Canvey Island's longest-serving player, Steve Ward, will aim to be the daddy of them all tomorrow when Gulls bid to ease their Nationwide Conference relegation fears.

The Islanders host fellow strugglers Northwich Victoria and Ward became a father for the first time this week when his wife gave birth to a baby daughter.

Victory over the Cheshire visitors would cap a great week for crowd favourite Ward, who has been with the club for nearly nine years now and writes a column for Gulls' matchday programme under the - Ginger Sex God - banner.

Jeff King's men have kept clear of immediate danger of dropping into the drop zone with a good run of home form which has seen them unbeaten in their last five Conference appearances at Park Lane.

That spell includes victories over Dagenham and Stevenage in their last two home appearances and is in stark contrast to their struggles on opposition territory.

There they have lost their last seven Conference games on the trot - a depressing run which started with defeat at Northwich on Guy Fawkes' night.