Canvey Island 1-4 Potters Bar Town

Match Report by David Powell

Match Report

Canvey Island's poor recent form continued on Saturday, as they fell to a comprehensive 4-1 defeat against Potters Bar at the Moviestarr Stadium.

In another below par showing, the Gulls struggled to get going against their lower ranked opponents, and created little in front of goal, looking second best throughout the contest.

After what had seemed like a lively start from Canvey, with some decent passes but not much in the way of chances created, the visitors were given the time to settle, and took the lead on 18 minutes.
Determined play down the flanks fed a ball through to Alieu Njie, who headed home a right wing cross from close range.

Canvey were indebted to Sam Jackson to keep out a strong header shortly after, as the visitors looked to exented their lead, before on 42 minutes, Bradley Sach finally forced Laurence Shala into a save, with the visiting keeper doing well to turn a fierce close-range volley over for a corner.

Canvey couldn’t keep the Scholars out for the remainder of the time however, as just before the interval, Brandon Adams extended the lead
by tapping home from close range, after another charge down the right broke down the Canvey defence once again.

Into the second half, and Canvey began to see more of the ball initially, but failed to create much in front of goal.

It was a suprise then, on 61 minutes, when one of their few chances on target halved the arrears. Jaden Crowhurst's cross from the left found Conor Hubble in space on the edge of the box, and he lashed home a fierce low shot into the corner of the net beyond Shala.

The goal only proved to be a short lived glimmer of hope however as on 73 minutes, a jinking run down the left saw the ball played into Temi Babalola, who he placed a low shot beyond Jackson into the corner of the net to regain the visitors two goal advantage.

The Gulls could offer nothing in response, and their miserable afternoon was compounded in injury time, as Babalola bundled home a header to put the result beyond doubt.

In front of another disappointing crowd, the Gulls will now be looking over their shoulder in a tightening table, and a deplated squad will need to rally for a busy festive fixture list - a midweek trip in the County Cup to Essex Senior League side Buckhurst Hill first on the cards.