I was over at a huge Ryman Premier Division match at Park Lane on the Island as Canvey Island welcomed Havent & Waterlooville to the Essex Riviera on Good Friday.
The game was important for both sides, The Gulls needed a win to virtually guarantee their safety whilst the Hawks knew a win would take them two points clear of south coast rivalsBognor Regis Town at the top of the Ryman Premier.
The last time the sides met down in Havant the Hawks cruised to a 4-0 win although this was always going to be a closer contest with what was at stake here. And a decent crowd of 409 were inside the ground to see what would happen over the ninety of so minutes.
Well it was almost a horrid start for the hosts as inside the opening minute the visitors realeased Alfie Rutherford in behind the hosts defence, but keeper Conor Hough thwarted the Hawks striker and the Gulls survived, and then on three minutes it was the hosts who could of scored as Mitch Gilbey got in down the right, but his square ball to Marlon Agyakwa saw a weak effort cleared off the line.
However in the 11th minute the hosts did take the lead when a great cross from Jake Pitty found George Sykes who headed home and see the Gulls take a precious lead over the promotion and title chasing visitors. And for a few minutes after this the hosts looked to try and add a quick second although this never materialised.
After Havant had rode that storm they started to assert themselves more into the contest and in the 24th minute won a penalty kick after James Hayter was pushed over in the box. Hayter himself took it but saw the spot kick saved by Gough before moments later Theo Lewis blasted over from a good position and Canvey had survived again.
As the game went past the half hour mark Havant were turning the screw slightly in a bid to get back into the game and after Hayter saw an effort saved by Gough, Wes Fogden blasted over from a great position and another chance went begging for the visitors. Canvey almost made it two in the 37th minute when good skill from Sykes saw him tee up his own volley but Hawks keeper Ryan Young made a decent save.
Five minutes before the break saw more Havant pressure as a long range effort from Lewis was saved by Gough before a Lewis header was cleared off the line then another effort was blocked and then Gough made another good save to thwart the Hampshire side yet again.
However just as you thought it wasn’t going to be Havant’s day, they found an equaliser four minutes ‘before half time when a ball headed back across the face of goal found Lewis who nodded home from a yard out and meant the sides went in at the break all square although it was the visitors who had the momentum you felt.
Half Time Canvey Island 1 Havant & Waterlooville 1
The expected Hawks onslaught at the start of the second period never really came though although a dangerous ball into the hosts box saw Gough awkwardly punch away low down and then the visitors fired well over again, this after the hosts saw an effort blocked, as the opening fifteen minutes of the half were fairly even.
On the hour mark the hosts had a good opportunity to re take the lead when after Agyakwa saw his eventual effort blocked, the ball broke to Simon Thomas who appeared to round the keeper however his effort was saved by the recovering Young who caught the effort high above his head.
But then in the 68th minute from nowhere the Hawks took the lead when Lewis took aim and fired home from distance into the corner of the net. Gough must of seen the strike late as he was very slow to get down to the effort but it meant the hosts had just over twenty minutes to find at least one goal to salvage something from the contest.
Five minutes after the goal the visitors saw the impressive Rutherford hit an effort just wide as the Hawks looked to seal the deal and three minutes after that a Hawks cross into the Canvey area saw the ball nodded back into the six yard box for Ed Harris to head just wide of the hosts net.
As the minutes ticked away Canvey tried their hardest to find a way through the Hawks defence, and in the 87th minute a Harrison Chatting effort almost found Agyakwa who was sliding across keeper Young, but the ball went through to Young who safely gathered.
Canvey huffed and puffed however they could not find a leveller and Havant held on to take a massive three points in their quest for the title and promotion back to the Vanarama National South and leave the hosts looking nervously over their shoulders hoping results go their way at the weekend.
Full Time Canvey Island 1 Havant & Waterlooville 2
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