Canvey had only 24 hours to wait before discovering that their failure to beat relegation-threatened Whyteleafe at Park Lane on Good Friday had meant very little to their bid to win the Ryman League First Division title.

For, on Saturday, closest rivals Hitchin were also held on home territory when their game with Romford finished goalless.

The results mean that the Hertfordshire outfit, the only team with a realistic chance of stopping Jeff King's men going up as top dogs, remain four points behind from level games.

Having said that, it must be pointed out that Friday's action, played in front of a 600 plus Bank Holiday sunshine crowd, was not one of Gulls' most convincing.

With Steve Tilson suspended and Andy Jones injured, they partnered star signing Steve Parmenter with Danny Hazle up front.

Hazle, more of the big old fashioned bustling centre-forward type of striker than the two missing front-runners, did not have a bad game.

However, too often Canvey resorted to trying to use his physical presence by altering their normal quick passing style of play.

Frankly, it was an abject failure. The game had moved into it's 87th minute, with the Islanders 1-0 down, when they worked the ball behind the spirited visiting defence for one of the few times game and a cross from the left saw that man Parmenter score at the second attempt at the near post.

Before that, Gulls had huffed and puffed on a pleasantly warm afternoon, but had rarely threatened to blow the visiting defence down.

The Surrey visitors earned the respect of Canvey in their home game with the Islanders earlier in the year. Then they trailed 5-1 to King's men, but battled back in difficult pitch conditions to earn a draw at 5-5.

They came into this match fresh from a 3-0 home win over Uxbridge and again here showed that they will not surrender their First Division status without a fight.

That was a point not lost on manager King who said afterwards: "All credit to Whyteleafe for their battling spirit, but if we had played anything up to the level we are capable of we would have beaten them.

"We certainly didn't play anywhere up to that standard today - and I told the players so in no uncertain terms afterwards.

Canvey enjoyed huge territorial possession for long periods, but the visitors stunned the home fans 10 minutes from time with a breakaway goal from Leon Dillon.

A shock away win looked on the cards until that man Parmenter scored his 17th goal of the season - he only joined the club in late November - and that late effort, coupled with Hitchin's draw, put the Canvey title machine back in top gear.

The Islanders were looking to sustain that challenge at Braintree this afternoon in a match for which Jones was hoping to be fit - although 28-goal top scorer Tilson was out on the last game of his ban.

Reaching new heights - Canvey hit-man Steve Parmenter (right) lifts his side after scoring Gulls' equaliser

Picture: LUAN MARSHALL

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