Match Report: Edited by Nick Wright

Man of the Match: Jeremy Santos-Hurtado

On a remarkably warm early March afternoon the Gulls first visit to the Wands new Stadium at Flamingo Park started in bright Sunshine.
Canvey Island came into the game 18th and four points off the bottom four were unchanged from the team that drew with Dover Athletic last Saturday.
The game began with Cray looking dangerous down the flanks perhaps shading possession and looked the more potent with Nyren Clunis heading over from a throw in down the right.
Then, Lateef Adaja who had a superb game coming in from the wing set up Soul Kader with a half chance inside the box who swung a boot at the ball but lacked power and was gathered by Bobby Mason.
This was followed by Josh Williams out on the right putting over a fine cross but just couldn’t get a touch from the head of a diving Adaja inside the six yard box.
The match then went through a bit of a lull for around ten minutes with the game having a sedate feel. Canvey were beginning to feel the pressure and in the 20th minute Clunis saw a low shot saved by Mason and then won a corner down the left from which Remi Sutton saw a near post shot blocked.
In the 27th minute Cray came closest yet when Adaja cut inside from the left and saw his low shot heading for the bottom right corner pushed round the post by Mason.
However, a goal was coming and Cray went in front in the 35th minute from the penalty spot when Kader who showed good skill to cut into the box and was clipped inside the area by Jamie Salmon. Frankie Raymond did the rest with a coolly taken penalty to make it 1-0.
Three minutes later Cray had a grip on the game when Kader latched onto a ball over the top from the back and with incredible confidence and no little impudence lobbed the ball over the advancing Mason from inside the D to keep up his remarkable scoring start to his second stint with the Wands.
Just before half time Adaja saw a shot go wide though Canvey who had been restricted to a couple of efforts from Connor Hubble set almost pulled one back right on the interval when Bradley Sach who scored twice when the teams met at Canvey in November saw his effort blocked almost off the line by Tom Bonner.
Brad Wellman made three changes at the break with Chris Harris, Oliver Parsons and Kane Gilbert coming on and certainly made a difference as the Gulls started the second half very much on the front foot and straight away Darren Foxley saw a shot blocked.
In the 50th minute, Rowley was called upon to make two fine saves firstly to deny Jeremy Santos who had a fine second half and pushed the shot round the post for a corner. From the corner kick the ball came to Sach whose effort was tipped over for another corner.
The Wands felt they had weathered that little spell but in the 56th minute Canvey were back in it when Santos played a ball from midfield through to Harris who still had a bit to do but finished tidily burying the ball under Rowley to make it 2-1.
Cray looked to restore the two goal lead and Adaja who had been desperately unlucky not to score in recent home games, cut inside from the right and saw his shot come back off the left post.
In the 66th minute, Canvey came close to a leveller when Santos saw a free kick from 25 yards swerve wickedly but crashed back off the crossbar with Rowley beaten.
However, in the 71st minute went 3-1 up when Adaja down the left scored a cracker as he received possession over 20 yards out and placed a shot which may have taken the slightest of deflections past Mason and into the net.
Before the end, Eze Ebouzeme was unlucky not to score with a shot from twelve yards that required a great save from Mason blocked on the goalline.
Canvey looked to pull back another goal and Oliver Parsons saw a shot blocked by Ike Orji and in added on time from a corner the ball came to the sharp Harris whose header was pushed over by Rowley.
In the end Canvey could not complain about the result and now have to pick themselves up for a home game with Lewes next weekend.

Att: 555

Canvey Island FC

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