This Same Old Story Is Getting Boring Now!

They say that leader-less armies become incoherent in the heat of battle and as the K's Manager Steve Sedgley had departed earlier in the week, Canvey were hoping this was true.

Canvey came into today's game with some fresh new faces. 6ft 5' centre-half Gavin Cowan made his debut in defence today along side Ben Chenery and Steve Ward. Micky Bennett returned to the starting line-up and our other new boy Ollie Berquez joined the substitutes bench with newly promoted Michael Lee.

Canvey immediately wanted to get down to business and after only five minutes the Kingstonian goal was under pressure. A deep cross from Steve Ward was fumbled by K's 'Keeper Lance Key, but his lightning quick reactions denied Lee Boylan and early goal, recovering well to steal the ball from Boylan's feet. Gavin Cowan was making a highly impressive debut. He was a natural centre-half who could clear balls to the half-way line with his head. He dominated his area of the pitch and hardly anything managed to get past him. Cowan did come forward too and made some good deliveries for the midfield to build on. With these through balls from the defence the midfield were being able to string passes together. In particular Micky Bennett used his body well to fend off opponents and weaved some skill in the centre of the park linking up well with Mark Brennan and John Kennedy. Two other midfielders linking up well together were Steve Parmenter and Jeff Minton. Both were perfecting one-twos and made some good runs into the penalty area. Unfortunately this was all good, but the chances weren't being converted. The ball was slipping and sliding all over the mud that infested in and around the Kingstonian penalty area. Passes were going astray and bobbling all over the field and on occasion landing in a hidden patch of surface water.

On twenty-six minutes Canvey gained a free-kick about twenty-five yards from goal. This would've been a perfect opportunity for Lee Protheroe but he was watching from the terraces. Instead it was Jeff Minton that stepped, but his effort was too high and wide. A slight scare for the K's and the 'Yellow Army' sensed that one effort would count soon. In fact it was ten minutes later that Lee Boylan was brought down on the line of the penalty area. There was a certain consideration that the foul should've resulted in a penalty kick, but in fairness the foul was committed outside the box with Boylan staggering over in the area, even if the Assistant Referee did manage to back track a step or two. Mark Brennan and Steve Parmenter stood over the ball while the Referee forced the Kingstonian wall to stand at the full ten yards. Brennan pulled off a lovely dummy, making the K's wall run at the ball, but the Ref' spotted this and made them hold their charge. Once the wall was back at the right distance, Steve Parmenter hit the ball hard and low straight through the wall and into the bottom left hand corner of the net, just inches away from Lance Key's grasp. One-nil up and it looked as if more was certain to come. Canvey upped the pace of the game but sadly no more goals were to come in the first-half.

Half-time: Canvey Island 1, Kingstonian 0.

The second half started with Kingstonian coming out prepared to dominate the field and gain something from this match. Immediately Canvey were on the back foot as the conceded several corners in quick succession. Fortunately for the Gulls many of the deliveries were quite poor and Kingstonian should be ashamed not to make the most of a few good opportunities. This is not to say Canvey had some good chances, indeed they did. However the Kingstonian defence held firm and they managed to contain the daring runs by Lee Boylan and Jeff Minton, the deep crosses from John Kennedy and Steve Parmenter on each wing, plus the fancy flick on's from Neil Gregory's head. Nothing was getting through the K's back four and realising this Jeff King attempted a tactical substitution, replacing Mark Brennan with Craig Davidson. Crow played out on the left pushing Steve Parmenter into the middle of the park. Neil Gregory had dropped back too, leaving only Lee Boylan up front alone. Canvey were obviously trying to defend their lead and last the skirmish.

Kingstonian though didn't give up the fight and on seventy minutes grabbed their equaliser. The entire move in fact started in the K's penalty area. Lone Mark Jones picked up the ball on the edge of his eighteen yard box and proceeded to run and run and run. He totally evaded the Canvey midfield and with the defenders guilty of backing away and letting him run yet again, he proceeded to send in a deep ball to Ashley Harrison's far post where another K's player replied with a Neil Gregory type 'head down' to the feet of Jones, now whether Jones dummied his shot or mis-kicked it entirely we'll never know but Ash went down early and seemed to be sunbathing under the floodlights rather than going for the ball. Jones' effort bounced over the line with Harrison stranded on the floor and the K's were back in the game!

Canvey immediately made a counter-attack and their effort reached all the way to the goal-line where it was cleared to safety. Another scare for Kingstonian as Canvey upped their game yet another gear. They were once again stringing passes together but the strength of Bennett was missing, for he was replaced with young Michael Lee with just ten minutes remaining. Canvey attack followed Canvey attack. Steve Parmenter collected the ball wide out on the left and ran down the wing, his cross evaded Lee Boylan, but Neil Gregory was on hand to make contact. How Lance Key managed to pull off a save for a man so large is a miracle, he was on the floor in milliseconds and managed to collect Gregory's chance from skimming past the post. Immediately after the goal-kick another Canvey attack morphed in exactly the same routine as before. Parmenter down the left sent in another deep cross, this time it would've been certain to go in if it wasn't for Peter Barnsby. His trailing leg stopped the ball and yet another Canvey chance went begging.

Kingstonian are a good defending team and a special mention has to go out to ex-Chelsea pro Craig Rocastle for his dominating performance in the middle of the park. He was the powerhouse that the heart of the K's was based around. With Canvey setting up attack after attack, and Kingstonian destined to play for the draw the Referee was guilty of being conned by a few convincing calls from the K's defence. There were slight hints of cheating, none other than players being knocked off the ball. Jeff Minton, Craig Davidson and Lee Boylan all received small digs in the back here and there that went un-noticed by the Referee. Most notably the elbow to the back of Lee Boylan's head by James Pinnock should at least have been a bookable offence. The Canvey attackers were given no leeway by the Ref' ever effort was blown up for a foul on the 'keeper, most guilty of this was Gavin Cowan, his purely legitimate challenges were pulled up, simply because of his sheer size that dwarfed even Lance Key!

But Canvey weren't destined to give-up they battled down to the wire. Jeff Minton had a lovely eighteen yard volley blocked and Liam Collins pulled off a superb block to deny another Steve Parmenter effort. Time was running out for the Gulls and with Kinstonian looking happy to take the draw, it finished all square, a goal a piece and with Purfleet, St. Albans and Hendon all dropping points today. Canvey could've jumped a couple of league places and begin a catch up on the top teams.

Full-time: Canvey Island 1, Kingstonian 1.

Match Report by Matt.

Weather Conditions:  Dull, overcast and very, very chilly!

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