Wingate & Finchley 6-2 Canvey Island

Match Report by David Powell

Canvey Island suffered their biggest defeat of the season on Saturday, being humbled 6-2 by Wingate & Finchley at the Maurice Rebak Stadium.

Despite leading the game twice after 50 minutes, they were undone by a woeful 2nd half collapse, in which their in-form hosts ran in 5 goals in quick succession.

The first 45 minutes had almost all gone according to plan for Canvey, and they first lead the match when Mason Hall headed a powerful effort home from a Conor Hubble corner after just 13 minutes.

Luke Deslandes, running riot on the Canvey right, could have extended their lead on 35 minutes, but saw a curling effort on goal from the edge of the box just clear the crossbar.

A crucial lapse in concentration just before half time saw Canvey switch off at the back, allowing Anointed Chukwu with an acre of space from a ball into the box to sweep home past Jackson for the equaliser.

Canvey didn't seem to let this equaliser phase them however as they begun the second half, coming forward well and gifting the impressive Deslandes space just inside the area to curl a low shot into the far corner of the net on 49 minutes, putting the Gulls back in front.

Bradley Sach saw an effort ruled out for offside soon after, gifting the hosts the respite they craved to snatch an equaliser from the next passage of play.
A foul on the edge of the box gifted Ruben Carvalho the chance to launch a direct hit at the Canvey goal, an opportunity he took in some style as he curled home a superb free kick past a stranded Sam Jackson to level the game once more.

Worse was to follow for Canvey on 61 minutes, when they were caught out by a swift counter attack, and Chukwu was again allowed the time and space he needed to apply a simple finish into the net and turn the game on it's head.

Canvey looked to respond quickly, with Sam Mvemba having a goalbound shot deflected away, and Mason Hall then heading narrowly wide from a Hubble delivery. They couldn't find the critical finish they needed however, and with the hosts still looking to cause damage, an unprecedented collapse took place.

First, on 75 minutes, another free kick on the edge of the box gifted Carvalho the chance to repeat his earlier party trick - curling home another free kick to gift the hosts a two goal lead.
With Canvey's heads still down after the shock, it was just a minute later that Elliot Long ran on to a pass from Rhamar Garrett-Douglas, the Gulls defence left looking hapless as he slotted home for a fifth.

The hosts took full control on the game from there on in, and completed the scoring on 84 minutes, with Long grabbing the third brace of the afternoon for Wingate to compound the Gulls woes. By this time, some of the travelling Yellow Army behind the goal had seen enough.

The full time whistle ended a miserable afternoon for Canvey, their recent hard work in the league unravelled for the most part in the space of 40 second half minutes.
They'll need to pick themselves up on Tuesday night as they start a run of three successive home games - Cray Wanderers the first team to visit the Moviestarr Stadium.