Canvey Island 2-0 Thamesmead Town
Gulls Wrap Up Pre-Season With Fourth Straight Win
Canvey Island rounded off their pre-season with a solid 2-0 win against Bostik South East side Thamesmead Town at The Frost Hire Stadium on Saturday.
There were two former-Gulls in the Thamesmead squad, with Merrick James-Lewis in the starting XI and Scott Kinch on the bench.
It took until the 17th minute for either goalkeeper to be tested when Jake Pitty crossed from deep on the right wing to the back post. George Sykes headed goalwards but straight at Will Godden who saved.
A minute later Mitchell Gilbey pulled the trigger from 20 yards to the right of goal which Godden had to parry down into the ground from above his head in order to keep out.
On 27 minutes George Sykes slid the ball in for Ryan Melaugh from the left who hit a first time shot which Godden saved with his foot. The ball went back to Sykes who fired it back towards goal from a tight angle and hit the side netting.
Canvey took the lead two minutes later when Melaugh played an inch perfect through ball from the right for Mitchell Gilbey to run onto. Gilbey advanced into the area in behind the Thamesmead defence and beat the keeper from 12 yards.
On 38 minutes Melaugh tested the keeper again, hitting a dipping shot from 25 yards which Godden saved diving low to his left.
Ryan Melaugh was having a great impact on the game and claimed his second assist a minute later. This time on the left he released Martin Tuohy with a low pass, and the forward calmly rounded the keeper before slotting home his seventh of this pre-season campaign.
It looked as though Canvey’s two-goal lead was to be immediately halved on 41 minutes when Williams Danquah’s free kick from 30 yards out on the right wing found the head of Richard Pacquette. The veteran forward rose high and powered a header on target but was denied thanks to a tremendous save from Harry Palmer who turned the ball onto the crossbar diving high to his left.
Melaugh created another chance before the end of the half when his corner found the head of Martin Tuohy at the front post, but the forward didn’t make enough contact to steer the ball on target.
Thamesmead could have pulled a goal back six minutes into the second half when Harry Palmer came to punch a corner clear but missed the ball. This presented Richard Pacquette with a great chance from 10 yards, but his first-time volley cleared the crossbar.
A raft of substitutions caused the action to fragment until the 75th minute when Josh Hutchinson had a shot deflected behind after Mitchell Gilbey’s earlier effort was blocked by a defender.
Two minutes later Marlon Agyakwa got down the left wing but saw his cross blocked, but Canvey kept hold of the ball thanks to Ryan Melaugh. He skipped it infield for Mitchell Gilbey who shot from 18 yards which went through the legs of Scott Kinch but was saved by the keeper.
On 83 minutes substitute goalkeeper Conor Gough spotted Ryan Melaugh in space down the left and picked him out with an accurate kick. Melaugh sent a cross to the back post which found Jordan Cox, but Will Godden did well to come off his line and block the shot.
Photo: KJA Sports Images
