CANVEY Island manager Danny Heale was left ruing his side’s bad luck after former Southend United goalkeeper Danny Gay netted an injury time equaliser at the Frost Financial Stadium.

Gay - who now lines up for Ryman Premier League leaders Needham Market - scored four minutes into stoppage time to secure a 2-2 draw.

And the unbelievable ending left Heale dumbfounded.

“I think this just sums up how things are going for us at the moment and how bad our luck is,” said the Canvey chief.

“The fourth official holds a board up for four minutes of stoppage time and we must have kept the ball in their half four three minutes and 50 seconds of that.

“But then they break away, they get a corner and after a bit of pinball it drops to their goalkeeper of all people to score.

“They’re at the top of the league so that’s what happens to them and we’re down towards the bottom so that’s what happens to us.”

But, despite conceding a disappointing late leveller, Heale was also keen to remain upbeat after the Gulls more than matched the top team in the league.

“We were a bit flat-footed for the first 10 to 15 minutes but after that I thought we were fantastic so it’s important we remain upbeat,” said Heale.

“We deserved to win this game against the team top of the table so that in itself is encouraging.

“But we have to regroup and go again because we still feel as though we’re in a false league position at the moment due to the number of games we have in hand on everyone else around us.”

The Gulls, who remain third from bottom in the Ryman Premier League table, welcomed Tambeson Eyong back into their starting line up on Tuesday night after he rejoined from Bishop’s Stortford earlier in the day.

Eyong took the place of captain Lee O’Leary in central midfield after he left for former club Kingstonian.

But it was the visitors who went in front when ex Canvey striker John Sands netted after a miscued clearance from Ashley Dumas.

However, the Gulls drew back level in the 62nd minute when Joey May fired home the rebound after Gay had got down low to save his shot from the penalty spot.

Canvey then went in front when Jake Pitty’s right wing cross was met by Harrison Chatting who toe-poked the ball into the back of the net from close range.

But deep into stoppage time in-form Needham bagged a dramatic equaliser when Gay - who played 11 times for Southend at the start of his career - struck from close range.

.