Canvey Island 1, Harrow Boro 0

NOT a game for the purists but certainly one for the pragmatists, Canvey went joint top of the early league table as a Rob King penalty gave them their second, hard-fought 1-0 home win in a week.

They were the superior side in a game lacking quality which was settled when keeper Nick Pope bundled over Alex Rhodes and King converted for his fourth winning goal in as many games.

Prior to yesterday’s game between Hendon and Lewis, it left Canvey as one of only three teams with 12 points along with Hendon and Lowestoft Town, who made the day even sweeter for the Gulls by thumping island rivals Concord 5-0.

Canvey manager John Batch admitted his side’s result outshone their performance.

He said: “It was not really the way we want to play.

“But to be fair we looked solid and they never looked like scoring. But I’m happy with a one-nil win, even if it was not a great performance.

“We are not at our best yet, but we have still picked up some good points.

“And I know that we will click soon and then we are going to hit someone for four or five.”

Defences dominated on Saturday, and it was not until the 37th minute that a keeper was tested as Pope comfortably plucked Rhodes’ header out of the air.

That sparked a lively end to the half which saw Rhodes’ drive blocked by Pope, before Canvey keeper James Russell pulled off a fantastic reflex save to push Dave Lawrence’s header over the bar.

The second half started much the same as the first until the breakthrough came in the 63rd minute.

Antonio Gonnella, recalled to the starting XI after dropping to the bench for Monday’s game with East Thurrock, hooked a hopeful ball forward from the half-way line.

Rhodes raced onto it before pushing it past Pope, who clumsily knocked him to the floor.

The keeper was lucky to escape with just a yellow, but King dished out additional punishment by side-footing inside the right-hand post from 12 yards.

It looked like the visitors would draw level four minutes later when Duane Ofori-Acheampong put Lawrence clean through on goal.

But Steve Sheehan, a summer signing from East Thurrock, marked an impressive display alongside John Easterford in the heart of the home defence by making a brilliant last-ditch challenge to stop the ball leaving the forward’s foot.

Rhodes then headed agonisingly wide from Gonnella’s cross before Canvey survived a late scare when Russell made a smart, one-handed stop to keep out Wayne Walter’s header.

It would have been ruled out for off-side in any event, but that did not detract from a fine save by the former Chelsea youth.

Canvey (4-4-2): Russell 7; Dumas 6, Sheehan 7, Easterford 8, West 6; Rhodes 7, King 7, Game 6, Gonnella 6 (Matthews 87, 6); Heale 6, Curran 6 (Alaile 70, 6).