Canvey Island 0-3 Hullbridge Sports

Canvey Island were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Hullbridge Sports in the BetVictor Isthmian League North at Park Lane on Saturday.

Manager Mark Bentley made two changes from the side that lost away to Tilbury two days earlier, bringing in James White and Josh Hutchinson in place of Matt Lock and Tobi Joseph.

Canvey got off to the worst possible start when goalkeeper Lamar Johnson fouled Liam Nash inside the penalty area attempting to tackle the forward. Nash picked himself up and drilled the ball into the bottom corner to score his first goal since returning to the club where he made his name before earning a move to Gillingham.

The Gulls responded well to going a goal down and didn’t waste any time in creating some chances of their own. On six minutes a great save from Lewis Greene denied Sam Bantick, diving high to his left to push the shot behind.

From the corner the ball was eventually worked back across goal for Jason Hallett, although he was only able to hook the ball over the crossbar from close range.

The visitors doubled their lead on the half hour mark when left back Matthew Rose received the ball out on the wing in an advanced position. He sent a good cross over which found Liam Nash who scored his second of the afternoon with an acrobatic overhead kick from inside the six-yard box.

It could have been 3-0 soon afterwards when James White gave possession away with an under-hit pass. The ball was worked through to Emmanuel Okunja, but with only Johnson to beat he dragged his shot across goal and well wide of the bottom corner.

Having failed to give Hullbridge goalkeeper Lewis Greene too much to worry about in the opening hour of the match, Canvey manager Mark Bentley made a double change by bringing wingers Ryan Melaugh and Tobi Joseph on in place of Josh Hutchinson and Kane Gilbert.

However, this failed to have the desired impact, and soon afterwards Hullbridge nearly scored again. Joseph Wright cut infield from the right, shooting across goal and towards the top corner before seeing the ball ricochet off the crossbar.

The points were sealed with 20 minutes remaining when the Canvey defence failed to react to a loose ball inside the box. Callum Fitzer was allowed time and space to shoot, striking a low ball through the attempted save of Lamar Johnson and in.

Liam Nash had a chance to complete his hattrick on 76 minutes when he beat the offside trap and found himself in behind the Canvey defence and bearing down on goal. Lamar Johnson stayed on his feet as long as possible, forcing Nash wide who eventually dragged his shot from a tight angle on the left across the face of goal.

Hullbridge were reduced to ten men late on when right back Courtney Homans was shown a second yellow card for kicking the ball away, but this had no impact on the remainder of the match as Hullbridge continued to look comfortable in defence.

Photo: KJA Sports Images