Colchester United 2–2 Canvey Island (Colchester win 7-6 on penalties)

From the Weston Homes Community Stadium

Essex Senior Cup fourth round

 

CANVEY Island crashed out the Essex Senior Cup on penalties after an exciting game against an experienced Colchester United side.

Steve Sheehan missed the decisive spot-kick to send the nine-man Gulls out in the fourth round.

Colchester were playing several first-team players against the Gulls, who also started a strong team in a bid to win the trophy they last won in 2012.

But it was the hosts that started the brighter. Drey Wright fizzed in an effort that had the beating of Conor Gough, but the strike deflected off Lawrence Yiga and onto the crossbar.

Wright was then denied by Jake Pitty’s fine intervention, while Sammie Szmodics was also looking dangerous in forward areas.

And it was against the run of play that Canvey went ahead. Glenn Poole’s free-kick was nodded down by Yiga and Jay Curran tapped home.

The U’s responded, with Jack Curtis crashing an effort off the underside of the crossbar but they couldn’t level the tie before the break.

But then the flash point. An off the ball incident between Tony Stokes and Tom Lapslie saw the Gulls striker dismissed and the Colchester man shown just a yellow.

And seven minutes later the scores were level. Gough saved a shot but Szmodics was on hand to score from the loose ball.

Harrison Chatting sent a long-range effort off the frame of the goal but Szmodics was to score the goal that put the League One side ahead.

Ashley Dumas failed to clear and the attacker buried an effort into the corner.

The crossbar was taking a battering, with George Sykes the next to see the woodwork rattled, but it was Poole, so often a source of inspiration for Canvey that netted the leveler.

His free-kick took two deflections and found the corner.

Dumas was dismissed to take Canvey down to nine men but it was heartache at the last for the Gulls, as Sheehan's effort hit the bar and cleared the bar.

 

Canvey Island: Gough, Pitty (Halle), Sheehan, Dumas, Lawson, Yiga, Curran (Adeniji), Poole, Chatting, Tuohy (Sykes), Stokes