HORNCHURCH 1 CANVEY 0
This was it – the big one for Canvey, their match of the season. Such was the interest that eleven of their supporters, unable to find any other mode of transport, got up at 6 am to walk the 21 miles to the Bridge.

With hazy sunshine and rapidly dipping temperatures, Urchins kicked towards the windmill end in the first half, which meant that the Canvey eleven had to limp painfully from the Eastside over to the Riverside. Urchins, roared on by the EastSide, stormed forward, and took the lead in the fifth minute. Canvey had already survived two scares from massively long throws from Billy Coyne, but then conceded a free kick when Tomlinson’s cross to Ross Wall saw Ross brought down. The wall lined up, Andy Tomlinson lurked, but it was Donny Barnard who stepped up to power the ball past keeper Capleton, and against the underside of the bar, where it may or may not have crossed the line before DEAN GREEN helped the referee make up his mind by banging it firmly into the net. Such was the noise that it set off a tidal wave which went down the Ingrebourne, up Benfleet Creek, past Two Tree Island, and almost broke down the sea wall at Park Lane. One nil and it could easily have been two when Dean Green weaved through a disorganised defence, his first shot being saved well by Mel Capleton, who also dealt well with Dean’s follow up shot, to keep Canvey in the match.

Canvey briefly threatened when they were awarded a free kick thirty yards out. Davidson waited to take the kick but it was Dobinson who came up to hammer the ball into the defensive wall, with keeper Darren Behcet, making his debut, lining up his wall just right. Urchins again went close when Tomlinson’s free kick caused havoc, and a goalmouth scramble ended when the referee gave offside. Canvey came back to gain a corner, and Purdie headed away Gordon’s inswinging kick.

The best chance of the match came when a long ball caught the visiting defence coming forward, and Kris Lee found himself racing towards goal with no defenders anywhere close by. Kris carried on, and with Dean Green backing him up and completely unmarked in the middle, Kris chose to dribble the ball around Capleton, who flung himself sideways to parry the ball, and then was on hand to save Kris’ follow up shot.

Canvey won two more corners, both taken by Gordon, the latter being headed away by Goodfellow, before Urchins again missed a chance to go further ahead. Dean Green took a pass from Barnard inside his own half, weaved down the right wing, and sent Ross Wall away. Ross made an excellent run, and drew two defenders before slipping the ball back to Dean, who cut inside, but hit his shot into the side netting. The closest Canvey came was when Chris Moore headed over from Davidson’s free kick.

Half time and the Canvey eleven decided it was not viable to walk all the way back to Canvey and decided to go by coach instead. Max gave away £95 to the holder of the winning 50-50 ticket.

Urchins could have scored shortly after half time when Ross Wall went clear, rounded a defender and Capleton dived to deflect his shot around the post, and then comfortably caught Tomlinson’s corner kick. A Gordon centre was headed away by Goodfellow for a corner which Gordon took and played back to Davidson who in turn found Curran, whose high cross was well held by Behcet. Edwards glanced a header wide from Tarkan Mustafa’s cross, and Urchins came forward when Kirby found Simon Parker whose long run ended in a corner, which Tomlinson floated too close to Capleton.

It was Parker again, on the right, who turned the ball inside to Janney, and thence back to Barnard, but Donny’s upfield pass saw Ross Wall pulled up for offside. A Styles interception set up Janney again, and Mark’s cross saw Capleton just beat Ross Wall to the ball on the edge of the area. Canvey came back and Mustafa sent a long ball out to Gordon, with Kirby coming across to tackle, and Canvey’s best chance came when Luck came in from the right to force an excellent save from Behcet who blocked the shot to concede a corner, which Purdie then headed away.. Billy Coyne almost put Tomlinson through but Fanibuyan intercepted. Bradley Gray came on, and almost scored with his first touch, when Parker found Wall, who played the ball out to Janney, and from Mark’s cross, Gray glanced the ball inches wide of the goal. And it was Gray again who found himself clear after Coyne and Parker had set the move up, but he was pulled back by a questionable offside decision. With time running out, Moore sent a header wide from Gordon’s corner, and Parker almost made it safe for Hornchurch with a good run on the left, which saw the ball go begging across goal.

And as for the Canvey eleven who limped away at the end - no points, but they had raised £1000 for their club.