Match Report by David Powell
Photo Credit - Jenson Fox

Man Of The Match - Elliott Ronto

Canvey Island got back to winning ways on Tuesday evening with a convincing 3-1 win over struggling Hashtag United at Parkside.

On a freezing night in Aveley, it was the Gulls who put in an ice cold performance, playing some impressive football at times to put them in control of the game and take them up to 8th in the Isthmian Premier table.

Despite the difference in the sides league position however, the Gulls knew they'd had to be at their best to defeat a side with plenty of pace and flair. With Jaxon Brown recalled from his loan by parent club Swindon Town, Jaden Crowhurst got his first Gulls start since his return to the club, with Jamie Salmon also returning to the starting line up.

They'd have to weather an early storm however, with the pace of Joshua Osude and Ayo Olukoga causing plenty of problems on the flanks. The hosts would have their chances, but saw a number of efforts ruled out for offside, including a few put into the back of the net. Max Cornhill put an early effort wide, before Tom Anderson hit the crossbar on 35 minutes, with Josh Rusoke also putting wide 2 minutes later.

The Gulls changed their shape to deal with the wide threat later into the half, and their ingenuity wanted them the games opening goal on 40 minutes.
Bradley Sach began to find space holding the ball up, and his quick thinking saw him lay off a pass to Elliott Ronto, with the midfielder hitting the ball cleanly from 25 yards out, over Jack Giddens to crash off the bar and into the back of the net. Unlike Saturday, there was no doubt the ball cross the line this time - Gulls 1-0 up.

They doubles their lead on the stroke of half time. More neat build up play saw the ball played to Jamie Salmon on the edge of the area. He weighted a ball in deep to the far post, with the pace of Crowhurst able to take it down and square a low pass into Chris Harris, who couldn't miss from yards out as he put Canvey in cruise control at the break.

Into the second half, and despite the hosts having an early succession of corners, it was Canvey who looked the more dangerous of the two sides as they looked to kill the game off.

On 57 minutes, Sach got the better of his marker and charged into the box, only to see his effort parried away well at the near post by Giddens. Manny Adebiyi was next to go close as he dragged a shot just wide of the post after excellent build up play by Matthew Yates down the right.
Harris had his chance for a second on the 61st minute as more lightning play down the wing from Crowhurst squared the striker in the box with a low pass, only to see his shot kept out well again by Giddens.

The pressure would tell on 67 minutes though as Canvey got their much deserved third.
With one of their best moves of the much, neat build up play saw Tom Stephen link up with Sach to keep the ball in motion, where the striker once again teed up Ronto from 25 yards. This time, his strike took a deflection to take it over the backtracking Giddens for his brace and Canvey's winner.

To the hosts credit, they didn't give up the fight, and made Canvey work for every ball, with some industrious midfield play stopping Hashtag from playing their preferred break.
They would get a consolation on the 88th minute, when Dagenham loanee Harrison Day lifted a ball into the box, where it found Misha Djemaili in enough space to loop a header into the far corner and reduce the arrears.

It was too little, too late however, and Canvey saw the rest of the game out comfortably to earn their 3rd win in 5 league games and their 5th in 6 on the road.
Their attention now turns back to home on Saturday, where they'll host Cray Wanderers at the Steves Taxis Stadium.