RYMAN LEAGUE CUP

TOM Broadhurst’s late winner put Swifts into the fourth round as Canvey were punished for not taking their chances.

An experimental Gulls side dominated but lacked a cutting edge and were made to pay when Broadhurst finished coolly with six minutes to go to put the lower league side through with a 1-0 win.

It was a sobering comedown for Canvey following their impressive mid-week cup win against League One Dagenham & Redbridge.

The hosts had 22 attempts on goal, with 11 on target, compared to Swifts with six and three, and afterwards Canvey manager John Batch said it was “just one of those days”.

He said: “We did enough to win today. But it is not about how many shots you have or well you play, it is about putting the ball in the net and we didn’t do that and they did.

“We put out a strong side and if we had got a goal early on I think we would have gone on to win by four or five. But it just was not our day.”

Canvey should have taken an early lead, but Rob King — playing against his former club — stabbed wide when well placed, and skipper Chris Moore had a header cleared off the line.

By the time John Easterford had steered another good chance wide it seemed it would only be a matter of time before they broke the deadlock.

Swifts’ first meaningful attempt came ten minutes before the interval when Luke Callendar cut inside Moore but saw his shot deflected just wide.

And from the resulting corner Callendar’s point-blank header drew a smart one-handed save out of James Russell.

Top-scorer Danny Heale almost broke the deadlock just before the interval, but his close-range effort was brilliantly blocked by visiting keeper Ollie Morris-Sanders.

Canvey started the second-half brightly and only another excellent reaction stop from Morris-Sanders kept out King’s firm downward header as the experienced keeper pushed the effort onto to the post and wide.

But after Billy Hawes had flashed a good chance wide for Swifts, Batch decided to bring on some of his rested first-teamers to try and make the breakthrough.

And it was substitute Jason Hallett who had arguably Canvey’s best chance of the game as he rose to meet Kevin Dobinson’s free kick but could only steer a header straight at Morris-Sanders.

By the time Alex Rhodes — another second-half introduction — had seen his goal-bound free-kick pushed around the post, it seemed as if the tie was destined for extra time.

But after Canvey’s third sub, Jay Curran, had blazed over the bar, Swifts mounted their unlikely match-winning attack.

Canvey failed to deal with a quick-counter and, when Nathan Clarke played in Broadhurst, he had time and space to lift the ball past the exposed Russell and into the net to secure his side’s passage into the next round.

Canvey (4-4-2): Russell; West, Moore, Easterford, Ward (Rhodes 60); Dumas, Dobinson, Kerrigan (Curran 60), King; Heale, Isa (Hallett 70).

Heybridge (4-4-2): Morris-Sanders; O’Rawe, Barber, Smith, Hawes; Mead, Morgan, Clarke, Broadhurst; Callendar (Thomas 71), English.

Echosport star man: Ollie Morris-Sanders (Heybridge Swifts).

RYMAN PREMIER

CONCORD came back from two-down to claim a brilliant 4-2 away win which lifted them above local rivals Billericay and one place behind the play-off positions.

It looked bleak for the Beachboys as they went two down in 12 minutes.

The first came from a Byron Harrison penalty after the striker himself had been fouled by Steve King in the box.

And that was quickly followed up with Joel Ledgister’s strike five minutes later.

But a Harry Elmes brace sent the sides in level at the break, and Concord keeper Dale Brightly was in stunning form after the restart as goals from Tony Stokes and James Elmes completed the remarkable turn-around.

It left Concord in sixth, a place and a point behind AFC Hornchurch, and above seventh-placed Billericay on goal-difference, although Town have a game in hand.

Concord joint manager Danny Scopes said: “We were sloppy early on and gave away a penalty and a made a mistake for their second.

“But we didn’t panic and we were easily the better side in the second half.”

BILLERICAY, meanwhile, suffered a 3-0 defeat at second-placed Bury Town.

Former England under-21 man James Scowcroft gave the hosts a 35th-minute lead, before Tom Bullard doubled their advantage two minutes later.

James Lawson went close with a header for Billericay, but Bury sealed the win with a break-away goal from Sam Reed, eight minutes from time.

RYMAN ONE NORTH

A FIRST club goal from Tony Martin for Great Wakering was not enough to prevent them slipping to a 2-1 defeat at third-bottom Redbridge.

The young striker, on loan from Billericay, applied a neat finish to Jimmy Webb’s 54th-minute cross to cancel out Tom Stephen’s opener for the hosts.

But Stephens scored a decisive second on 63 minutes as he smuggled the ball home following a headed flick-on from a free-kick.

Jack Carlisle had a late effort cleared off the line by the Motormen’s defence, and Rovers had to settle for their fifth straight defeat — a run which followed five straight wins.

Elsewhere in the division, EAST Thurrock returned to the top of the table with a 3-1 home with over Potters Bar Town.

But it did not start well for Rocks as they went behind after a minute to a goal from Elvis Balic.

Reiss Gilbey levelled four minutes before the interval, and the hosts scored two late goals to take the points.

Red-hot striker Kris Newby scored his 15th of the campaign with four minutes to go, and Kye Ruel added a glossy third on 90 minutes.

Rocks boss John Coventry — one of three club officials who used a tractor as they spent eight hours clearing the Rookery Hill pitch of snow on Friday — was delighted with the win.

He said: “We are top but you don’t win anything at this time of the year so we are not getting carried away.”

East Thurrock are now a point clear of Wingate & Finchley after they had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to GRAYS.

On 35 minutes a mistake by the ever solid Brad Thomas, allowed Ahmet Rifat to put a telling pass to top-scorer Leon Smith on the right, and he slotted the ball past the diving Steven Northwood to put the home side 1 - 0 up against the run of play.

Three minutes before the break, John Docker’s shot was charged down by the Wingate defence but the loose ball fell to Emile Aiken and he hit he ball into the empty net to level the scores.

It was Grays’ best performance of the season and suggests they will climb from their current 16th-placed position.

Michael Toner was sent off for TILBURY as they lost 4-0 at Waltham Abbey.

The goals came from Tyler Campbell (2), Kerion Ogunkoya and a Liam Farrel penalty.

BLUE SQUARE BET SOUTH

THURROCK came to Woodside Park on the back of two league wins and looking to make it three.

But they were made to pay for not taking their first-half chances as Reece Prestedge’s 48th minute header settled the game.

Fleet’s David Knight was denied early on by keeper Ross Kitteridge, who also saved well from Dean Cracknell later on the first half.

Thurrock’s Phil Anderson also put a free header over the bar.

A frenetic start to the second period which saw the hosts take the lead as Danny Morgan’s cross was deflected to the far post where Prestedge was waiting to head low down into the net.

Matt Bodkin, David Knight and Rob Swaine then all had half chances for Fleet but could not find the equaliser which would have lifted Greg Lincoln’s side out of the relegation places.

ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE

Southend Manor’s impressive season continued as they claimed a 3-2 win at home to Mauritius Sports.

Eddie Hart opened the scoring for Manor at Southchurch Park on four minutes, but the visitors were level a minute later.

The hosts took control with goals from Anton Dwyer on 28 minutes, and Bradley Vaughan five minutes before the break.

The visitors got a consolation second late on, but Manor held on for a good win.

It capped a good week for Manor, who saw their former player Tara Brady named the new chief executive at Southend United last week.

BASILDON UNITED went down 3-0 at leaders Enfield 1893, and HULLBRIDGE SPORTS drew 1-1 at Barking.

BOWERS & PITSEA'S home match with Barkingside was postponed due the weather conditions.