Two goals in the last five minutes saw Canvey Island climb three places to seventh in the Ryman League Premier Division last night with victory at Boreham Wood.

The triumph means Gulls, who've now lost just once in 12 games, trail leaders St Albans by only five points.

However, Island fans who made the trip were fearful that their heroes were again about to let a lead slip as they did in their two previous League games, at home to Braintree and Purfleet.

For, after Scott Forbes, recalled following being left out of Saturday's clash with Purfleet, had headed the visitors into a 65th minute lead after good work by John Kennedy and Chris Duffy, the host side got back on terms 12 minutes later through Scott Honeyball's free-kick.

However, with Lee Protheroe and Forbes doing the spadework, central defender Ross Johnson crashed home a sweet left-foot volley to put Canvey back in the lead after 86 minutes.

Then the icing on the cake arrived two minutes later. Jeff Minton's effort was beaten out, but Kennedy crashed home a deflected effort to make sure of all three points and put Gulls in happy frame of mind approaching Saturday's big FA Cup final qualifying round visit to Division One North Slough Town.

Canvey had played some excellent passing football early on and Bertie Brayley produced a great save from the home keeper after 23 minutes. There were chances at both ends with visiting keeper Ashley Harrison having to pull off some good stops but, as the second-half progressed, it was Canvey who stepped up the pressure.

Brayley, Protheroe and Kennedy all went close before Forbes grabbed the opener. And, despite Boreham Wood's revival, it was Canvey's night in the end.

Said Island boss Jeff King: "All credit to Boreham Wood - they worked their proverbial socks off.

"We've made a bit of a habit recently of doing well and then throwing things away and it crossed my mind that the same thing might happen tonight when we conceded the equaliser.

"However, my players showed a lot of character tonight and we took control in the closing stages and might have had one or two more in the end.

"There's no such thing as an easy game in this division. Boreham Wood might be struggling near the bottom, but they certainly put up a fight against us tonight and I hope they'll battle like that in every game."

Published Tuesday October 22, 2002

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