Canvey were held to a goalless draw at home to Lewes this afternoon in a game which never managed to spark into life.

The Gulls shaded possession and had more chances and had a great chance to win it late on when Ashley Miller shot wide.

But the Rooks were worth their point and forced the best save of the game when Ashlee Jones turned Max Howell’s screamer around the post.

Canvey gave a debut to new signing Harrison Chatting, signed yesterday from derby rivals Billericay , and he retained the ball well on the left wing but rarely got beyond his marker Lee Cooper.

But that was the story of the game as defences dominated on an afternoon when a goal never looked likely.

The first chance of any note fell to the visitors as central defender Chris Breach rose highest in the Canvey box to plant a header narrowly wide from Karl Beckford’s delivery.

The hosts responded immediately as Chatting and Leon Gordon combined neatly to give Danny Heale a clear sight of goal, and his side-footed effort drew an excellent one-handed save from Kieron Thorpe.

Chances were at a premium in the opening half-an-hour with Ashley Dumas dragging wide from distance and Chatting firing a shot straight at Thorpe from the edge of the box.

Just before the interval, home Jones had to scramble across his goal to turn Aaron Wickham’s curling free-kick around the post.

It was a lacklustre start to the second half and the first chance did not arrive until just past the hour mark when centre back Richard Orlu failed to make the most of a header from Dumas’ cross.

To be fair to Orlu, he did his main job in the heart of the home defence with consummate ease and was the best player on the park. Lewes sub Max Howell went close when he found space inside the Canvey box, but shot straight at Jones from a slight angle.

And when James Hawes fluffed his shot from Chatting’s flick on, it was starting to look like it would be a goalless afternoon at the Prospects Stadium.

Howell did his best to stop that with a 74th minute screamer which Jones pushed athletically around the post. The keeper almost blotted his copy book by dropping the resulting corner - but he got away with it.

And with four minutes to go Miller - Canvey’s captain on the day in place of the injured Rob King - had the best chance of the game.

The full-back profited from some great approach play from Kevin Dobinson and Chatting, but dragged his shot wide with a clear sight of goal from 10 yards.

Canvey (4-4-2): Jones; Miller, Blackwell, Orlu, Dumas; Gordon, Hawes, Edgar (Dobinson 68), Chatting; Curran (Hudson 68), Heale.

Echo MOM: Richard Orlu (Canvey).