Ryman Premier
Canvey Island 0 v 3 Grays Ath
IN a season of increasingly impressive performances, Grays Athletic completed an early season treble against their near neighbours on Tuesday night to maintain their unbeaten start to the season and retain a three point lead at the top of the Ryman Premier table.
Canvey went into Tuesday’s game on the back of a three match winning streak and were determined to gain revenge for a league Cup defeat on penalties and a 2-0 league defeat at Mill Field.
But they ran into a team that are on fire at the moment and the table toppers started the match in confident fashion with Dumebi GB Dumaka testing former Grays keeper Conor Gough with a shot from the edge of the box after three minutes.
Dumaka then headed powerfully over and Gough did well to keep out Nathan Ferguson’s fine strike.
Canvey began to settle into the game and Jay Curran and Wilson Carvalho had efforts wide of the mark, while Lamar Johnson was called into action to save Steve Sheehan’s header.
However, the force was with Grays and they took a deserved lead when Joao Carlos drove in from the left wing and drilled the ball low across goal and into the bottom.
Before the break Gough pulled off a decent stop to thwart Dumaka but though there were no more goals, the tide at the Thameside The Frost Financial Stadium was certainly with the Blues and they were to stretch their lead on 65 minutes Lawrence Yiga was adjudged to have fouled Dumaka just inside the box. James Stevens stepped up and thumped home another emphatic spot kick.
The points were secured ten minutes later when right back Jey Siva delivered a cross from the right wing which Dumaka cleverly headed across goal and over Gough.
