CANVEY FAIL TO IMPRESS

Having gone ten days without a game, Canvey suffered from a bit of 'ring-rust' tonight at  Harrow Borough.  The play was good, finishing was poor and the tension was mounting.
Canvey welcomed Mark Stimson back to the side tonight after his hip injury and rumours of Adam Miller's septic shin were quashed when the line-up was announced.  Harrow had regular 'keeper Duncan Roberts back between the sticks tonight, in an attempt to avert another Chesham thrashing.

Canvey put the pressure on from the off and were very unlucky not to be three-nil up in the first few minutes.  Chris Duffy broke the deadlock on nine minutes when he smashed a deflected rebound low across the floor and into the far corner of the goal.  With that Harrow made an immediate substitution bringing on Kieron Keane for an injured Carlton Mitchell.
Although being one-nil down Harrow seemed to relax a bit and play for the loss! Twelve minutes in and Steve Tilson was through one-on-one with Roberts but he placed the ball a tad too far in front of him, Roberts jumped on the ball which he couldn't keep hold of and let it slip from his grasp.  But Tilly had already given up on the chance, had his back to the action and reacted to late.

On twenty minutes a high cross coming in from the left was hit well on the volley, he was very unlucky as his shot hit the 'keepers shin but he was caught offside anyway. Four minutes later Paul Cobb had a run at goal and he had a little but powerful flick that could only be parried away by Roberts but it was a good effort and an even better save.

Against the run of play a quick counter-attack by Harrow led to a shot from out on the left, beat Ashley Harrison and land in the back of the net for a shocking equaliser from Spencer Knight. This is the last thing Canvey wanted as Harrow virtually slowed down to a stand still.
For the second half Canvey were totally dominant and the ball rarely went in the Canvey half. Two minutes into the second half and Paul Cobb was put through once again but he let the ball go across the face of goal and the wrong side of the far post. A minute later Canvey had one of their best chances of the half when a wide cross from Adam Miller reached the back post where Steve Tilson headed it back into the middle, and if a yellow shirt was in the box it would have been a good goal from excellent build-up.

As Canvey began to dominate and all play was coming down the right-hand side poor JK was getting kicked all over the pitch. This led to a couple of bookings in two minutes with Phil Gridelet & Daren Bloor the culprits. The travelling Yellow Army were becoming very, very agitated at their sides poor finishing, the midfield was conquering everything but the strikers just wanted to kick the ball anywhere but in the back of the net.

Seventy-three minutes and Cobby was replaced Lee Boylan, and Canvey threw everything forward, and Canvey brought on an extra striker in Wayne Vaughan who replaced Mark Stimson. Chris Duffy almost made it two when he intercepted a cross and from the penalty spot half volleyed the ball goal-wards. He was unfortunately judged offside, he let the ball go as the ref blew up, thus distracting him and sending the ball skimming past the post.

Jermaine Hunter replaced Leon Woodruffe in an attempt to not concede a last minute winner, which almost came when Ashley was clearly beaten and the ball was only cleared off the line by an out stretched leg of the 'Sex God' Steve Ward. Canvey were mounting immense pressure and the power shortage on the island was obviously caused by the tension of the crowd. Canvey gained a succession of five corners in the dying seconds, but no one had a real clear chance to hit the ball on target, it was deflected away, cleared or wasted.

Much to the frustration of the yellow army the game finished goal and point apiece. The only news to put a smile on Canvey's face tonight was that both Aldershot & Gravesend had lost in their matches but Canvey do drop two places to forth. Saturday the face Halesowen in the FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round, and the performance then must a thousand times improved from tonight's if Canvey are to even have a chance in the game. 

Match Report by Matt

Harrow Borough - Duncan Roberts, Richard Clarke, Spencer Knight, Pat Gavin, Aidan O'Brien, Daren Bloor, Fabio Valenti, Paul Adolphe, Phil Gridelet, Carlton Mitchell, Leon Woodruffe, Daniel Dyer, Kieron Keane, Jermaine Hunter.

Weather Conditions: Clear, dry night.

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