Canvey Island's superb first season at Ryman League Premier Division level has gone badly off the boil at precisely the wrong time.

Just ten days ago, Gulls' fans were still cherishing outside hopes of catching runaway leaders Dagenham and Redbridge for the title, but a run of just one point from three games sees the Islanders' chances of even finishing second diminishing fast.

The absence of key defender Steve Ward, still nursing an ankle injury, has been a telling factor in their fall from grace and he was again sorely missed in last night's 2-0 defeat at wet and windy Purfleet.

However, that doesn't tell the full story. At Ship Lane Gulls had the lion's share of the action, but were too often guilty of failing to even find the target when chances did come their way with shots being put wide.

Having said that, nothing should be taken away from Purfleet. When they came to Park Lane in the early days of the season, admittedly without a number of key men, they looked a poor side.

But Colin McBride, whose team attract one of the smallest crowds at this level, has worked wonders and Purfleet, very much one of the premier sides of the second-half of the season, now look set for a deserved finishing place in the top six.

Much of Canvey's first-half attacking play stemmed from the partnership of Craig Davidson and Chris Duffy down the left, but it was Purfleet who drew first blood after 38 minutes when star home striker George Georgiou scored a wonder goal - volleying home first time from a deep free-kick before Ashley Harrison in the visiting goal had time to blink.

Canvey continued to enjoy a large slice of the game after the break, but Purfleet, with the superbly skilful Jon Keeling, given a free role, always at the heart of things, were always dangerous on the break.

The game almost certainly turned on a 63rd minute incident when David Kerslake knocked a ball into the box and Neil Gregory fired home a volley which appeared to have goal written all over it. However, former Basildon United and Concord Rangers goalkeeper Steve Mead produced a brilliant save to push the ball over the bar.

Purfleet grew in stature from that boost and, five minutes from time, grabbed a second when a free-kick just outside the box saw Simon Webb curl the ball round the defensive wall into the net. Gulls host bottom club Boreham Wood on Saturday.

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