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Best I've Seen All Season There is no doubt that this was the best team performance at Park Lane this season. Someone had to be man of the match and so four goals is as good a reason as any - well done to the league's top scorer on adding four to his tally. But this was a true team performance. Danny Potter was so dominant in his 18yd box and his distribution was both speedy and accurate. Ben Chenery had his best game for a long time, Micky Bennett was superb, Steve Ward was faultless, John Kennedy was so much better being played wide (normal service was resumed from the right), Chris Duffy recovered his form (lost recently), Lee Protheroe was sure-footed all 90 minutes, Jeff Minton was the playmaker, Steve Parmenter was a thorn in Saint's side all afternoon, Ollie Berquez was unlucky not to have a hat-trick of his own and then there was Lee Boylan. What can you say? The Saints fans around me were in terrific voice and they obviously enjoyed the game through some kind of alcoholic haze, but at the end of the day they did admit that their team had been totally outplayed. Shame really as the fans had done their bit in raising a fantastic £705 for the Candy Bloomfield and Great Ormond Street Hospital appeal. Pity the Saints' players couldn't find the same degree of commitment and determination as their fans. It took only 38 seconds for Lee Boylan to get onto the scoresheet. From the kick-off the ball found its way out to the right flank where a free-kick was conceded right on the corner quadrant. Whether the referee gave a free-kick or a corner matters little. Whatever it was, Lee Protheroe sent it into the 6yd box where Boylan was on hand to hammer home from close range. Most fans were still coming out of the bar or buying their 50/50 tickets when the ref. signalled the fastest goal of the season. Such an early goal obviously un-nerved the visitors and nobody was more un-nerved than No.3 Andy Lodge who, in acres of space, fluffed a simple back-pass to his 'keeper just two minutes later. This allowed Ollie Berquez to cut in and score the easiest goal of his career so far. All he had to do was step forward, collect the loose ball and step around Wilmot before knocking home into an empty net. Two - nil up with only two and a half minutes on the clock - it doesn't get much better. All credit to St Albans. They never gave up and were always prepared to make a game of it. No. 9 Miguel DeSouza was a constant menace and there was plenty of support from No. 11 Martin Young. But it was Andy Lodge who set things up on 9 minutes when he came forward and sent in a perfect cross from the right and it was relatively simple for Corey Campbell to climb above the Canvey defence and head home to Danny Potter's right. But although the visitors were taking their chances whenever they were created, it has to be said, it was pretty much one way traffic. The Canvey defence was strong and the midfield was dominant. Because of this they were finding it easy to build attacks and keep coming forward. Chris Duffy had two opportunities to extend the lead, on the first he was a tad hesitant in releasing the ball and so the pass to Lee Boylan found the striker off-side and the second resulted in a superb shot that was only a fraction wide of the upright. But the nearest miss of the first half came courtesy of a Lee Protheroe corner and a Micky Bennett header. From the cross Benno got a great connection and the ball was heading for the corner of the net, but experienced 'keeper Wilmot made a fantastic save to push the ball away for another corner. Chris Duffy was involved in Canvey's third goal when he released the ball perfectly to Lee Boylan who was on the edge of the Saint's penalty area. Boylan collected the ball and made a run towards goal and, looking up but seeing nobody well placed, he decided to try a shot. And it was a good shot - just to the the 'keepers right and just inside the near post. Three goals up and counting. Both sides were playing some entertaining football although Canvey were able to get in far more scoring opportunities. St Albans were good in all the unimportant places; Canvey were good in the danger areas. However, Simon Martin always looked dangerous when he got into a shooting position and just before half-time he went on a terrific run, beating at least three Canvey defenders, but his shot was so woefully tame it was easy for Danny Potter to stroll across the goalmouth and collect it. Half time Canvey 3 St Albans 1 Canvey opened the second half at the same frenetic pace as the first. Within a minute of the kick-off Ollie Berquez was on hand to collect a Duffy short knock-on that came over the heads of the visiting defence. Ollie collected and controlled the ball well and spotting Wilmot coming off his line, he chipped him beautifully. The ball would probably have gone in anyway, but just in case Lee Boylan was on hand to make sure, cementing his hat-trick in the process. Ollie was desperate to extend his goal tally and only one minute later he nearly did it. The cross came from Steve Parmenter but unfortunately he was wrong footed and just failed to connect and the ball ran away to safety. Finding difficulty getting past the Canvey defence, Saints often resorted to long balls forward. Some of the passing was accurate but much of it was easily cleared by a tight Canvey back-line. Rob Kean did get in one dangerous looking shot on 50' but the truth is, it was always going wide. Boylan almost got a fourth goal on 52' minutes but the linesman judge that he was off-side when he received the pass. He probably was, but he certainly wasn't when the pass was made. I wonder when match officials are going to get to grips with the off-side rule? Not to be outdone with a near miss, Steve Parmenter was only just wide after some terrific one/two passing moves between JK, Lee Protheroe and Ollie out on the right. But eventually Parms did get onto the scoresheet - in the 63rd minute. He got in a terrific shot from 30yds out and he hit it so hard that Wilmot stood no chance. The ball seemed to curl around him and into the corner of the net to make it 5 - 1. Boylan had a penalty appeal turned down when he was so blatantly pushed over on the penalty spot on 65'. The ref. said, 'no,' but one has to ask, 'If there was no foul, why wasn't Lee booked for diving?' It was another case of inconsistent match officials who see the obvious, but too often fail to notice the niggling fouls and digs that cause tempers to fray. Boylan eventually got his fourth goal and Canvey's sixth, thanks this time to an assist from Bertie Brayley. Bertie did well to get in a terrific shot from the right of the penalty area that Wilmot failed to collect cleanly. He spilled the ball, but only as far as the advancing Boylan who was in like a shot to head under the advancing 'keeper and into the back of the net. The atmosphere was electric all afternoon at Park Lane, thanks partly to the visiting EFM fans (who always sing, even when they have nothing to sing about) but mostly due to a superb game of football from Canvey. The best I have seen all season. .Match Report by Merv. Pictures By Ian. Sorry for the lack of photos and their poorer quality - had technical problems on Saturday, with a failed lens :( All Photos Copyright 2003 Ian C. Walmsley / First Images. Click on the thumbnails to view the images.
Boylan Celebrates his first goal after 38 seconds with Protheroe
Teams
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