Canvey Island 0-3 Histon

Canvey Island produced a poor performance at Park Lane on Saturday, losing 3-0 against Histon in the BetVictor Isthmian League North.

Manager Mark Bentley made one change from the side that beat Witham Town in the Velocity Trophy in midweek, bringing Jason Hallett back into the side following illness to replace Kane Gilbert.

The visitors took the lead on 19 minutes when a ball down the left threatened to release Daniel Brown as he raced towards the area. Defender Michael Finneran made up the ground but slid in with a poorly timed tackle to try and intercept a bouncing ball, fouling Brown and conceding a penalty.

Histon captain stepped up and converted the spot kick into the bottom corner, beating Lamar Johnson despite the keeper guessing correctly and diving full to his right.

Their lead was then doubled three minutes later when the ball was worked all too easily to Simon Swinton 20 yards from goal. The forward struck a low shot which was straight at Lamar Johnson but slipped through the keeper’s hands and in for a soft second.

Canvey should have reduced the arrears when Josh Hutchinson, Canvey’s best player in the first half, did well down the left and clipped over a cross which found Jason Hallett. He was unable to steer the ball towards goal with an attempted volley, and Tobi Joseph’s follow up effort was brilliantly blocked by a defender who threw himself at the ball inside the six-yard box.

Mark Bentley would have hoped for a strong response in the second half, but the exact opposite was the case when Histon extended their lead further on 48 minutes. Dan Brown received possession inside the area to the left of goal, beating Johnson with a powerful shot high into the goal.

Jason Hallett had an opportunity to pull a goal back on 51 minutes when he got his head to James White’s cross from the left to the front post. Hallett was six yards from goal but saw his header thump back off the crossbar.

Bentley made a double substitution soon afterwards, introducing new signing Sam Bantick and Albert Levett in place of Max Kent and Freddy Eastwood.

These changes gave Canvey a bit more of an attacking threat, but aside from a header from a corner from James White and a long range shot by Sam Bantick which was saved, they struggled to seriously threaten Roach’s goal.

This was until the 79th minute when the keeper miscued and attempted punch to deal with James White’s free kick, with the ball dropping behind him and presenting Jason Hallett with an open goal. However, the forward’s shot on the turn was hooked over the bar from six yards to sum up Canvey’s afternoon in front of goal.

Canvey finally managed to hit the target four minutes later when Ryan Melaugh’s cross from the left found Tobi Joseph. He helped it on its way across goal and setup Albert Levett who shaped his body well to get a difficult shot on target, although Roach was able to save diving high to his left.

Things went from bad to worse in the 89th minute when Michael Finneran saw a goal disallowed after players in an offside position followed in his shot. Finneran reacted angrily to having the goal ruled out, with referee Valentine Anekwe showing the defender a straight red card.