Match Report by Jonathan Andrews
Photo Credit - Nicky Hayes

Man of the Match - Tobi Tinubu

Canvey Island kept an 8 point gap between themselves and the bottom four, as they shared a 1-1 draw with Hendon at the Steves Taxis Stadium.

In front of a decent crowd of just under 400, the Gulls would have counted themselves unlucky not to have been ahead at the break, but for a kamikaze moment in the second half to gift the visitors the league. Canvey didn't lie down though and got the goal back their performance warrented.

In a first half of plenty of chances, the visitors saw the better of the early exchanges, putting a few half chances high or wide of Bobby Mason’s goal, but not much to truly trouble the Gulls shotstopper.

Canvey grew into the game though and started asking serious questions of the visitors backline. Good one touch football on 17 minutes saw Darren Foxley drag a chance wide, before the same player launched a good free kick into the area on 27 minutes, that would see visiting keeper Matteo Salamon pull off a good catch.

Canvey would go even closer shortly afterwards, with Tom Stephen denied on the volley by a great save from Salamon , before both Ollie Parsons and Tobi Tinubu would be denied by the woodwork late into the half. As the whistle blew, the Gulls would have been disappointed not to have been in front.

The second half saw the visitors come with a renewed vigor however, capitalising on some haphazard Canvey defending to take the game to their hosts.

On 58 minutes, a corner into the area caused chaos, with the pinball eventually cleared by the Canvey defence.

The visitors would get their chance however as they took the lead on 74 minutes. A mix up at the back saw Mason lose out in a challenge to Tope Fadahunsi, who calmly slotted the ball to Kofi Anoke-Boadi, with the striker tapping into an empty net.

Canvey weren’t to be outdone though and pressed forward in search of an equaliser. They were given a lifeline on 82 minutes, as Don’s defender Nikolai Krokhin was shown a second yellow card after a late challenge on Chris Harris.
The same man would grab Canvey’s equaliser two minutes later, with great work down the flanks by Tinubu seeing him deliver a great ball to Harris, who headed home past Salamon.

Canvey had the best chance to win the game late on, as a Conor Hubble free kick was pushed away well by Salamon deep into injury time.

The point favours the Gulls better, keeping an 8 point game between themselves and Hendon, but doesn’t put them out of danger yet, with five games to go.