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In front of a crowd of just over 400, Gulls were the better team for long periods but failed to turn their superiority into goals.
 

Carshalton have invested heavily in their squad in an attempt to challenge for promotion this season and they took their chances well, soaking up Canvey’s pressure and hitting them on the break with swift counter attacks.
 

Gulls started brightly and dominated the opening 20 minutes. Danny Heale came close on 13 minutes with a low free kick from around 20 yards out that Robins’ goalkeeper Nick Hamann had to parry around the post.
 

Alex Rhodes tested Hamann moments later with a volley that the keeper held comfortably.

Canvey were passing the ball well and the movement of Rhodes, Heale and Leon Gordon was causing the Carshalton defence all sorts of problems.
 

Rhodes really should have scored on 16 minutes when Heale’s pass put him through but the winger got the ball stuck under his feet and although he recovered he could only guide the ball wide of the post.

This miss was soon forgotten, 2 minutes later when Kevin Dobinson picked the ball up 25 yards from goal, rode a couple of tackles and placed a low drive beyond Hamann and into the bottom corner of the net.
 

Canvey nearly increased their lead on 20 minutes when Robbie King cut the ball back from the left and Heale volleyed over at the far post.

Carshalton though always looked a threat on the counter attack with the pace of Dean Lodge and Dean McDonald a real menace to the Canvey defence.
 

They were caught out on 25 minutes when McDonald’s pass released Lodge and as he raced into the penalty area, Michael Alaile’s outstretched leg caught the speedy winger.

The referee had no hesitation but to point to the penalty spot and McDonald stepped up to place his kick beyond James Russell and into the bottom left hand corner of the net.

Neither side were able to create anything of note for the remainder of the half and Carshalton started the second half quite positively forcing a couple of corners.
 

Canvey dominated possession but were now playing much more direct and this played into the hands of Robins’ tall centre backs Justyn Roberts and Sean Ray who cleared everything with ease.

Billy Crook and Lodge set up a chance for Paul Vines but the striker’s curling shot dropped two yards wide of the far post.
 

Dobinson tested Hamann with a tame free kick and on 69 minutes, Canvey had a narrow escape when Vines chased down a long pass by Mcdonald and Russell had to come running from his goal to clear the ball with his head just before the former Tooting striker could reach it.

Canvey came back with Gordon doing well down the right by-line and knocking the ball into the path of King who curled a shot narrowly over the crossbar on 73 minutes.

Robins went in front a minute later though. Tom Davis flicked on Hamann’s goal kick to Lodge down the right wing and the winger managed to go past Ashley Dumas and square the ball to Vines who had a simple tap in.
 

Canvey to their credit responded well to going behind and pushed forward in search of an equaliser.

They brought on Ellis Skidmore for Danny Heale on 82 minutes and the young striker got involved straight away putting himself about well and putting the Robins’ centre backs under pressure.
 

Gordon could only poke an effort straight at Hamann from Skidmore’s flick on 83 minutes and Canvey suffered an injury blow with King limping off after a hefty tackle. He was replaced by Andrew West with 4 minutes remaining.
 

Skidmore nearly rescued Canvey in injury time when he got on the end of Dobinson’s cross but his header crashed off of the top of the crossbar and away for a goal kick.
 

Canvey couldn’t manage an equaliser and went down to a disappointing opening day defeat.
 

Gulls now travel the short distance up the A127 to play AFC Hornchurch on Tuesday night.