| A very competitive
game played on a warm afternoon
at Earlsmead. Both sides came
out to attack, and the referee
was and needed to be assertive
to maintain control.
In the second minute the Gulls
Peter Smith blasted the ball
narrowly over the Harrow bar,
and in the 3rd minute Dean Marney
made a mistake which again nearly
led to an opening goal for Canvey.
In the 5th minute Lee Boylan,
who was outstanding for Canvey,
saw his shot tipped over the
bar by David Hook. At this stage
Harrow were having to dig deep
to prevent themselves from going
a goal down, but in the 13th
minute Abdulai Yoki shot narrowly
past Danny Potter in the Canvey
goal. In the 18th minute a good
shot by Daniel Dyer was well
saved by Potter after good work
by Danny Murphy, and very soon
afterwards a dangerous cross
by Dean Marney was well cut
out by the Canvey defence. The
game flowed from end to end
for the remainder of the first
half, and although the score
at half time was 0-0 it had
still be entertaining.
The second half was played
in a similar manner. Chances
came and went for both sides.
When a goal did arrive in the
70th minute it was someting
of an anti-climax. Clemente
Lopez was adjudged to have tripped
an opponent in a crowded penalty
area but the ball seemed to
be beyond the reach of the Canvey
forwards and going out of play.
The referee however awarded
a penalty which was well taken
with Lee Boylan placing the
ball in the bottom right hand
corner with Hook going the other
way. Harrow's heads dropped
but then in the 84th minute
Ross Fitzsimon, who had come
on as a substitute, went down
in the penalty area with a reasonable
claim for a spot kick. However
he was rewarded with a booking
for diving.
Overall the scoreline flattered
the visitors and Harrow can
consider themselves unlucky
not to have taken a point. |
