CANVEY BACK ON FORM

On paper, this always looked like a good match with the FA Trophy winners from 1999 and 2000 playing the winners from 2001.  Canvey had an excellent season last year, Kingstonian were relegated and obviously still smarting from the experience.  Often these games fail to reach their potential, but this was not true of today's game.

On the pitch today Canvey looked easily the better team and the two-nil win didn't entirely do them justice.  Kingstonian were rarely in the action and seemed at a loss to know how to answer Canvey's imagination, flair or skill.  The visitors lacked a playmaker like Steve Tilson, a jinxing genius like John Kennedy or a hard-working goal scorer like Adam Miller.  It was Man of the Match Miller who made the biggest difference.  To have scored two goals might have been enough, but his performance generally was always keen, aggressive and determined.

The large crowd had to only wait four minutes for the first goal.  From a goal kick taken by Ashley Harrison there were no more that three touches before the ball ran out to the left where Miller, complete with a new pair of boots, was waiting.  He cut in, beat his man and got just inside the area before he unleashed a cracker of a shot that 'keeper Lance Key just couldn't get down to.  A good start.

The game settled down with both teams giving very little away.  Marking was close and the pace of the game was generally furious.  It was encouraging to see Canvey fighting for everything and not prepared to let anything go.  In the past this team has been guilty of giving up the chase too easily.  How many times have we seen forwards drop their shoulders and give up simply because the ball hasn't come directly to them.  Not today.  The likes of Kennedy, Cobb and Miller simply chase and chase and chase.  Canvey were managing to win at least throw-ins from what might have been a lost ball.

Canvey looked comfortable in the middle.  Mark Stimson, Adam Miller and Steve Parmenter were managing to get the ball forward for Steve Tilson and Paul Cobb to torment the Kingstonian defence while at the back the famous back three of Steve Ward, Ben Chenery and Mick Bodley were determined not to be beaten.  With the support offered by John Kennedy and Chris Duffy playing in the wing-back role, this was the formation that Canvey looked comfortable with and got Kingstonian rattled.

For the opposition, Mark Beard and Steve Brown were probably the most dangerous players, but they found very little support and too often they were operating in isolation.  Although they had some success in getting the ball from mid-field up to the Canvey danger area, they had little idea of how to get it into the penalty area and even less idea of what to do with it, if they did.  Ashley Harrison had relatively little to do, whereas Lance Key was getting more and more angry with his defenders who were giving him precious little cover.  In truth, Kingstonian were a shambles at the back and it was only Canvey's inability to convert chances into goals that let the visitors off the hook.

Canvey couldn't extend their one-nil lead and as the first half drew to a close Kingstonian did look a little more comfortable and started to put some good moves together.  They were able to keep possession, but although possession might be nine-tenths of the law, it doesn't necessarily create goals.

After the half-time break Mark Beard almost snatched one back for Kingstonian when the Canvey defence pulled up, appealing for off-side.  The decision wasn't given and it was only a timely tackle by Steve Parmenter that saved the day.

Steve Ward didn't re-appear after the break, having taken a knock in the first half, but he was ably replaced by Peter Smith.  Strangely enough, Kingstonian saw Buzz and a weakness and played most of their through balls in his direction.  This was a mistake as Smith was solid as a rock and didn't give away an inch.

Steve Parmenter, playing especially well the moment, put in a stonker of a shot on 52 minutes from 25yds out.  It was only just wide but it was a clear sign that Canvey wanted more goals.  It was an almost identical situation just two minutes later but this time it was Miller's turn to get on the end of the shot.  This time he was on-target with the 'keeper rooted to the spot.  A superb goal and a just reward for Miller who had been giving so much; his tackling was something else.

As the game rolled into the last ten minutes, Kingstonian again looked to be growing stronger and they started to get a grip of things in the middle of the park.  But without a playmaker they looked like a team of individuals, desperate for someone to organise them and arrange them into a strike-force.

Canvey brought on fresh legs in the form of Lee Boylan and, later, Wayne Vaughan and it was quite obvious to anyone in the crowd that the three points were going to stay firmly at Park Lane.  Another find performance and another well earned maximum points.

Match Report by Merv

Weather Conditions:  Dry but overcast.

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