CANVEY Island manager Danny Heale says reducing the impact of Grays Athletic’s attacking triumvirate will be key if they are to continue their recent resurgence.

The Gulls will be aiming to win four league games on the bounce in the same season for the first time since April 2012 when they host table-topping Grays tonight.

And Heale says the threat posed by the red-hot Dumebi Dumaka, who has already scored eight goals this term, and wide men Joao Carlos and Bradley Fortnam-Tomlinson, is something his defence are aware of, having been beaten by Grays twice in the last three weeks.

“We did struggle against their attacking players when we played them and we need to try to reduce their threat,” he said. “They have great pace in forward areas but we dealt with it better in the league game (which Canvey lost 2-0). A goalkeeping error killed us in that game but we have rectified it now and look a better team.

“Dumaka won’t have his suspension (which he received against Dulwich Hamlet 10 days ago) kick in yet so we know how important a player he is for them. But we are confident and will do our best to stop him.”

Grays are the only unbeaten side in the division, having won six of their eight games so far, although the Gulls are also in fine form.

Saturday’s 3-2 win against Hendon, having been 2-0 down midway through the first-half, made it nine points from nine in the past week.

And Heale said his side deserved the points.

“Anyone at the game would have said we were the better side throughout,” he said. “They didn’t cause us too many problems and their goals came against the run of play. That said, to come back and win still takes great character and they should be very pleased with their performance.

“We are heading in the right direction but we know there is always a kick in the teeth around the corner.”