In front of a season’s best crowd of 480, Gulls took the lead after 15 seconds but were second best for much of the game and with Aveley winning at Witham they now trail the Millers by 5 points who look set to win the title.

Canvey got off to a dream start when within the first minute of the game, Evans Kouassi wriggled through down the left hand side of the penalty area and fired across Tommy Dixon-Hodge to open the scoring.

The lead lasted 6 minutes when Bobby Mason failed to hold Malachi Napa’s shot and Shomari Barnwell pounced to fire home the equaliser.
The game for the next 25 minutes was tight with Canvey having the better possession but Maldon looking dangerous on the break.

Connor Hubble fired over from 25 yards before 2 goals in 3 minutes gave Canvey a mountain to climb.

On 34 minutes, a fine long pass from Napa down the right saw some confusion in the Canvey defence and Lordon Akolbire who had made a storming run from right back capitalised placing a low shot with the side of his foot past the stranded Mason and into the corner of the net.

Two minutes later, Maldon were 3-1 up thanks to a sensational strike from Robert Clark. The midfielder picked up the ball just inside the Canvey half and spotting Mason slightly off of his line sent a superb, chipped shot over the keeper and high into the net.

Canvey nearly reduced the arrears in first half stoppage time. Elliott Ronto’s clipped ball to the back post found Bradley Sach whose header was tipped over by Dixon-Hodge. Miles Mitchell Nelson then glanced a header wide from the resulting corner.

The second half saw Canvey come out of the blocks fast but were unable to really test the Maldon defence.

Hubble had a shot deflected wide before the former Maldon midfielder curled an effort over from the edge of the penalty area after good work down the left by Kouassi on 65 minutes.

O’ Shane Stewart fired a long range effort over but Canvey huffed and puffed and didn’t really look like breaking down a well organised Maldon rearguard.

When they did find a way through, Dixon-Hodge produced a great reaction save to keep out Mitchell Nelson’s header before a defender made a great block to deny Callum Fitzer volleying home the loose ball on 87 minutes.

Maldon sealed the game in stoppage time when Barnwell found room down the left, cut in and fired a low shot into the bottom corner for his second goal of the afternoon.

The result leaves Canvey in second, 5 points behind Aveley with 4 games left.

Gulls will look to seal at least a play off place next weekend when they host a relegated Romford side.