Mighty Bishops Checkmate King's Pawns!

After a not so good start to the new season Canvey Island were expecting to improve things tonight when they played host to newly promoted Bishop's Stortford...Oh how wrong they were!

New goalkeeper Danny Potter, played his first game for the Club and not a bad performance he put in, despite the scoreline. Other than that the starting line-up remained the same as Saturday's with Spencer Knight called up to the bench.

Before the game there was a minute's silence in memory of the two murdered school girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman which was observed by players, fans and officials alike.

Canvey started the game well shooting towards the 'Park Lane' end of the ground. Similar to Saturday however it was a slow, groggy start and it took a while to get the Canvey engine running. Unlike Saturday though Canvey upped the pressure earlier in the game and Lee Boylan, Scott Forbes and Steve Parmenter both hooking up well in the Stortford half. Canvey had the first chances of the game too and an outstretched Mickey Desbrough saved a thunderous Adam Miller free-kick from just outside the 'D'. However Desbrough wasn't so lucky when a Scott Forbes corner squirmed under his body and it was only by some work of God that the ball did not end up in the back of the Stortford net. After seeing these two efforts go begging, everyone around me knew that it was going to be one of those nights.

A goal-line scramble led to Stortford's first goal of the night, much like Saturday. The ball wasn't cleared properly and with Danny Potter still stuggling to get to his feet Roy Essandoh's shot evaded the Canvey 'keeper and it was one-nil Stortford. Their fans thought it had crossed the line, but wasn't too sure, Essandoh made sure of it but even the referee wasn't sure it had, but he used his gut instinct and awarded the goal anyway. What a nice fellow!

Canvey one-nil down were pumping the long ball up to Neil Gregory for him to flick on to either Boylan or Forbes. The only problem was that Wolf & Keepence the Stortford five and six were just as tall as Gregory and shadowed him all over the penalty area. Disaster struck again for Canvey nine minute later when Stortford scored a cracking goal that not even Fabien Barthez or Carlo Cudicini could've stopped! It was Essandoh again and he had the ball stuck to his feet just inside the Canvey half. Essandoh hit the ball with the outside of his right foot and the ball steamed for Potter. However the ball seemed to suddenly become attracted to the goalpost Potter was not standing next to and the ball curved into the top-right hand corner. A goal that even Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink would've been proud of! Immediately after the restart though Canvey begun their own attack and within half a minute Steve Parmenter had let rip a shot that left Desbrough stranded. Unfortunately for Parms it hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced out again. Little did he know that his game (and tragically, possibly his season) was soon going to be over.

Three minutes later Steve Parmenter's fate was decided. In a tackle with Stortford's Mark McGibbon, Parms came off worse, much worse. He was stretchered off and taken to Hospital with a broken ankle. This terrible injury introduced Spencer Knight into the game as Steve's replacement and what a night he was going to have, despite being left out in the cold for most of it. After the Steve Parmenter clash, McGibbon was brought down in revenge by Scott Forbes, earning the former Southend star his first booking of the season. A minute later, McGibbon was himself put in the book for a rather rash challenge. The game began to break-up and the referee couldn't get a grip as Adam Miller was also put in the man in black's book just minutes before half-time.

Half-time Canvey Island 0 Bishop's Stortford 2.

An infamous Jeff King team-talk was most likely held during the interval as Canvey came out trying to pull something out of the bag. Their hopes were dashed on fifty-four minutes when Glen Southam picked up the ball just in his own half and began to run right through the middle of the pitch. His closest marker Micky Bennett kept backing away further and further till they were virtually on the edge of Canvey's penalty area. A little shimmy by Southam and he left Bennett for dust. Southam passed the ball square to Troy Braham who rounded Danny Potter and fired home from close range to give Stortford their third of the night. Canvey fans were stunned, three-nil down and Canvey weren't even playing badly! They had their fair share of possession it was just what they chose to do with it that separated the scoreline. Canvey opted for the 'thump the ball up field and hope' tactic rather than playing their 'sexy football' of days long gone by. A typical Canvey strategy would consist of Potter hoofing the ball outwide where Canvey expect either John Kennedy of Spencer Knight to jump four feet in the air to nod it on. Or Potter lobbing the ball out wide to Ben Chenery or Micky Bennett who proceed to take on an obstacle course full of Stortford players to move the ball twenty yards! The attack is usually extinguished just outside the centre-circle. Where Canvey often lost possession and Stortford counter-attacked.

