Canvey Island ensured that they finish the Pitching In Isthmian League North season second in the table, winning 2-1 away to Hashtag United at The Len Salmon Stadium on Saturday.

The Gulls will now host Felixstowe & Walton United in the Play-Off Semi-Final at Park Lane on Tuesday night.

Manager Brad Wellmen made three changes from the side that defeated Grays Athletic on Easter Monday.

Into the starting XI came Michael Finneran in defence, Jamie Salmon in midfield and Bradley Sach up front, taking the places of Miles-Mitchell Nelson, O’Shane Stewart and Matthew Price.

Canvey created the first chance of the afternoon on seven minutes after the ball was played through for Evans Kouassi to run onto down the left. He played the ball back to captain Jey Siva, who dummied the defender and cut infield, rolling it into the feet of Bradley Sach inside the area. Sach took a touch, turned and shot low which goalkeeper Anthony Page saved with his left foot.

A minute later Jamie Salmon showed good awareness to spot Page off his line, pulling the trigger from the halfway line and seeing his effort hit the top of the crossbar. The officials awarded a corner to Canvey, suggesting that the keeper had tipped the ball onto the woodwork.

The Gulls hit the same part of the goal frame less than sixty seconds later from one of the subsequent corners. The ball was sent to the back post and found Bradley Sach, with the forward sending a header back across goal and onto the top of the bar once again.

Having nearly scored, Sach then should have added an assist to his name on the 15-minute mark. His knockdown header into the area caught the Hashtag defence ball watching, with Harrison Chatting taking advantage to nip in from the left and leave himself with only Page to beat. Chatting shot from eight yards, but poked his shot wide of the upright.

The hosts had their first opportunity of the afternoon soon afterwards when Toby Aromolaran got past Rob Girdlestone down the right and sent a low ball into the front post. The pass found Sam Bantick, but an excellent tackle from Jamie Salmon prevented the former-Canvey striker from getting a shot off from close range.

Canvey took the lead on 25 minutes when Evans Kouassi earned as corner for his side. Conor Hubble swung in a superb ball into the danger area which was met by a thumping header from Michael Finneran to hit the back of the net from six yards out.

Brad Wellmen was forced into a change on 38 minutes when Ben Sampayo went down injured in front of the benches, with Tobi Tinubu coming on in his place.

Evans Kouassi was played through on goal two minutes later, running past defender Eli Benoit and advancing into the box. Benoit was all over Kouassi but the forward stayed on his feet, getting a shot off from the right which was saved by Page.

Hashtag’s Toby Aromolaran came close to levelling the scores shortly before the break. A well-timed sliding tackle from Rob Girdlestone dispossessed Sam Bantick on the edge of the area, but the ball fell straight to Aromolaran. He curled a shot goalwards towards the far top corner, with his effort not missing by much as it went over.

Canvey made another change at half time, with McKenzie Davidson come on in place of Michael Finneran in central defence.

The hosts started the second half well, causing the new look Gulls defence some early problems with their attacking intent.

They levelled the scores on 50 minutes when a quick cross-field free kick from Ben Brookes on the left found fellow fullback Matthew Wooldridge on the right. He brought the ball under control well and struck an accurate shot across goal and into the bottom corner.

Having restored parity, the home side should have then got themselves in front a minute later when Sam Bantick was played into the left of goal. He advanced into the box and uncharacteristically fired over with his left foot with only Mason to beat.

Toby Aromolaran had the ball in the net soon afterwards from Hashtag following a cross from the right, but he assistant referee raised his flag to indicate that Aromolaran was offside.

After a less than convincing start to the second half, Canvey settled back into the match and started to create some chances of their own, with Kouassi the provider.

On 58 minutes he laid the ball off for Jamie Salmon to strike 20 yards from goal in a central position, but his effort went over the bar. Soon afterwards he backheeled a pass through for Conor Hubble, but his low cross went across goal and wide of the far post.

Up the other end, Bantick had a shot from the edge of the area catch a deflection before rolling inches wide of the bottom corner.

Canvey regained the lead on 74 minutes when Odei Martin Sorondo broke through the home defence down the right. He played the ball across the area towards Kouassi, but he wasn’t able to get to the ball in time to score. He did however keep the ball in play, rolling it into the path of Conor Hubble to shoot across goal and score.

The closest that Hashtag came to a second equaliser came on 84 minutes when a ball into the area from Iyiola Adebayo from the left would have dipped under the crossbar if not for a smart save from Mason. The loose ball fell to Kojo Apenteng, but he fired over from the right.