Match report: Cambridge City 1-2 Canvey Island

Cambridge City geared up for their opening round in the Isthmian League North Division and, after an impressive win away to Lowestoft Town in the FA Cup the weekend before, were in good form going into the fixture.

Canvey Island don't enter the FA Cup until the Preliminary Round so the Gulls played their opening match of their league campaign last weekend, a match which ended in a 2-1 defeat to Gorleston.

It was an exciting day off the pitch as City celebrated the opening of the new main stand, and both sets of fans enjoyed the facilities pre-match.

The match kicked off and it took just three minutes for the first goal and it was the team who were relegated from the Isthmian Premier, Canvey Island, who took the lead. A throw on the left-hand side was launched into the box and the ball flicked off the unfortunate Ryan Fryatt's head and into the net.

City tried to respond and in the 16th minute Travis Dodsworth drove in a shot which eventually came out to Jack Thompson, who then shot over the bar.

City had the most of the ball in the next few minutes but struggled to really test Canvey Island's defence. After 35 minutes, Fryatt found Charlie Royle on the edge of the penalty area. The cross was sent to the near post and Fletcher Toll got to the ball first but his effort hit the post. The resulting corner saw Reece Harris' shot blocked by Sid Walker.

Three minutes later, Canvey Island looked to break down the other end. A long ball from ex-Lilywhite George Scales found Mitchell May, but the striker was unable to add to his goal from last week as James Philp thwarted him at the near post. With four minutes left of the first half, Fryatt and Charles Brown-Bampoe worked together and this allowed Dodsworth to take a shot from outside the area that David Hughes did well to tip round the post. City then had a corner that saw Harris send in a cross that Brown-Bampoe headed over the bar from six yards.

The second half started in the same way as the first. Within six minutes of the restart, Conor Hubble played May in, and the Canvey striker was one-on-one with Philp, but he dragged his shot wide.

With an hour gone, Toll played the ball up to substitute Freddie Hockey; the shot was blocked and Thompson came rushing in to fire in an equaliser but Hughes stretched to make a stunning save a keep his side in front.

Hockey then went on a mazy run on the far wing, and he sent in a cross which saw Fryatt miss a header from six yards. Another chance six minutes later saw Fryatt put wide again from a second corner after Elliot Ronto had cleared the first one. Canvey looked up the other end to try and kill the game off. Louie Arrowsmith went traversing up the field, found May on the edge of the box and the deflected shot just looped wide of the far post with Philp beaten.

As the clock hit 80 minutes, Canvey Island scored again. Ernest Okoh did well to turn two defenders and then send in a shot which clipped the base of the far post and rebounded into the net.

It could have been three moments later, as a neat one-touch passing move between three Canvey Island players allowed Rasheed Salau to force a save from Philp.

City did manage to grab what proved to be a consolation late on. Toll and Dodsworth worked together to find Lewis Hayes on the wing, Hayes then crossed the ball into the 18-yard area and Toll tried to head towards goal. It was deflected towards the penalty spot and right into the path of Royle, who thumped home to open City's account for the season.

Despite their best efforts, City were not able to equalise and the visitors took all three points. The loss means that City start the campaign without a win for the third successive season, with City's last win being a 3-2 win over Gresley Rovers back in 2023.