Canvey Island 3-1 Leatherhead

From the Frost Financial Stadium

Ryman Premier League

 

CANVEY Island won their first league match in five weeks to climb up to sixth and return to the play-off hunt.

Harrison Chatting, Steve Sheehan and Tony Stokes scored the goals, with the latter netting his first goal at home since returning to the club.

The Gulls were looking for a fast start against the team they shared eight goals with earlier in the season.

And that was exactly what they got. Some neat interplay in the build-up saw the ball drop to Chatting 25 yards from goal and he hit a sweetly-struck effort into the corner.

Lawrence Yiga, restored to the starting XI following a suspension, saw a header saved by Louis Wells in the Leatherhead goal but there was nothing he could do to stop the second goal soon after.

Steve Sheehan got on the end of a fierce Glenn Poole corner to send the ball powering into the goal.

Comfortable in the opening half of the first 45 minutes, the Gulls were undone when a left wing cross was dropped by goalkeeper Conor Gough and Chris Kinnear found the net from close range.

Ashley Dumas shot wide as Canvey looked to re-assert themselves but it remained 2-1 until half-time.

Leatherhead started the second-half well and it was Adam Cash that almost brought the leveller, but he shot over after Kiernan-Hughes Mason sent in an inviting cross.

And Canvey made them pay with a third goal on the hour mark.

A landmark for Stokes as he tapped home after more good work from the lively Poole.

Jay Curran could have added more gloss to the score line but he shot wide.

 

Canvey Island: Gough, Sheehan, Dumas, Miller-Rodney (Pitty), Halle, Yiga, Curran, Poole, Chatting, Tuohy (Sykes), Stokes (Lawson)