Canvey Island manager Steve Tilson's post-match interview can be found here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9Lp-7DAYzE

 

BRADLEY Woods-Garness scored a brace to fire the Gulls into the play-off places with a hard-fought win over visiting Thurrock.

The striker scored in either half to move the Gulls up from seventh to fourth, and push island rivals Concord - whose game at Hampton was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch - down to fifth.

Canvey manager Steve Tilson said it felt good to move into the top five, describing it as a "solid" if not "spectacular" performance.

"Things are going well, but things can change quickly," he said.

"We have got a lot of games in a short space of time coming up and two or three wins can propel you forward, but two or three defeats and you can obviously fall backward.

"So things are going well but we've got to keep our feet on the ground and keep going."

Only a terrific double save from Ashlee Jones stopped Thurrock taking an 11th minute lead. First he got down low to get a hand to Danny Green's side-foot from the edge of the box, and when Green followed up the Gulls keeper made an excellent reflex stop from close range.

Canvey's first sight of goal came in the 19th minute when Rob King blazed over, but a minute later they were in front as Ashley Dumas set up Woods-Garness to slot the ball instinctively inside the post for his 14th goal of the season.

It was a bit hard on Fleet, who had played well and went close late in the half when right back Darren Ebsworth made an over-lapping run but flashed a shot wide from 20 yards.

It was a shot-shy opening to the second half until Jay Curran muscled himself some space in the penalty area and drew a good low save from David Hughes on 70 minutes.

Then Fleet went very close as Robbie Norris hit a shot which skidded off the top of the crossbar a minute later.

But the Gulls hit a killer second a minute after that as Woods-Garness turned the ball home from close-range following a wicked, whipped delivery from Ashley Dumas.

Louis Dennis received a warm round of applause when he went off as a 68th minute substitute; it was the last game of his loan spell from Dagenham & Redbridge.

Woods-Garness went close to his hat-trick with seven minutes to go when he took Kevin Dobinson's pass in stride and fired into the side netting from a tight angle.

Canvey (4-4-2): Jones; Miller, Orlu, Hayles, Bondon; Curran, King, Dobinson, Dumas; Woods-Garness (Blackwell 85), Dennis (Chatting 68).

Thurrock (4-4-2): Hughes; Jones, Guest, Jeffries, Ebsworth; Wanadio (Paxman 67), Thurgood, Norris, Green; Stimson (Imbert 78), Honesty (Cook 78).

Echo MOM: Bradley Woods-Garness (Canvey Island).