Match Report

Canvey Island continued their pre season campaign with an emphatic 6-0 victory over Brightlingsea Regent at Park Lane.

Canvey dominated this match against their opponents from the Essex & Suffolk Border League and the highlight of this win was a sublime strike from new signing James Rowe.

The Gulls started brightly with Richard Halle heading just wide on 12 minutes from Greg Cohen’s right wing corner.

Some more good work by Cohen down the left wing on 20 minutes saw his cross drop to an unmarked Ian Luck who fired in a fierce first time volley that Brightlingsea keeper Matt Griggs did superbly to push away for a corner.

Ashley Tevez headed wide for Brightlingsea and then Rowe headed wide at the near post after a great run and cross down the right from Luck.

Canvey broke the deadlock on 31 minutes. Ryan Edgar charged down a loose ball as the defender attempted to clear, ran on and fired a low drive against the base of the post. The loose ball fell to Leon Gordon who tapped home from a few yards out.

Gordon could have added a second goal, ten minutes later when a fine pass from Kevin Dobinson released the forward. Gordon rounded the keeper but Brightlingsea’s Daryll Wallace did superbly to get back and hack the ball off of the goal line.

Luck who enjoyed a lively game, curled an effort inches wide after some excellent play on the edge of the penalty area on 41 minutes before Rowe opened his scoring account for Canvey with a goal of real quality.

Gordon laid the ball off to the former Sudbury striker on the edge of the penalty area and without hesitation, Rowe bent a curling first time effort with the edge of his boot over Griggs and into the back of the net.

Canvey lead 2-0 at half time and replaced both Gordon and Rowe with Jay Curran and Gabriel Fanibuyan.

They extended their lead within five minutes of the half starting when Halle fired home from close range from Luck’s low driven corner from the left.

Luck scored the goal his efforts deserved a minute later, when he found space on the edge of the area and curled home a well placed effort into the bottom corner of the net.

Canvey were beginning to take Brightlingsea apart now and although they battled well and showed great stamina, they were no match for Canvey’s pace and skill.

Some good play by Fanibuyan down the right wing on 60 minutes provided the fifth goal. Fanibuyan’s cross fell to Jay Curran who worked some space and toe-poked a low effort into the bottom corner of the net from inside the area.

Dobinson came close to adding a sixth two minutes later when he broke through the Brightlingsea defence but his cheeky lob landed on the top of the net.

James Russell in the Canvey goal had barely touched the ball up until now but in the space of five minutes he made two fine saves.

On 61 minutes he dived full length to his left to push away Mark Gridley’s header from Tevez’s right wing cross and then five minutes later, the Brightlingsea sub broke through the Gulls’ defence but Russell stood up well to block his effort.

Canvey regained their momentum though and finished the game strongly. Jay Curran saw an effort deflected on to the crossbar and away for a corner and then Cohen went close with three efforts in the last five minutes, two of which the keeper had to push over the crossbar for corners.

The Gulls completed the scoring with a sixth goal in stoppage time. Substitute Craig Davidson got on the end of Stuart Batch’s right wing corner and finished emphatically from close range.

This was an impressive win for Canvey and next up is a tough encounter with Conference South side Chelmsford City at Park Lane on Saturday.

Oysterfleet Man of the Match:

IAN LUCK: Very lively down the right wing during the first half and topped off a decent performance with a well taken strike.

Match Report by David Powell.