Canvey and their Surrey hosts provided the sort of game which might delight fans, but is destined to give managers and coaches heart attacks.

What was particularly surprising about this Ryman League Division One affair was that the two sides had managed just 47 goals between them in 34 games previously this season.

The Islanders undoubtedly had the greater reason to bemoan the loss of two points. Leading 5-2 with 13 minutes to go, they still held a two-goal advantage with little more than 180 seconds of normal time remaining.

Main reason for the 10-goal feast was that defenders found it impossible to turn on the mudheap of a surface . . . although it was well into the second-half before scoring become a mere formality.

Paul Williams shot Canvey ahead after the ball stuck in the mud after 20 minutes only for Leon Dillon to equalise three minutes later.

Steve Parmenter edged Gulls back in front a minute before the break when he fired home after a Williams shot from Steve Tilson's corner hit a defender.

The Islanders looked on their way to three very welcome promotion points after 47 minutes. That man Tilson, with seven goals in the four previous games, struck home a penalty after Alan Brett had been brought down by home skipper Phil Dawson.

Tilson sent Brett clear on the hour to make it 4-1, but Whyteleafe gave notice that they were not finished when Gary Fisher headed home their second two minutes later.

Fifteen minutes from timer, Chris Payne shot home Canvey's fifth, but Whyteleafe had introduced two nippy substitutes by this stage and Canvey were getting increasingly bogged down at the back.

Dillon grabbed a third for the home side 12 minutes from time and the Surrey hosts enjoyed a major let-off when goalkeeper Danny Rose, clearly handling outside the box to stop Parmenter breaking clear, was only cautioned rather than sent-off.

Whyteleafe took advantage of this escape to reduce the deficit to one goal after 88 minutes when Dean Howland scored. Then Dillon completed his hat-trick in injury-time to rescue a point to boost Whyteleafe's bid to escape the drop.

The loss of two points was not a complete disaster for Jeff King's men in their promotion hunt. Leaders Bognor Regis were held at home by draw specialists Molesey, who shared the spoils for the 13th time in 20 games.

Hitchin, leading 2-0 at the time, saw their match at Romford abandoned when a flash of lightning put the floodlights out after 62 minutes.

Only Braintree gained a real advantage, thrashing Staines 4-0 at home.

Gulls are due to host Dr Martens Southern Division Chelmsford City in the Essex Senior Cup tomorrow night before staging their big Essex derby with Grays next Saturday.

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