Canvey Island recorded their eighth successive Pitching In Isthmian League North victory on Tuesday night, beating a spirited Basildon United in front of a large travelling support.

Manager Brad Wellmen made two changes from the side that had defeated Coggeshall Town 1-0 at Park Lane three days previously.

Tobi Tinubu dropped to the bench, while the injured Rob Girdlestone did not feature at all. In came Ben Sampayo at right back and Saturday’s goalscorer Callum Fitzer for his first start of the season.

The Gulls took the lead with only three minutes on the clock when the ball was played down the right and to the feet of Evans Kouassi. The in-form attacker took on the defender, beating his man before squaring the ball into the path of Harrison Chatting who had made a run into the box. Goalkeeper Reece Grundy got something on the shot, but was unable to prevent it from crossing the line.

Canvey then had a goal chalked off on 17 minutes after they were awarded a free kick on the right wing. Harrison Chatting’s ball into the area wasn’t the best, but a miskick from a defender presented possession to Elliott Ronto. The Australian’s shot looked to be heading in, but Matthew Price made sure by turning the ball over the line from close range. However, Price was standing in an offside position when Ronto struck his shot and the goal was subsequently disallowed.

Bobby Mason was called into action on 23 minutes when a Basildon corner found experienced centre back Paul Shave on the edge of the box. Shave headed the ball back into the danger area and found forward Robbie Farrell who flicked it goalwards with a header of his own, but Mason did well to turn the ball over the crossbar for a corner.

Ten minutes later Evangelos Empochontsif brought the ball out defence confidently as always, but on this occasion was dispossessed by Gabriel Piorkowski on the halfway line. This allowed Basildon to counter attack, playing in Robbie Farrell down the right. However, his low shot across goal was kept out by Bobby Mason diving to his right.

Canvey had the final chance of the first half when a clearance from a Conor Hubble free kick fell nicely for Michael Finneran to strike. Finneran connected with a sweet volley which was going in before being cleared off the line by Paul Shave.

Both teams hit the woodwork inside five minutes of the restart.

First, on 47 minutes, the ball was played down the right for Canvey striker Matthew Price to take towards goal. Having made his way to the edge of the area, Price hit a powerful swerving effort which goalkeeper Reece Grundy did well to watch and turn onto the crossbar and behind for a corner.

Three minutes later the hosts were awarded a free kick just outside the area on the left of goal. Ruben Carvalho stepped up and hit a superb right-footed strike which had goalkeeper Bobby Mason rooted to the spot. However, the ball hit the inside of the post, bouncing across the face of goal but without being turned home.

Basildon struck the frame of the goal once again on 63 minutes when Robbie Farrell sent an excellent cross over from the left wing. Declan Nche rose unmarked but saw his header clip the top of the crossbar and go behind for a goal kick.

The home side equalised on 68 minutes following an uncharacteristic error of judgement from Bobby Mason. The keeper tried to play the ball out of defence, but inadvertently played the ball straight to Fahad Nyanja. The midfielder took on two defenders, creating himself some space before placing a shot inside the post.

Having lost their lead, Canvey shifted up a gear in search of a second goal.

On 73 minutes a counter attack down the right through Evans Kouassi saw him deliver a ball into the box for Matthew Price to bring down. He laid possession off for Elliott Ronto, but the midfielder slipped at the vital moment and sent his shot well wide.

Ronto did hit the target two minutes later after a left wing cross from Kouassi was partially cleared into his path on the edge of the box. His low shot towards the bottom corner was going in, but Grundy did brilliantly to keep the shot out.

The pressure finally told on 78 minutes when Kouassi crossed again from the left, this time across the face of goal. A defensive miskick nearly allowed Harrison Chatting to score his second of the evening, but he couldn’t quite get the angle to get his shot off.

Instead Chatting recycled play, passing to the edge of the box for it to be put back into the danger zone. The ball found its way to the back post where Evans Kouassi was lurking, slotting home his 15th of the campaign.

Matthew Price looked as though he was about to seal the points with a minute of normal time remaining when he beat defender Mohammed Aghar for pace to latch onto a long ball forwards. Aghar appeared to foul Price as the strike was about to pull the trigger, but the referee turned down the appeals for a foul that was hard to tell whether would have been in the area or not.

In the end this did not come back to haunt Canvey, with the Gulls holding on to secure the victory and open up a six-point gap at the top of the table.

Photo: KJA Sports Images