On fifty-seven minutes Stortford's goal hero was replaced by Langer. The Premier League new-boys were three-nil up and that's the way they wanted it to stay. It was unfortunate that many of tonight's Canvey players didn't use their ability to look left and right or many would have found Spencer Knight in acres of space on the left-wing. Not a single soul (neither Canvey or Stortford) saw Spencer all alone and many chances were wasted by just hoofing the ball straight through the middle. That's why I'm giving Spencer Knight M.O.M. He was prepared, and when given the chance did run his heart out and show that even at three-nil down the game was still worth fighting for. The same can also be said for Lee Boylan and John Kennedy. (JK, learn to keep your cool. I saw some of the tackles you were putting in towards the end of the game tonight. We don't want to lose a player like you on a silly suspension!). Once in a while Spencer was found and he made some daring runs into the penalty area to cross the ball into the six-yard area where 98% of the time there wasn't a Canvey shirt waiting to latch onto it.

With twenty-five minutes or so left of the game Bertie Brayley replaced the rather quiet David Gregory. Bertie added not only fresh legs to the game, but a fresh willingness to fight for the ball and try and score some goals. Brayley made some nice moves on and off the ball too. Definitely a young player to look out for the future! (Do West Ham like releasing sharp, young Strikers like Brayley & Boylan?!). Time was running out for Canvey once again and even though they were getting back into the game. It wasn't going to be enough so Jeff decided to bring on Jason Dozzell for Scott Forbes. Dozzell's presence influenced the mid-field and Canvey were attempting attack after attack. Stortford were very lucky not to have a penalty decision go against them ten minutes from time when Mickey Desbrough was beaten by a Spencer Knight cross, but a Stortford defender was standing at the near post and clearly pushed the ball off the line with his hand. Canvey fans and players were fuming that the referee didn't see this infringement and clearly made their thoughts known. With the ball 'cleared' off the goal-line a little ping-pong ensued and Adam Miller came charging in the penalty area taking the ball and a Stortford player with him. The ball went out for a goal-kick but the Stortford player was left in a heap in the six-yard box. The ball was now out of play and several Canvey players dashed for the ref, to complain about his handling of the affairs and young Miller got a bit too carried away and was shown his second yellow of the night.

Stortford brought on another substitute on eighty-two minutes to try and hold Canvey off as the pushed, and pushed to find even a consolation goal. Canvey's hope were dashed a minute from full time when Danny Potter hesitated on a Stortford corner. This little fault left Stortford's Vinnie John to smash the ball home from Freddie Hyatt a to secure all three points and a good thrashing to the Gulls.

Two games, one goal & no points. What is life at the bottom of the Ryman Premier League really like? Just ask any Canvey fan at the end of tonight's game, cause Canvey are now bottom of the Ryman Premier League albeit only on goal-difference. However high hopes aren't expected of this Saturday's game as Canvey play host once more to one of their major bogie teams in the form of Hitchin Town.

I'd just like to ask here, what are the chances of three goalkeepers all playing or played for the same club having the exact same style of kicking? We saw it form Ashley last season, we saw it from Dean Greygoose Saturday and we saw it from Danny Potter tonight. This has to be a coincidence. Surely it's not a tactic of the management? As it is quite possibly the most pathetic piece of play I have ever seen!!!

Full-time - Canvey Island 0 Bishop's Stortford 4. 



Match Report by Matt.

Weather Conditions:  Mild with a light shower throughout.

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