Canvey Island soccer boss Jeff King admits that the availability of central defender Steve Ward has given his side a tremendous boost ahead of tomorrow's Nationwide Conference home game with Morecambe.

Gull's longest serving player was set to sit out three games after receiving a red card in the closing stages of his first match of the season, the 1-0 defeat at Woking, last week.

But the Islanders disagreed with referee Andrew Sainsbury's decision that Ward had been guilty of a professional foul and had robbed the Surrey side's substitute frontman Amos Foyewa of a scoring chance when the two players collided.

Gulls sent video evidence to the FA who rescinded the red card, although the game's ruling body kept the decision on Ward's record and the club had to pay an £8 administration fee.

Said King: "We always felt the referee had got it wrong and are delighted the FA saw fit to change the red card decision.

"Both Wardy and Gavin Cowan did well at the heart of our defence last week and, with Ben Chenery still out with a hamstring problem, we don't want to lose any more central defenders."