Canvey Island 4-1 White Ensign

Match Report by Jonathan Andrews

Canvey Island comfortably progressed into the 4th Round of the BBC Essex Senior Cup, as they dispatched Essex Senior League side White Ensign 4-1 at the Moviestarr Stadium.

On a cold Tuesday evening by the Thames, the Gulls showed their class as the higher ranked side, controlling much of the game against the team two divisions below and putting three goals past them early in the match.
Despite the visitors reducing the arrears before half time, Canvey restored their three goal advantage in the 2nd period to put their name in the hat for the next round.

It took just five minutes for the Gulls to take the lead. Conor Hubble delivered a free kick from out wide to the back post, finding Bradley Sach waiting as he beat his marker and headed home his first of the evening.

From there on in, they controlled much of the rhythm of the play in the first half, with the returning Evans Kouassi causing problems down the right for the Ensign defence. The visitors did look to launch counter attacks to get back into the game, though found many attempts at a through ball forced out of play or well defended by the Canvey backline.

The Gulls fluid, passing football gifted them a 2nd goal on 31 minutes. Playing out from the back, Hubble fed the ball to Kouassi on the right, and he used his pace and trickery to cut inside and fire a thunderbolt into the back of the net, with visiting keeper Alex Gillespie able to do little to stop it.

Just four minutes later, they made it 3-0.
More silky play from the Canvey midfield saw Munns and Hubble combine to feed the ball into Sach once more, who still had plenty to do, but hooked a delightful dinked shot over his marker and into the far corner of the net for his 2nd of the evening.

White Ensign pulled a goal back before half time as a counter attack broke down their right flank, the linesman not flagging for any hint of offside, allowing a low ball to be fed to the back post, where Mechak Kisoka-Asuka was waiting for a simple tap in.

Into the 2nd half and the visitors looked to swing momentum in their favour, coming forward at the Gulls backline, though seeing their chances limited to long range efforts at Sam Jacksons goal - the keeper dealing comfortably with what was thrown at him.

Canvey meanwhile, kept pressing forward, through were made to be patient in finding that clinical fourth goal.
It would arrive though in the 62nd minute, as a corner was swung into the near post, and the ever present Sach was on hand again to glance his header home and complete his hatrick.

The rest of the half passed with little event, both sides defence frustrating the attackers, with Canvey happy to wind down the clock and complete their comprehensive victory to take their place in the draw for the 4th Round Proper of the competition.

They return to league action on Saturday as they make the trip to East Sussex and high flying Hastings United.