REVENGE  IS  SWEET

After the disappointment of losing three points at Hendon earlier in the season, when Canvey had dominated almost all  the play, it was revenge time today at Park Lane and the three points are very welcome indeed.  John Kennedy put the Gulls into an early lead with the fastest league goal of the season (1 min 18 seconds) and Neil Gregory bagged two more in the second half.

The pitch was extremely heavy and many passes failed to reach the target for both sides, the ball getting sucked into the muddy patches.  However, there was still plenty of open play and it was nice to see the ball come out to the dryer flanks.  It was here that John Kennedy looked particularly impressive, using the space well.  Just a pity that some of his crosses didn't quite match up to his skillful running and tackling.

The game had barely started when Steve Tilson made a run down the left.  At first it looked as if he had overhit his cross, but it went over the heads of the crowded defence to where Andy Jones was lurking near the bye-line.  Jonah jumped well, didn't connect, but put his defender under enough pressure so that he mis-cleared the ball to the edge of the penalty area.  It was here that JK came in with the most deadly volley ever seen at Park Lane.  In fact Ex-Dagenham keeper Paul Newell didn't see it at all, not until he went to pick it out of the net.

As the first half went on, several Canvey players came close to extending the lead, in particular Andy Jones with a terrific header with the game only five minutes old.  Neil Gregory seemed to be running everywhere - wide on the left, wide on the right and in the danger area inside the box.  He almost connected with several crosses, but on each occasion the ball just flew away or bounced awkwardly.

There was a general feeling around the ground that more Canvey goals would follow.  Most of the play was one-way and Ashley Harrison had little to do, apart from taking out high crosses.  Over the season Harrison's domination of the air has developed making him one of the best keepers in the Ryman League.  Another area where he has improved is his confidence - you should hear him shouting and organising his defence.

The first half finished rather surprisingly at only one - nil and Hendon might consider themselves lucky not to have been further behind.  They had very little possession in the first half and the truth is, even when they did have the ball they showed little or no imagination as to what to do with it.

This was about to change.  It is usually Canvey who are the second half team.  Normally Jeff gives them a talking to during the intermission and they come out all guns blazing.  Today it was Hendon who came out with their tails in the air and they appeared determined not to let this game go without a fight.

With the rejuvenated Hendon, Canvey now had a game on their hands, or at least the defence did.  For the forwards all they had to do was get past the ever impressive Simon Clarke and they had the run of the field.  Canvey's defence however,  had to contend with runs from both flanks and a lot more pressure in the middle.  For the first fifteen minutes of the half they coped very well, but mistakes were gradually getting more and more frequent.  It was only some appalling misses by Adekola and Adolphe that kept Hendon off the scoresheet.

At the other end, however, it was Neil Gregory who was having a field day.  As a reward for his constant running, his deft flick-ons and clever positional play, he eventually got onto the score sheet.  Not just once, but twice in five minutes.

His first goal was made by Ben Chenery who sent over the perfect cross from deep on the left.  It sailed over the entire defence and found the head of Greggers on the edge of the 6yd box.  With almost no effort at all, he nodded it past Newell and into the back of the net.  

Five minutes later he was there again.  This time it was Mark Stimson - easily today's Man of the Match - who did all the hard work.  He worked the ball well into the penalty area and, just when he appeared to have lost it, he sent over a cross that was met this time with Greggers foot.  The end result was the same - the ball was in the net.  When strikers of Gregory's ability get this close to goal, they rarely miss (err... except perhaps at Barking?)

With the score at 3-0 it seemed all over.  A lesser team than Hendon might have packed up and gone home.  All credit to the North Londoners, they refused to give in and continued their assault.  Former Bulgarian World Cup player Bontcho Guentchev and Nathan Edwards came on to strengthen the attack and it worked.  Within a minute Edwards had pulled one goal back, following a mix-up in the Canvey penalty area.  Ashley Harrison  was spread-eagled on the floor when Edwards pulled one back.

Hendon were now taking more and more shots at Canvey's goal and Ash was called upon to make more and more saves.  The game had less than 10 minutes to go and to an impartial spectator it really looked as if the visitors had the home team under the cosh.  Time and time again their forwards ran at the Canvey defence and instead of taking them out of the game, they backed off and off.  So many Hendon attacks saw forwards making 20yd runs directly at the defence.  There looked to be a fair amount of panic at the back and it was hardly a surprise when Dale Binns scored Hendon's second goal on 87 minutes.

By now Canvey were playing a 'long lob and run' game.  Why they did remains a mystery.  This Hendon team was spirited, but it certainly wasn't skillful.  But they seemed to cope well with the long balls coming out of the Canvey half, hit almost haphazardly in any direction.

But at the end of the day Canvey did hold on and the slim victory was a just  reward for dominating the first hour of the game.  As I often say, there are no points for playing well, only for winning.  If you do play well for at least an hour of the game and you win as well, the result is three points and a revenge victory.  Very sweet.

.Match Report by Merv. Pictures by Ian.

Weather Conditions: Dry and cold afternoon on a very heavy pitch.

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