The Gulls began their FA Trophy journey on home turf, as they faced local rivals Grays Athletic at the Steve’s Taxis Stadium. Garry Kimble’s side were looking to make it back-to-back wins after last Saturday’s FA Cup victory on the road at Kings Langley.

The Visitors kicked-off the afternoon to get our 26/27 FA Trophy campaign underway, and it was a fairly even start between the two sides, until the sixteenth minute when the Gulls thought they had found the breakthrough as Ross Wall was played through and picked out the top corner from the edge of the area, however the Referee’s assistant had his flag raised for offside on Canvey’s number nine. Although, it only took another four minutes until the deadlock was broken, this time it was Mitchell May who found the back of the net, after flicking a close-range header over the goalkeeper from George Scales’ pin-point cross.

Less than ten minutes later, the Gulls were searching for their second when Michael Bareck was brought down on the edge of the box, and the Referee awarding a dangerous looking free-kick. Conor Hubble stepped up to take it and fired home into the top corner to double the Gulls’ advantage before the break. Just past the half-hour mark, goalscorer, Conor Hubble was shown a yellow card following a late challenge. A couple of minutes after that the Gulls found themselves on the counter, after Michael Finneran’s clearance fell to Mitchell May who lobbed the goalkeeper, who was out of his area, to make it three goals to nil before half-time.

Half time: Canvey Island 3-0 Grays Athletic

The Referee blew his whistle to signal a start to the second forty-five, and it was Conor Hubble who got us underway, however it was a poor start to the half, which saw the Visitors grab an early goal, after a deflection saw Grays’ number seven tap the ball into an empty net to make it three-one. On the hour mark, Garry Kimble looked to his bench and decided to replace Ernest Okoh with Elliott Ronto to stable the midfield, and ten minutes later he brought on Charlie Panton for goalscorer, Mitchell May.

Inside the final twenty minutes, substitute Charlie Panton was denied a goal by an impressive goal-line clearance by Grays’ center-back, and a minute later the Blues were down to ten after the Referee produced a second yellow card for Grays’ left-back. Two minutes after the Gulls made a third change, this time bringing on Evans Kouassi for Michael Bareck. A couple of seconds later a late challenge on Michael Finneran saw a straight red card for Grays’ number eight. A minute later the Visitors were cautioned again with a yellow card being awarded after a foul on Louie Arrowsmith. The full back was substituted off after the tackle for Rowan Balestreri-McDaid for the Gulls’ penultimate change of the afternoon, with Omar Rowe replacing Conor Hubble five minutes later. On the ninetieth minute Elliott Ronto played a defence-splitting ball through Grays’ back-line for Evans Kouassi to chase where he slotted home into the bottom corner past the goalkeeper who was outside of his area, to make it 4-1 and a goal on his return to the Steve’s Taxis Stadium.

Full-time: Canvey Island 4-1 Grays Athletic