Canvey Island progressed into the next round of the Buildbase FA Trophy with a comprehensive 4-1 win against fellow Pitching In Isthmian League North side Coggeshall Town at Park Lane on Saturday.

Despite having a number of first team regulars injured and others in the starting XI feeling unwell, the Gulls put in a stunning second half display to put the Seed Growers to the sword.

Canvey started brightly and struck the woodwork in the 4th minute. A corner was swung in from the left which found the head of Matthew Price, but his effort thumped off the crossbar.

Price was booked soon afterwards for a foul on goalkeeper Matthew Cafer. Patrick Virgo’s ball across from the right caused danger, but as the forward lunged in to try and claim the loose ball he connected with the keeper.

Ex-Canvey attacker Sam Bantick forced Bobby Mason into action on 18 minutes when he pulled the trigger from the right, 20 yards from goal. His shot went across goal towards the far corner, but Bobby Mason managed to turn it behind for a corner diving to his right.

Matthew Price had the ball in the net on 20 minutes when he got his head to a right-wing Harrison Chatting free kick at the back post. However, the assistant referee’s flag was raised to rule out the goal for offside.

Evans Kouassi should have given Canvey the lead on 27 minutes when Elliott Ronto slid a perfectly weighted through ball the Seed Growers’ defence. Kouassi collected possession, but his shot was charged down by Matthew Cafer to produce a good save.

Coggeshall’s best opportunity of the first half came ten minutes later when a ball clipped over from the right went over the Canvey defence and found Isaac Skubich unmarked at the back post. The winger swung his right foot at the ball on the volley, but he mistimed his contact and drove his shot wide of the post.

With the scores deadlocked at half time, the visitors nearly scored inside sixty seconds of the restart when the ball was played into the feet of Sam Bantick. His sliding shot went narrowly wide of the far post, and despite his insistence that a corner should be awarded, the referee signalled for a goal kick.

Canvey took the lead on 59 minutes in fine fashion when Evans Kouassi cut in from the right and fired a shot across goal from 14 yards, beating Matthew Cafer diving full stretch to his right and finding the top corner.

It was 2-0 seven minutes later when Matthew Price received possession on the edge of the area. He knocked the ball past a defender shifting to his right and shot past Cafer diving to his left.

Two former-Gulls nearly gave Coggeshall a route back into the contest on 72 minutes. Sam Bantick squared the ball across the face of goal and found Ayrton Coley sliding in at the back post, but under pressure from a defender he was unable to force the ball home.

Canvey all but sealed their passage into the next round with nine minutes remaining after some brilliant work from Tobi Tinubu down the right. He took a cross field ball in his stride, chesting it down and getting to the touchline before cutting the ball back for Matthew Price. His shot was on target but turned home on the line by Harry Critchley.

Price completed his hattrick on 89 minutes in fine style, latching onto a through ball and finishing with the outside of his right foot from just outside the area with a superb strike across goal.

The final goal of the afternoon was a consolation for the visitors, with a ball in from deep on the left headed into the top corner by Sam Bantick.