Match Report by David Powell

Canvey Island scored two dramatic stoppage time goals to come back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Aveley at The Moviestarr Stadium.

Unfortunately for the Gulls, the result wasn’t enough to keep the pressure on Bishop’s Stortford, who are now crowned Isthmian Premier League champions.
However, with one game to go, they could still finish second, to give themselves home advantage for their playoff semi final as well as the final if they make it through.

Much of the game, watched by a season’s best crowd of 879, was a scrappy affair of very few chances, with the visitors dogged in their defence, stopping Canvey from crafting much in front of goal.

They had the better chances in the first half. A mazy run from Evans Kouassi down the left saw him launch a cross into the area on 31 minutes, but Bradley Sach touched his header wide of the target.

It was the ever battling Sach who nearly put Canvey ahead on 42 minutes, as he wriggled free on the edge of the box and fired in a shot that beat Jonathan North in the Aveley, but hit the post and rolled across the goal line before being cleared to safety.

In an extended period of injury time though, it was the visitors who took the lead against the run of play. A corner in the final action of the half saw Kenny Aileru header the ball in from a corner.

Into the second half and the momentum began to swing in the visitors favour, as they sought a second goal whilst continously frustrating Canvey at the back.

Bobby Mason was forced into a good save from Oli Coker on 64 minutes, a strong hand forcing a driven strike wide. The pressure would tell however and on 74 minutes, Aileru seemed to have won all three points for Aveley when he picked up the ball on the right, cut inside and fired a low strike past Mason, to the delight of the visiting fans, and to those watching on from Hertfordshire.

With the visitors happy to defend their lead, the game looked done and dusted. However, as has been the case in the last 13 games, the Gulls don't like to be beaten.
They found a lifeline in the 90th minute, when a cross from the right dropped kindly for Kouassi, who showed great technique to fire in a first time volley that flew past North.

All of a sudden, Aveley were rattled, and with Mason Hall coming on to add height to the Canvey attack, they were starting to ask questions of the Millers defence.
Those who had stayed until the end saw then, were trated to a sublime 94th minute equaliser.
Quick thinking by Kouassi from a left wing corner saw the ball played to Conor Hubble, who thundered a shot from a tight angle on the left of the area, through a crowd of players and past North who barely had time to react.

With a minute left to play however, there wasn't time left to grab the winner the Gulls needed. The result saw the title race finished, though a home playoff semi advantage was officially secured, whilst the visitors also booked their place in the playoffs, with the good liklihood that the two sides may meet again on Wednesday.

The Gulls will take heart from a superb late fight back however, as their unbeaten run of games in the league now stretches to 13. They were cheered off deservedly by the Yellow Army and now face one last home game against Lewes before their playoff campaign begins, with second place still a possibility should they win and results fall their way.