Match Report by Jonathan Andrews
Photo Credit - Craig Brett

Man Of The Match - Chris Harris

Canvey Island rounded off their November with a narrow 2-1 defeat away at Lewes in the Isthmian League Premier.

In front of a healthy crowd of 863 at the Dripping Pan, it was the Gulls who will feel like they should have gotten more from the game, with a multitude of chances going begging, but the hosts more clinical with theirs.

With Brad Wellmen serving a one match touchline ban, he watched from the stands as assistant manager Sammy Knott took charge. With Elliott Ronto unavailable, he brought Finlay Dorrell back into his starting XI, with Ewan Sanchez also making his final appearance for the Gulls before a move back home to the USA.

Canvey started brightly, and could have been ahead within first few minutes. With many travelling fans still making their way round to the opposite side of the ground, Finlay Dorrell saw himself played into space down the channels, breaking with pace and purpose as he fired a low strike at goal with venom. It was parried by home keeper Toby Bull, with the ball very nearly falling to Chris Harris, but the striker couldn't adjust his feet quickly enough to bundle the ball home.

Where the Gulls squandered one chance though, the hosts wouldn't, as just minutes later they were ahead. Good work from Matt Warren saw him jinx into the box and layoff Danny Bassett, with the striker wrong footing Bobby Mason to give the hosts the lead.

The Gulls would look to reply and dominated much of the rest of the half. They made another brilliant chance midway through as good link up play between Sach and Harris saw the former battle into the box and layoff the later, who hit a great strike they required a good stop from Bull to keep it out.

Just before half time sounded, they had an equaliser controversially ruled out. A corner whipped in from the left met the head of Sach, who saw his effort crash off the post. The ball looped back up into the air and in the scramble to get hold of it, Jamie Salmon was strongest as he headed the ball home. The referee adjudged Salmon had fouled Bull however, and though it looked soft, a free kick was awarded instead.

Into the second half the Gulls picked up where they left off as they searched for an equaliser.
Their first chance would come when a ball lofted forward found it's way to Dorrell, who hit a strike that pinballed in the box, but as Sach looked to shoot, he was denied by a good challenge from Jerry Puemo.

The hosts were still a threat when they got the ball on the deck however, and neat passing play created some half chances for Nabeel Ghannam and Marcus Sablier, though were struggling to impose themselves on the game.

Canvey continued to apply the pressure, and good pressing work from Ewan Sanchez allowed him to pounce on a slip at the back from Puemo to set up Sach, who hit a good strike that needed the fingertips of Bull to turn it over the bar.

The hosts were able to survive the pressure though, and when a ball across the box from Calvin Ekpiteta couldn't be turned home by Gianluca Botti, it was a warning the Gulls needed to heed. They didn't, an a corner routine a short time later saw a ball into the back post nodded down into the path of Botti, who couldn't miss from yards out to double the hosts advantage.

Within a few minutes though, Canvey halved the deficit with a goal their performance warrented. A corner of their own was floated deep into the box, and in the scramble, Bull fumbled for the ball, allowing it to drop to Harris, who hammered the ball in to grab his 6th goal of the season.

The Gulls sensed their chance and kept coming forward, though found a stubborn Lewes defence hard to break down.
They'd create one more big chance though in the 90th minute and were desperately unlucky not to equalise. A move started by Jaden Crowhurst saw Harris causing havoc in the box, allowing Ollie Parsons to strike, and though his shot was blocked, it ricocheted out to Tobi Tinubu. He floated another cross in, that Harris headed across goal into the path of Kane Gilbert, only for the substitute to loop the ball onto the crossbar with a header.

The full time whistle came shortly after, leaving the Gulls empty handed on an afternoon where they'll feel they deserved more.
They begin a busy December at home next weekend, with Potters Bar Town the visitors to the Steves Taxis Stadium.