Canvey Island 2-0 AFC Hornchurch

(Gilbey 15’, Charles 73’)

From the Frost Hire Stadium

Isthmian North

CANVEY Island produced one of their best performances of the season to beat Isthmian North leaders AFC Hornchurch and close the gap at the top.

Mitch Gilbey and Ryan Charles got the goals, with the former also missing a penalty kick.

The Gulls had won just once in their last five matches and knew dropping more points could prove costly to their automatic promotion aspirations.

And Canvey were the better team in the early throes. Brad Warner had the first opportunity for the Urchins but then the Gulls struck.

On 15 minutes, Gilbey linked up excellently with Sam Collins, with the latter pulling the ball back from the byline for Gilbey to thrash into the roof of the net.

Up the other end, Leon McKenzie struck low and hard after a misjudgement by Canvey defender Steve Sheehan but the effort was straight at goalkeeper Ashlee Jones.

It could and probably should have been 2-0 five minutes after half-time, only for an excellent bit of defending by Nathan Cooper.

Gilbey flicked into the path of Frankie Merrifield who looked odds on to get his first goal of the season but Cooper came from nowhere to divert the goal bound effort over the crossbar.

And an even better chance was spurned on the hour. George Sykes was fouled in the penalty area and up stepped Gilbey but Sam Mott made a comfortable save low down to his right.

But, much to Gilbey’s relief, he wasn’t to rue the miss. Charles picked up a ball 40 yards from goal, ran through and stroked left-footed into the corner to make it 2-0.

Canvey Island: Jones, Pitty, Dumas, Norman, Sobers (Warren 37’), Sheehan, Merrifield, Collins, Sykes, Gilbey (Melaugh 88’), Charles