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Gulls were very much second best in the first half but the game turned when Stones’ Peter Dean was sent off just before half time. Canvey dominated the second half and used their extra man advantage to record a valuable win that reignites their play off aspirations.

Canvey were without injured captain Matt Game and they badly missed the influential midfielder as Wealdstone took control of the game and dominated the midfield.

Wealdstone opened up the Canvey defence with some neat passing and the Gulls looked rather lethargic and short of ideas during the first period.

David Hicks fired over the crossbar on 7 minutes and it was Hicks who was the provider for the opening goal of the game on 18 minutes when Wes Parker rose to meet his corner and head past James Russell and into the net.

The prolific Richard Jolly thought he had increased Stones’ lead on 29 minutes but his header from Hicks’ cross was ruled out for offside.

Wealdstone were thoroughly dominant with Kyle Asante and Jay Curran lone figures up front for Canvey.

Jolly sent a glancing header wide from James Hammond’s right wing cross and then Alex Dyer showed quick feet to dribble to the edge of the penalty area but placed his shot wide of the post.

Canvey finally created a chance on 37 minutes when Kevin Dobinson and Alex Rhodes combined from a right wing free kick but Robbie King could only steer his header into the side netting at the far post from Rhodes’ cross.

The crucial turning point in the game happened a minute before half time. Dean went in clumsily on Dobinson near the half way line and after being shown a yellow card earlier in the half, he received a second caution and was sent off.

This seemed to breathe new life into Canvey and with Jason Hallett replacing Leon Gordon at half time they suddenly looked a different side.

Asante and Hallett linked up well in attack and with Dobinson linking the play from midfield, Canvey were dominant.

King fired a low effort wide from 20 yards on 53 minutes and then moments later Dobinson broke on to a pass into the penalty area but somehow drove the ball wastefully over the bar from 8 yards out.

Dobinson made up for his miss on 57 minutes when good work in the penalty area saw him pass to Curran who lashed a powerful effort from the corner of the box beyond Jonathon North and into the roof of the net.

Hicks dragged a shot wide from the edge of the penalty area soon afterwards but Wealdstone now looked a disjointed side and Canvey were attacking well and creating chances.

Dobinson had a free kick deflected wide on 71 minutes and a minute later Hallett showed his strength to escape a defender in the penalty area and fire in a powerful low drive that North did well to get down to and hold.

Asante’s pace and strength was proving to be a nightmare for the Wealdstone defence and it seemed only a matter of time before Canvey got another goal.

They took a crucial lead on 74 minutes. A right wing corner caused chaos in the Wealdstone penalty area and Sean Cronin was judged to have handled a goal-bound shot on the goal-line.

The referee immediately gave a penalty and Robbie King continued his fantastic record from the penalty spot calmly firing past North to give Gulls the lead.

Curran nearly made the game safe 2 minutes later when his floated cross from the right deceived North and crashed off of the underside of the crossbar and was cleared to safety.

Wealdstone threw on Scott Fitzgerald and Danny Spendlove in a desperate attempt to salvage a point but Canvey were strong at the back with Steve Sheehan and John Easterford superb in the heart of the defence.

King, Andrew West and Hallett all received bookings in the final ten minutes but Canvey held out reasonably comfortably to grab an important win that puts them back on track in the league after a recent run of disappointing results.

Gulls’ next league match sees them face a struggling Hastings’ side at Park Lane on Tuesday evening.