Canvey Island's longest-serving player, goal star Andy Jones, laughed off suggestions that he might be about to join Great Wakering Rovers in their bid for for Ryman League Third Division promotion - and then let his boots do the talking to show that he still has a leading part to play in Gull's immediate future.

A newspaper article this week claimed that Jones might be off to Burroughs Park but he told me: "I'm not going anywhere. No disrespect to Wakering or anyone else, but I've got no desire to play for any other club.

"Canvey's been my team through and through for more than eight years now. I've had a wonderful career here and, when I'm finished at Park Lane, I'll be retiring. After this season I've still got a year of my contract left and that might well be when I quit.

"I've heard some stories linking me with other clubs over the years, but to be honest this is a new one on me. There's certainly no truth in it."

Jones has been the Islanders' top scorer throughout his time at Park Lane, now has well over 200 goals to his name, and, despite lengthy spells out of the side through illness and injury this term, he returned to the top of this season's marksman list with a hat-trick in last night's 8-0 humbling of Division Three Aveley.

The start of this Essex Thames-side Trophy quarter-final was held up for ten minutes as rain which fell throughout South-East Essex for most of the day continued to lash down. However, it dramatically stopped - although Aveley must have wished it hadn't.

The visitors have faltered in their promotion bid in recent weeks, have lost star striker Tony Rogers to Ford United, and parted company with manager Keith Wenham at the weekend.

It took Gulls, who rested a handful of first team regulars, just eight minutes to open the scoring through Neil Gregory. Sammy Cooper made it 2-0 after ten minutes and things then went from bad to worse for the visitors with an own goal.

Jones, in his first senior outing for several weeks, got the next two after 37 and 40 minutes to make it 5-0 at the break. Jeff Brazier grabbed a couple after 51 and 56 minutes before Jones wrapped up the latest in a long-line of hat-tricks with an 88th minute goal to bring his tally for the term to 23.

The Islanders are well ahead of other clubs in the race for the Thames silver galleon trophy and will be away to Tilbury, Waltham Abbery or Leyton Pennant in their bid for a final spot.

More immediately, Jeff King's men go to Basingstoke, unbeaten at home since November, to continue their efforts to finish their first season at Premier Division level in at least runners-up spot on Saturday.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.