with Dobinson going close from Ainsley’s right wing delivery with a header that was just too high and wide on 60 minutes.

Hastings raised their spirits with a fine goal on 64 minutes. The referee awarded what seemed a harsh free kick on the edge of the area after Sam Adams went down under a challenge and Ben White stepped up to curl a fine effort around the defensive wall and into the top corner of the net.

Fanibuyan picked up a knock a few minutes later and was replaced by Jon Edwards. Canvey continued to look the more likely side to get the next goal and on 73 minutes, Gordon did superbly to keep the ball in down the right and play in a cross that Moore got his head to but could only direct his effort straight into the keeper’s arms.

A minute later, Gordon got on the end of Ainsley’s left wing cross at the near post but poked his effort just wide of goal.

Hastings gave Canvey a scare when they got the score back to 4-2 with 9 minutes to go. Antonio Gonnella got on the end of a left wing cross and headed home beyond Wiseman at the far post.

Any hopes Hastings had of building on this goal faded when substitute Jack Franklin was shown a red card for a crude challenge on Ainsley on 85 minutes.

A few minutes later, Gordon completed 10 man Hastings’ misery with a 5th goal and his second of the game. Gordon pounced on a loose ball into the box as it cannoned off a defender to turn and fire home into the bottom corner of the net. The lineman initially ruled the goal out for offside but was overruled by the referee much to the disappointment and anger of the Hastings’ players.

The final whistle blew soon after to seal a fine victory and a valuable three points for the Gulls.

Canvey are next in action next Saturday when they travel to Carshalton Athletic.

Oysterfleet Man of the Match:

STUART AINSLEY:   Had a great down the left wing. Scored a well taken goal to set Canvey on the way to victory.

Match Report by David Powell.