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Forget Brighton,
THIS was their Finest Hour

This game had everything.  Eight goals that counted plus three disallowed, one penalty scored but the other one missed, Superman running across the pitch at half time and then not one, but two streakers.  The atmosphere at Park Lane was tremendous and this must surely go down as the most exciting day in Park Lane's history.

At half-time Canvey fans were hoping that, with the score at two-nil down, Canvey wouldn't conceded too many more and they wouldn't end up being humiliated.  By full-time the story was so different.  It was Port Vale who wanted the final whistle to go and it was the visitors who faced humiliation.  They had been in front for the whole afternoon but, had the game run on for even a few minutes more, it was surely they who would have faced defeat.  They went from being one-nil up to two-nil up.  Then it was reduced to two-one, then it was three-one.  Then, as the game drew to a close and Canvey went into overdrive, it was three-two, four-two, four-three and finally, against all the odds, four-four.  There is only so much excitement the human heart can take.

Vale took the lead after only five minutes play and it must be said that, from the off, they looked to be a slick and powerful side.  In the first few minutes of the game they forced two corners and Ashley Harrison was called upon to make a couple of early saves, one particularly impressive stop from Tony Naylor.  Port Vale were able to play the ball to feet and their passing, their control and their running off the ball demonstrated that there is quite a difference between Division Two and Ryman Premier.  Minton's goal was particularly impressive when a defensive slip by Canvey allowed Naylor to send over a cross with pin-point accuracy that found his head and he, in turn, found the net.

This was just the start that Vale wanted.  They were able to take command of the game and lead from the front.  Their long passes found their target and they were so much quicker off the mark in any 50/50 situation.  In truth, they were dominating the early stages of the game.  Canvey did get the opportunity to take a couple of throw-ins and one free-kick, but their set-pieces were far from impressive.  Then disaster appeared to strike when Vale were awarded a penalty for an infringement on 19 minutes.  Minton strode up to put Vale even further in front, but with fans watching in total disbelief, he hit the post and although the rebound was eventually sent into the net, it was off-side and Canvey were off the hook.  In the various arguments and disagreements that followed Steve Tilson was booked but at least the scoreline was looking acceptable.

A few moments later and Vale found the net once again but incredibly, this one was also disallowed and Canvey could consider themselves lucky not to be three-nil down.  This would not have been an unjust scoreline because it was the visitors who, so far,  had 90% of the possession and it was they who were able to control the ball and the game.  Canvey simply had nothing in midfield.  The defence was working well and able to clear the ball, but it went nowhere.  Delicate flick-ons and clever little touches were simply landing at the feet of an ever-alert Vale.

And so Vale domination continued when David Brammer ran into the Canvey penalty area, almost unchecked, and from the narrowest of angles, put the visitors into a two goal lead.  Canvey had no right to complain because, at this stage, they were being outplayed.  It was 39 minutes into the game before they even got a corner and Goodlad, in the Vale goal, must have thought he was being paid for nothing.  The first half came to a close and Canvey fans were hoping that the defeat, when it came, would not be too bad.

But never write Canvey off!  Jeff King obviously had a few choice words of encouragement for his lads and when they came out for the second half there was no holding them.  They were electric.  From the moment the whistle went it was so obvious that they wanted to take the game.  Peter Smith, who had been playing with a shoulder injury for the first half, was playing out of his skin and he put the icing on the cake when he grabbed a superb 20yd goal.  Canvey were suddenly back in the game.  They started to play the way we know they can - on the deck with good passing and clever positional play.

This revival might have fallen apart on 49 minutes when Marc Bridge-Wilkinson headed Vale's third goal.  It was a good cross from the right and he took it well.  At this point Canvey might have fallen apart, but quite the opposite happened.  They threw caution to the wind and sent everyone forward.  This was one mighty gamble by manager Jeff King, but it seemed to work.  The most dangerous side on the field was now Canvey.  They were the ones creating the pressure and when Wayne Vaughan was brought down by 'keeper Goodlad on 52 minutes, it seemed only a matter of routine that Steve Tilson would convert and, once again, bring the Gulls back into the game.  It was now three-two to Vale but it was anyone's game.  It might so easily have been Canvey's game when, on 55 minutes, Micky Bennett scored what appeared to be a perfectly good goal.  For a moment, Park Lane erupted.  "Off-side," said the officials and so it was disallowed and calm was restored.

The tactic of sending everyone forward was a brave move by King, but it did leave the defence naked on one or two occasions and both Alex Smith and Mark Bridge-Wilkinson were enjoying the freedom they found down Vale's left flank.  But every club deserves a bit of luck at this level and with Harrison playing one of his best games ever, plus the ever dependable Smith, Bodley and Ward blocking shots left, right and centre, Canvey were able to hang in there with tremendous spirit and determination.

Both 'keepers were, by now, earning their wages but this impressive fightback by Canvey appeared to be taking its toll.  On the hour some of the players started to look just a bit tired and with Peter Smith nursing a worrying looking shoulder injury, Steve Parmenter suffering from a head wound, was the writing on the wall?  Not a bit of it!  Canvey fought back and were not prepared to let this one go.  Andy Jones came on for the injured Steve Parmenter (he suffered a head injury in the first half) and moments later Adam Miller came on for Micky Bennett.  With fresh legs on the field Canvey continued to chase and keep the visitors under enormous pressure.  Jones, Gregory and Vaughan were all hungry for action and it was a desperate Port Vale who tried desperately to keep them at bay.

Vale grabbed their fourth goal - and what they must have thought was to be the winner - on 75 minutes.  It was another well-taken goal by Jeff Minton following a well taken corner by Wilkinson.  Poor Harrison could only help the ball into the net as he stretched, in vain, to push it away.

At the other end Adam Miller came so close when he shot wide and the fans knew that something exciting was about to happen.  It did.  On came a streaker and, looking remarkably like Internet Ian, he showed his tackle to a shocked stadium before being escorted off the pitch.  That was in the 85th minute, but the real excitement was only another three minutes away.  Substitute Andy Jones bagged Canvey's third goal and suddenly the game was wide open once again.

The pressure kept coming and coming.  The question now was, could Port Vale hold out for a victory?  They still played well, but they lacked that extra special 'Cup Tie Magic'.  Canvey had it in bucketfuls, that was the difference.  Nobody was asking the question, "Will the equaliser come?"  They were asking, "When will the equaliser come?"  Fans only had to wait two minutes because, with almost the last kick of the game Wayne Vaughan managed to scramble the all-important goal number four.  It wasn't a classic goal by any standards, but after the ball bounced off the crossbar, off the upright and off Wayno's outstretched body, it bought Canvey another bite of the cherry, up at Vale Park, on 28th November.  Back came the streaker, plus another naked member of the Yellow Army, and you could have cut the atmosphere with a blunt knife.  Tony Richardson proposed to Stan and everyone danced in celebration - it was that sort of occasion.

You couldn't ask for a more exciting, nail-biting and exhilarating game of football, at any level.  Pity Port Vale, they were on a loser from the beginning because everyone expected them to win.  The fact that Canvey forced the draw, against all the odds, takes away from their solid, professional performance.  But the FA Cup is all about magic and upset.  Today we had it all.

Match Report by Merv.

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