Blues 1 Canvey Island 1

It was third against fourth in the Ryman Premier Division on Wednesday evening and for the second time this season the Blues and Canvey Island played out a 1-1 draw in a match sponsored by Cracknell Properties Limited. Leiston were missing Patrick Brothers, Danny Cunningham, Christy Finch and John Sands as boss Richard Wilkins gave a first league start to Jake Taylor writes Mark Barber. It took just 62 seconds for the deadlock to be broken. Jake Taylor clashed with Canvey midfielder Glen Poole midway inside the Canvey half and won the free kick. Gareth Heath delivered a low whipped ball and when Canvey failed to clear their lines Billy Clark pounced on the loose ball to fire home confidently and give the Blues an early lead. Another couple of half chances fell to Gareth Heath and Jake Taylor inside ten minutes but Canvey composed themselves well after the early goal and could have equalised on 13 minutes. Stuart Boardley conceded the free kick after a foul on Tyrell Miller-Rodney and Poole’s free kick found Steve Sheehan free at the back post. He drilled his shot low and hard across goal but Ashlee Jones did well to save and deflect the ball away to safety. Canvey did equalise on the half hour mark. A throw in on the right hand side by Tambeson Eyong found its way through to Glen Poole and the lively midfielder shifted it on to his left and let fly with a low driven effort that possibly took a deflection and nestled in the bottom right corner. Just 6 minutes later and the visitors could have taken the lead. Eyong worked it to Lawrence Yiga who played it out to Harrison Chatting on the left hand side. His ball to the back post found the prolific Martin Tuohy free but his shot hit the post and Tom Bullard was on hand to clear it away. It was really end to end stuff in the latter stages of the first half, Joe Francis going close after cutting in on his right foot and immediately Canvey broke but this time their deflected effort went the other side of Ashlee Jones’ goal.

HT - Blues 1 Canvey Island 1

Two minutes after the break and Canvey tried to catch Leiston napping. The ball fell to Tony Stokes within striking distance but his half volley went just inches past the left hand upright with Ashlee Jones beaten. Ashlee Jones wasn’t to be beaten on 53 minutes after some good interplay between Miller-Rodney, Poole and Dumas set up Tuohy for a quick shot but Ashlee Jones was equal to it getting low down to his right and turning it round the post. Canvey had most of the possession and looked the more likely to score but Gareth Heath and Billy Clark in particular worked hard for Leiston going forward. Tom Winter was introduced in the 72nd minutes, with Jake Taylor making way. This pushed Gareth Heath further up the field. A major scramble from a Canvey corner was eventually cleared on 74 minutes and allowed Leiston to break through Gareth Heath. With a three on two scenario developing Joe Francis found himself with time and space going through but he couldn’t shift the ball onto his favoured left foot and get the shot away. Ashlee Jones made another smart stop late on tipping Eyong’s strike onto the post and denying the visitors all three points but as both teams tired the draw looked the likely result and so it proved after a tense period of added time where both teams had corners. It almost goes without saying now that Joe Jefford and Tom Bullard were immense once again for Leiston and this formidable partnership looks one of the very best in the league. A decent point for both sides in the circumstances and Leiston can now concentrate on this weekend’s FA Trophy game at Worthing FC.

FT - Blues 1 Canvey Island 1

Blues - Jones, Saker, Dunbar, Boardley, Jefford, Bullard, Ottley Gooch, Heath, Taylor (Winter 72 mins), Clark, Francis (Baker 90 mins). Subs not used - Trotter, Thurlow and Rossis.

Canvey Island - Gough, Pitty, Dumas, Eyong, Sheehan, Yiga, Miller-Rodney, Poole (Gordon 64 mins), Chatting (Agyakwa 81 mins), Tuohy, Stokes. Subs not use - Lawson, Adenji and Gilchrist.

Match sponsors Cracknell Properties Limited Man of the Match - Gareth Heath

Attendance - 225