Tilbury 3, Canvey Island 2

DOCKERS continue to hold the whip hand over near neighbours Canvey, following up a Ryman Division One North double last season, with another hard-fought win at sun-baked Chadfields on Monday.

Few football watchers would deny that Canvey boast a generally more skilful squad and, player-for-player, on paper they have much the better side.

But football matches aren't played on paper and new Dockers boss John Lawrence has instilled a sense of pride, team ethos and never-say-die spirit in his side that is confounding the critics.

Canvey, on the other hand, lacked a little bit of bottle, particularly in midfield and they were found wanting in most departments on Monday.

Dockers made the brighter start and were rewarded with a goal after just four minutes when Danny Smith win the ball in midfield and fed it through to Kurt Smith. The Tilbury man still had plenty to do but he twisted in the box and drilled a shot past one time Dockers keeper Ricky Wiseman.

From then on, for virtually the rest of the half, it was backs-to-the-wall stuff for Tilbury.

Ian Luck tested home keeper Richard Wray with a good effort and then Islanders captain Craig Davidson went close with a header after getting on the end of Leon Gordon's cross.

But for all their possession Canvey were struggling to create a clear cut chance with the home defence expertly marshalled by the ever-competitive Paul King.

And it took a touch of good fortune for the Islanders to draw level on 40 minutes.

Dockers looked to have snuffed out another Canvey attack with the ball drifting over the dead-ball line and they were shaping up for the goal-kick when referee Simon Essex inexplicably awarded a corner.

The decision stunned the home side and their attention was distracted from the job in hand.

So much so that when Gordon swung over the cross they failed to mark up and then let Luck's innocuous effort drift, almost in slow motion, through a sea of players into the net with Wray flat-footed.

It says much of Tilbury's spirit that they quickly put the moment behind them and the last significant action of the half saw Lee Springer feed a superb ball through to Kurt Smith, whose snap shot brought a full length save from Wiseman.

Canvey had enjoyed most of the possession in the first 45 and the second continued in the same vein until a bizarre piece of defending handed Tilbury the lead on 69 minutes.

There seemed little danger when a looping ball was played into the box and it looked for all the world that Wiseman would gather it. However, somewhat mesmorised by a less then even bounce he dithered, perhaps thinking that central defender Colin wall - another ex Docker - would clear the danger but while they stuck it was a case of Twist for Tilbury as James Twist nipped in between to force the ball home as the keeper belatedly flapped at his feet.

The lead lasted just two minutes and it was another goalkeeping error that precipitated the ball ending up in the net.

Having seen a set piece well defended by Tilbury, Canvey whipped a flat cross in from the left and Andrew West lost marker Gbenga Sonuga to stoop towards the ball. The danger appeared minimal but Wray decided to race from his line to collect the ball and West's flick diverted it past him into an unguarded net. Wray clattered into Sonunga and both Tilbury men where undoubtedly left with bruises to add to their ignomy.

Tilbury almost took the lead again moments later after another piece of indecision from Wiseman who left his area only to half clear the ball.

It fell to Luke Stanley who looked to be to prod a shot at an unguarded goal but Clyde Roberts took his feet from him. Roberts got a yellow card when a theorist could have argued he deserved red for stopping a clear-goalscoring opportunity. And there was a second escape for Canvey when King drilled the subsequent free kick against the upright, Kurt Smith firing the rebound high, wide and not very handsome.

From then on it looked likely that Canvey would win, if anyone was going to, as they resumed dominance. And their chances were much increased when Kurt Smith, booked in the first half for a foul, charged down a free-kick from close range and was promptly shown his second yellow.

However, it was to be Tilbury's day.

King had earned himself another plus point as the day's outstanding Tilbury performer by hooking Ryan Edgar's effort away from goal when Tilbury took possession on the right. There seemed little on but substitute Erkan Yusef rolled a ball through to another replacement, Babatunde Olagunju and the Tilbury player made the most of the defence-splitting opportunity, taking his time until Wiseman committed himself and then sliding the ball past the keeper to spark great celebrations from the home side and despair to the well-supported visitors, whose fans will have made the short journey home wondering just how they didn't win a match they dominated.

Dockers boss John Lawrence perhaps knows the secret. Afterwards he said: "We know we don't have the best players in the league here but we have got together a squad who play for each other, work very hard on and off the pitch and who have exactly the right spirit.

"We have deserved this win for those qualities and other than the match at Brentwood, when we got what we deserved - nothing - I think we have done very well so far this season and I hope we will build on this and continue to go forward."

Tilbury: Richard Wray, Nathan Philip, Jay Taylor, Gbenga Somuga, Paul King, Danny Smith, Kurt Smith, James Twist (Stuart Roberts 74), Lee Springer (Erkan Yusef 65), John Hefford (Olagunju Babatunde 56), Luke Stanley. Subs not used: Danny O'Connor, Lloyd Athony.

Canvey Island: Ricky Wiseman, Craig Davidson, Chris Bourne, Andrew West, Colin wall, Clyde Roberts, Gabriel Fanybuyan, Ryan Edgar, Nicky Rugg, Ian Luck, Leon Gordon.