Match Report

Canvey Island picked up a deserved point with a 1-1 draw against play off contenders Wealdstone at the Brockwell Stadium.

The Gulls had to play the last 30 minutes with ten men after Chris Moore received a second yellow card. At this stage, they were 1-0 down but fought back from this setback to grab a point with a spirited and battling display.

This was never a dirty game but six Canvey players were cautioned and the referee often frustrated the Gulls' players and fans with some bizarre decisions.

The first half was something of a dull affair and the referee's whistle often disrupted the game, rarely allowing it to flow.

Canvey saw four players booked in the opening 25 minutes as Leon Gordon, Chris Moore, Gabriel Fanibuyan and Richard Halle were all cautioned.

The Gulls suffered an injury blow when Gordon limped off after 20 minutes. He was replaced by Jay Curran.

Canvey created the best of the few chances that occurred in the first half. Robbie King headed wide from Greg Cohen's left wing corner on 25 minutes and James Rowe sliced a shot wide after doing well to find space in the penalty area.

Wealdstone occasionally threatened with Billy Gibson and Danny Spendlove in particular looking dangerous on the wings but Canvey goalkeeper James Russell had very little to do for much of the half.

Halle had Canvey's best chance on the stroke of half time when he volleyed inches wide from the edge of the penalty area after good work by Curran.

The first half had been fairly even but the Stones made a great start to the second half when they took the lead on 49 minutes. Good work by Spendlove down the left saw him knock the ball into Ryan Ashe and Ashe's clever pass put Callum Martin through who confidently slipped the ball through Russell's legs and into the net.

Things didn't improve for Canvey when Jay Curran pulled up with an injury on 56 minutes and was forced off to be replaced by Jon Edwards.

Edwards went into the midfield with Cohen moving up front to partner Rowe.

To their credit, Canvey dug in and Cohen and Rowe were looking a real threat with some determined running that caused the Wealdstone defence a number of headaches.

Rowe had a sniff of a chance on 58 minutes when Halle's low driven ball into the penalty area fell to him but although he managed to get a shot in, goalkeeper Sean Thomas got down well to hold the ball.

Canvey's afternoon continued to go badly when Moore was shown a second yellow card and sent off after he halted Spendlove in full flight with a clumsy tackle.

It looked like Wealdstone would go on and take the three points but they failed to build on their extra man advantage and it was Canvey who grabbed an equaliser on 73 minutes.

Rowe was tripped in the penalty area by Alan Massey giving the referee no option but to give a penalty. Craig Davidson stepped up and although Thomas dived to his left to push the spot kick around the post, the referee ordered a re-take as he judged that the keeper had strayed off of his line before the kick had been taken.

Davidson made no mistake with the re-take, sending Thomas the wrong way to stroke the ball into the net.

The Gulls then could have gone ahead 5 minutes later when Rowe burst through on goal after some good play by Fanibuyan but Thomas made a superb block to deny Canvey's top scorer.

The game was flowing from one end to the other now as both sides pushed for a winner.

Wealdstone substitute Greg Ngoyi did have the ball in the net on 81 minutes but the 'goal' was ruled out.

Canvey won a corner deep into injury time and it was Halle who saw his header blocked by a Stones' defender as the Gulls looked to sneak an unlikely victory.

The whistle blew soon after to confirm a deserved point for the Gulls who showed immense spirit to battle back from going behind and then having a man sent off as well as losing two of their strikers to injury.

Canvey are next in action on Tuesday night when they travel to Hendon.