Canvey Island vs Cray Wanderers
Isthmian Premier – Saturday 23rd November – Match Report
Canvey Island 2
Sach 43 pen, 90+2
Cray Wanderers 0
Photos to follow
Cray Wanderers fourth successive away league game ended in defeat at Canvey Island as late goals in each half from Bradley Sach won the points in a game played in consistent wind and rain. Cray dropped to 18th in the league table as a result.
The game itself saw Cray create the better openings in the first half despite the conditions being against them but fell behind just before the break when Sach netted from the penalty spot after Chris Harris was brought down.
Cray had the chance to level just before the hour again from the penalty spot following a handball offence but Josh Williams fired over the bar.
With Cray pushing for a goal to get back into the game, the Wands were caught in stoppage time when Sach latched onto a back pass to stroke the ball into the net and seal the points.
Cray had won 4-0 at Potters Bar Town last Saturday and from the side which started that game there was only one change to the starting lineup with Tom Bonner returning in place of David Ijaha. Canvey Island began in 8th place, four points off the playoff places and had won 3-1 at Hashtag United on Tuesday night and there was one change to their starting lineup with Jimmy Wallace coming in for Jaydon Crowhurst.
The match was played in the teeth of a very cold wind and the rain wasn’t exactly warm either so the game at times was more of a maul than a match as both teams looked to combat the conditions.
Canvey won a corner straight from the kick off which was always going to be a test for the Wands early on and the cross from the left swung away from goal.
Cray created the first opening in the 7th minute when Lateef Adaja charged towards goal down the left and set up Nathan Jeche who was denied by a fine blocked save from Bobby Mason in the Canvey goal.
Then, Josh Williams won the ball just outside the Wands penalty area after a Canvey attack and ran towards goal and fired in a low shot from 20 yards which was well held by Mason. Shortly after Frankie Raymond saw a shot deflected off Tom Stephen and behind for a corner.
After this the game not surprisingly became scrappy despite plenty of endeavour and became one of few opportunities.
Cray perhaps had the best chance when after a corner down the right the ball came out to Ike Orji whose ball into the area fell to Nyren Clunis from six yards but Mason did well to make an instinctive save to push the ball away.
It looked like both teams would go into a well earned half time and out of the cold but in the 43rd minute Canvey went ahead when Chris Harris was adjudged to have been brought down by Tom Bonner inside the area and a penalty was awarded. From the spot, Sach fired into the bottom left to give Canvey a 1-0 lead at half time.
HT: 1-0
Cray began the second half well and dominated the majority of the half and came close early on when a cross from the right from Adaja was helped on to Jeche who shot wide of the right post.
Then from what was one of a few corners in the second half from the left the ball went to the far post where Tom Bonner headed off target.
Cray came closest yet in the 59th minute when Darion Dowrich’s cross down the left was handled by Matthew Yates for the award of a penalty. From the spot though, Williams shot went over the bar.
The Wands continued to seek a goal and although the team played well just couldn’t get enough shots on target.
Into the last ten minutes, Nyren Clunis fired a shot over the bar and then down the left, Jeche shot wide.
Then in the 83rd minute a cross from the left was met by a glancing header from Jeche but went agonisingly wide of the right post.
Cray continued to look for what would have been a merited leveller but Canvey had defended well especially from some decent Wands corner kicks and almost scored a second when Ewan Sanchez found Harris who set up Sach for a shot that was well fielded by Shaun Rowley.
However, two minutes into stoppage time Canvey scored a second when Bonner’s back pass was latched onto by Sach who stroked the ball into the net and sealed the win for Canvey which moved them up to 6th place.
Cray had battled hard and 2-0 was perhaps a harsh scoreline and did all they could to score in difficult conditions and just need to convert more chances when on top of games.
The Wands next match will be on Saturday 30th November and a return to Flamingo Park after a three week absence vs Carshalton Athletic. Kick off 3 pm
Wands Star Man: Darion Dowrich
Canvey Island: Bobby Mason, Matt Yates, Tom Stephen, Jamie Salmon (Connor Hubble, 62), Jimmy Wallace, Oliver Parsons, Elliott Ronto (Ewan Sanchez, 78), Sonny Hart, Bradley Sach (Finlay Dorrell, 90+4), Manny Adebiyi (Jadon Crowhurst, 70), Chris Harris: Sub: Kane Gilbert
Booked: Sanchez 85
Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Darion Dowrich, Tom Bonner, Remi Sutton, Ike Orji, Lateef Adaja (Toby King, 71), Frankie Raymond, Charlie Edwards (Kenny Coker, 71), Nyren Clunis, Nathan Jeche, Josh Williams: Subs: Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, David Ijaha, Quade Taylor
Booked: Edwards 68
Referee: Peter Conn
Assistants: Mitchell Jukes, Myles Hewson
Att: 273
