CANVEY go into home action against Cambridge United tomorrow determined not to repeat last week's first-half performance that saw them sunk without trace.

Gulls turned things round with a much-improved showing in the second-half of a game that saw opponents Tamworth move off bottom spot with a 2-1 success.

And manager Jeff King insists: "If we play like we did in the second-half of that match we'll be alright."

The opening 45 minutes, and pre-match, were a catalogue of disasters for the Park Lane side.

Without their most consistent central defender in Dominic Sterling for a month due to a slight cartilage tear in the knee, plans to replace him with Steve Ward were scuppered when the latter reported with a back injury.

Young Mitchell Howes was called back from the reserves at Leyton to play at right-back with Ben Chenery switching to the centre alongside Dave McGhee.

But he failed to arrive back in time for his Conference debut and Gulls eventually paired McGhee with Nathan Bunce at the heart of the rearguard.

The pairing proved far from ideal and the Islanders could have been four or five down, rather than the 1-0 scoreline which stood at the break.

In the second-half Canvey dominated with Bunce, who yesterday looked set to join Ryman Premier East Thurrock United on loan, leaving the action - almost certainly for the last time in an Island shirt.