A 93rd minute header from Callum Leahy saw Bowers & Pitsea win the inaugural Memorial Trophy at Park Lane on Saturday, winning an enjoyable match 1-0.

The visitors included three former-Gulls in their squad, with goalkeeper Lamar Johnson and midfielder Sam Collins in the starting XI and defender Frankie Stone on the bench.

Collins had the first shot of the match inside the opening minute, hitting a long range effort from 25 yards which Bobby Mason watched wide of his left-hand post.

Canvey’s first opportunity came on 7 minutes when Harrison Chatting cut in from the right wing, beating two defenders with some neat footwork to reach the edge of the penalty area. Chatting shot low, but Lamar Johnson managed to pull off the save diving low to his left.

A period of pressure in the 19th minute nearly saw Bowers open the scoring on two separate occasions.

Firstly, a low cross from the right by Quentin Monville was intercepted by Bobby Mason, with the ball inches away from being turned home by Tobias Braney who was sliding in.

Seconds later Jamie Salmon fouled Braney just outside the area, but referee Peter Wilson played a good advantage as the loose ball was collected by Lewis Manor. The forward hit a curling right-footed shot from 18 yards looking to find the bottom corner, but his effort was a yard off target.

Canvey had the ball in the net on 33 minutes when Harrison Chatting’s low ball across the face of goal from the left was turned home by Elliott Ronto. However, the goal was ruled out due to Ronto being in an offside position.

Two minutes later the always-dangerous Quentin Monville attacked down the right, getting the better of Canvey’s trialist left back and pulling back a low cross into the box. Tobias Braney was on hand to get a first time shot off, but the ball was straight at Bobby Mason who produced the save.

The final chance of the first half came two minutes before the break when Evans Kouassi set off on a determined run from the left. After getting round a defender, Kouassi hit a powerful shot from a tight angle which Lamar Johnson turned behind for a corner.

Kouassi carried on where he’d left off at the start of the second half, coming close on two occasions in the opening exchanges.

On 48 minutes he collected a pass from Elliott Ronto from the left, bursting through the Bowers defence and hitting a low shot which was straight at Lamar Johnson who saved.

Soon afterwards a free kick from deep by Billy Knott was not effectively cleared by Callum Leahy which presented Kouassi a chance from the right. After taking a touch, he hit a well struck shot from which Johnson did well to turn behind diving to his left.

A raft of substitutions for both sides interrupted the flow of the match in the second half, with neither side able to cause any danger the opposition goal until the match entered injury time.

On the stroke of 90 minutes Callum Fitzer set off a mazy dribble having come off the bench for Canvey. He made his way past three defenders, but with only the keeper to beat smashed his eventual shot high over the bar from 10 yards.

Two minutes later Michael Ademiluyi’s shot for Bowers caught a deflection off Rob Girdlestone and narrowly missed sailing into the top corner, with the visitors having to settle for a corner instead. Jamie Dicks’ sent the ball to the back post and found Callum Leahy who powered a header back across goal and in to win the match at the death.