Match Report by David Powell
Photo Credit - Dan Goody

Canvey Island fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat at home to Horsham at the Steves Taxis Stadium, in their last game ahead of Christmas.

In front of a reasonable pre-holiday crowd of just over 300, the game saw chances at a premium, with both sides having to weather difficult conditions with the weather in the second half. The visitors took theirs however, whilst the Gulls squandered a golden chance at the death.

It was Canvey who made a brighter start to the game, with their pressing play suppressing the hosts and creating a few opportunities.
Bradley Sach tested Lewis Carey in the visitors goal in the opening few minutes, before debutant Darren Foxley found space in the penalty area on 25 minutes, but lashed his shot high and wide.

The visitors looked to hit Canvey on the break where they could, but the defence held out to limit the likes of Bobby-Joe Taylor and Charlie Hester-Cook. The wind was also playing its part, seemingly chopping and changing by the second as either side struggled to loft much into the air.

Elliott Ronto perhaps had the best chance of the half, as his shot just before the break needed Carey to save with a foot, but as the whistle sounded, there wasn't much to separate the two sides.

The second half started much in the same vein as the first, with the ball locked in midfield. An incoming storm would create havoc with the wind again on 50 minutes however, taking a good 10 minutes to truly pass over.

It took until the 71st minute for either side to create a chance. Veteran striker Chris Dickson, on as a sub for the visitors, nearly opened the scoring for the Hornets, but he saw a fierce shot deflected wide of the posts.

In a game of few chances, it was likely that just the one goal would decide it, and the host's seemingly found it on 74 minutes, as a corner was headed in at the back post by Hester-Cook.

Wellmen brought on reinforcements, with Conor Hubble, Finlay Dorrell and Kane Gilbert all introduced as Canvey went on the attack. Despite this though, they found the visitors defence holding strong, scooping away much of what was thrown in the box. Foxley went close with a strike fizzing wide of the post, before Hubble’s free kick shortly after hit the wall.

It was looking like the visitors would get their win, but in the 92nd minute, Foxley was brought down in the box, with the referee pointing to the spot without hesitation.
It was Hubble who assumed responsibility, but in a cruel twist of fate, he saw his spot kick saved by Carey. The whistle sounded shortly after to spell defeat for the Gulls, meaning their barren run against the visitors now stretches to 6 games without so much a point.

They'll need to pick themselves up quickly after Christmas, with a local derby away at Billericay Town up next on Boxing Day.