Match Report by David Powell
Photo Credit - Dan Goody

Canvey Island boosted their play off aspirations with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Potters Bar Town at the Moviestarr Stadium on Saturday.

In front of another strong crowd of 464, Canvey dominated the game from start to finish, and could easily have racked up a cricket score but for better finishing and some good goalkeeping from the visitors man between the sticks.

In a first half that rarely saw the Gulls leave the oppositions half, it took them 19 minutes to find the lead. A probing ball forward found Bradley Sach, who headed down into the path of Conor Hubble. He made no mistake, firing a blistering volley from the edge of the penalty area into the back of the net.

The chances kept coming, with only the woodwork seeming like it would deny Canvey. Joe Paxman had an effort bounce off the post, before Sach came close when he headed past Dren Hoti from an excellent Odei Martin Sorondo cross, but saw his effort come off the far post and into the arms of the keeper.

The Gulls would find the crucial second goal just before break however.
Sach then broke through the visitors rearguard and got a strike away, but Hoti got a hand to the ball to turn it around the post for a corner.
Hubble delivered the ball into a packed penalty area and found Sach, as he headed home to double Canvey’s lead.

The second half followed much the same rhythm as the first, Canvey getting into their stride as it seemed the visitors had no answer.

Evans Kouassi consistently probed through gaps in the Potters Bar backline, looking for a goal of his own. He very nearly got it on 49 minutes as he saw an effort crash against the post.

With the pressure telling, it wouldn't take Canvey much longer to find their third goal.
A foul near the left hand corner saw Hubble fire in a low free kick to the near post, allowing Rob Girdlestone to flick the ball home from close range - his second goal in as many home games.

It was four on 74 minutes, Kouassi causing chaos in the box again as he forced the defence into a scuffed clearance. Paxman received the ball on the edge of the penalty area and fired in a shot that took a deflection off former Canvey defender Evangelos Empochontsif and spun past the keeper.

Kouassi then fired wide after getting on the end of another cross as Canvey really started to enjoy themselves. Elliott Ronto, on as a sub, forced another big save from Hoti from close range.

A fifth goal would come though and it was Kouassi on hand to get the strike his performance merited. Picking up the ball on the edge of the box, he turned his marker and fired a powerful strike into the corner of the net for the final goal of the afternoon.

The visitors miserable afternoon was compounded when Deivi Kreka was sent off in injury time for a late tackle on Luca Albon.

There was still time after that for Ronto to hit the crossbar with a fierce shot from the edge of the penalty area before the full time whistle confirmed a fantastic result.

The win maintains Canvey's position in the play off positions, opening up a three point gap on the side just behind them. They now move on to a crucial game in hand away at leaders Bishop’s Stortford on Tuesday night.