Canvey Island 0-2 Great Wakering Rovers

Canvey Island fell to a 2-0 defeat against Great Wakering Rovers at Park Lane in the group stages of the Velocity Trophy on Tuesday night.

With one eye on Saturday’s Buildbase FA Trophy match away to Chipstead, manager Mark Bentley made six changes to his starting XI from the side that defeated Basildon United at the weekend.

Wakering took the lead after only six minutes when Kane Gilbert slid in and fouled forward Joe Benton inside the penalty area. Benton picked himself up and struck his spot kick high to Danny Confrey’s right to open give his side an early advantage.

Canvey responded well to going a goal behind, hitting the woodwork twice in as many minutes.

On 12 minutes a low ball across the area from the left found Tobi Joseph who collected possession on the far side. Joseph shot from a tight angle back towards goal, beating goalkeeper Jack Allan but hitting the foot of the post.

Soon afterwards a cross from deeper on the left found Kane Gilbert at the front post, but his diving header struck the other upright before being cleared.

Josh Hutchinson had a half volley from the edge of the area saved by Jack Allan diving low to his left on 21 minutes before Tobi Joseph missed a gilt-edged chance four minutes later. The ball was worked through to Joseph on the edge of the six-yard box with only the keeper to beat, but he shot tamely straight at Allan who was able to save and hold his under hit effort.

Joseph came close again on 37 minutes when he got his head to a corner, glancing it across goal at the near post but narrowly wide of the target.

The visitors had the ball in the net again shortly before half time when a cross from the right was headed past Danny Confrey, but referee Aytron Hursey spotted a foul on a Canvey player and ruled the goal out.

The Rovers did register a legitimate second goal on 56 minutes when they were awarded a free kick down by the corner flag on the left wing. A deep ball to the back post was kept in well by substitute Henry Fisher, stretching to head it back across the face of goal where Oliver Woodhouse was waiting to score with a header of his own just inside the far post.

Canvey tried to get themselves back into the match, but despite sending some good balls into the area were unable to get the all-important touch. The closest they came was on 62 minutes when Sam Dulieu came close to scoring his first goal for the club with a shot from the edge of the area which went a yard wide of the bottom corner.

Up the other end, Danny Confrey produced a good save on 77 minutes to keep out Henry Fisher’s header from a corner, flinging his left hand skywards to palm the ball away from the top corner.