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After John Batch stepped down as manager on Thursday night after being at the helm since 2006, his assistant Glen Alzapiedi took charge and the former Ware and Harlow manager saw his team go down to a narrow loss.

Gulls will feel they were unfortunate to lose and can certainly point towards a number of refereeing decisions made during the match that didn’t go their way.

Canvey started brightly and playing with a very attacking formation they created the early chances.

The closest they came was on 20 minutes when after a free kick into the Canvey penalty area was cleared, Jason Hallett broke at speed from near the halfway line, outmuscled a defender and fired in a ferocious shot that keeper Andy Walker turned over the crossbar.

A couple of minutes later, Cray were ahead. Ashley Dumas was rather harshly judged to have committed a foul in the penalty area and Tommy Whitnell stepped up and fired the resulting penalty into the bottom corner of the net beyond James Russell.

Cray had looked a threat with their patient passing game and speed down the flanks. Jack Clark in particular looked a real threat down the left and Lewis Perkins in the centre of midfield was dictating the play with some clever passes.

Canvey to their credit bounced back well. On 25 minutes Kevin Dobinson was fouled down the right and Alex Rhodes’ free kick into the penalty area went through a crowd of bodies and beat Walker at his near post to draw Canvey level.

Rhodes and Dumas were linking up well down the left and with Hallett hassling the Cray defence at every opportunity, Gulls looked a threat.

They were susceptible at times to quick breaks from Cray though. This was evident on 30 minutes when an excellent run from the left by full back Alex Bentley saw him get into the penalty area but fire a tame shot straight at Russell.

After Steve Sheehan conceded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area with a clumsy tackle, Clark curled his free kick over on 39 minutes.

Cray went in front just before half time. Canvey will feel hard done by after Rhodes was penalised for a foul that could so easily have gone the other way. From the free kick the ball was worked down the right and from the cross into the penalty area, Clark was left unmarked at the far post to thump a header beyond Russell and into the net.

Still Canvey could have snatched an equaliser before half time. Firstly Hallett’s knock down found Rhodes in space in the penalty area but he dragged his shot just off target.

Then Andrew West’s lofted cross from the right into the box was met by Hallett but his looping header crashed off the top of the crossbar and away.

The second half was a somewhat disjointed affair with the referee’s whistle stopping the game from having any real flow.

Canvey dominated possession but never really tested Walker despite a number of bright moments.

Dobinson felt he should have had a penalty when he went down under a challenge on the right hand side of the penalty area but the referee waved away any protests.

Bradley Woods Garness after a quiet game sprung into life with a positive run towards goal but a well timed tackle from the defender denied him further progress.

After taking a knock Dobinson was replaced by Leon Gordon and moments later Russell had to be sharp to keep out a powerful shot from the right hand edge of the penalty area.

Canvey’s best chance of an equaliser came on 64 minutes. John Easterford’s ball towards the penalty area was missed by the Cray defence leaving Rhodes clear on goal and with just Walker to beat. Unfortunately the winger failed to get a decent contact on his shot with the ball rolling hideously wide of the goal with Cray clearing the danger.

The game threatened to boil over on 68 minutes when awaiting a corner, Sheehan and Walker tussled with the keeper appearing to slap Sheehan’s face. Both players were booked and for a while the game became very niggly with some needless fouls and the officials failing to get a real grip on the game.

Hallett headed over from Rhodes’ right wing corner and Canvey brought on some fresh legs with 12 minutes to go with Woods Garness being replaced by Jay Curran.

Cray could have sealed victory 8 minutes from time when Danny Phillips found space in the penalty area and poked an effort towards goal that Russell blocked well. The keeper did well to stand up and block Phillips’ follow up with the forward eventually firing into the side netting.

A frenetic end to the game saw a mad scramble in the six yard box from a Canvey corner with another penalty shout being turned down.

Curran then got on the end of a high up and under into the penalty area but he couldn’t control the bouncing ball and Walker was able to come and claim under pressure.

The whistle blew seconds later to signal a disappointing start to Alzapiedi’s reign as manager.

Next up for Canvey is a visit to a struggling Aveley side who will be desperate for points in their quest to avoid relegation.