Canvey Island 1 Wealdstone 1

Wealdstone left Park Lane wondering how they did not bag all three points after a frenetic ending to a pulsating encounter.

Lee Chappell's first half strike had put the visitors on course for victory but Jay Curran's 78th minute equaliser earned the Essex boys a share of the spoils.

Whether they deserved that, however, is debatable after Stones threw the kitchen sink at their opponents, particularly in the second half.

Substitutes Danny Spendloveand Davis Haule both should have done better, while David Hicks' late effort was somehow kept out by Island keeper Ricky Wiseman, just when it looked as if the ball had trickled through his legs.

Canvey then thought they had won it, but substitute Leon Antoine's effort was ruled out for offside.

"If you had told me before the game that we would take a point off a side just outside the playoffs away from home, I would have been satisfied," said Stones boss Gordon Bartlett.

"But I'm disappointed we never won it as we dominated for long periods and hit the woodwork twice. We gave away two points."

However, Bartlett admits his side's profligacy in front of goal cost them dear.

"It looks a decent result on paper," he added. "How their keeper managed to save the shot (from Hicks) between his legs is anyone's guess. Our finishing wasn't really clinical enough to win us the game."

Greg Ngoyi started up front with Ben Alexander, and the visitors made their attacking intentions clear from the first whistle. Ngoyi struck the Gulls crossbar after eight minutes before they took the lead 20 minutes later.

Chappell broke forward and,having shaped to cross, caught out Wiseman with a rasping drive that flew in at the near post.

The Stones controlled the rest of the half, but were unable to create any more clear cut chances and had to settle for their slender lead at the break.

The game opened up in the second half and it was the Stones who went closest first, but Alexander's 20 yard piledriver crashed back off the upright.

Canvey, sensing luck was on their side, gradually got back into the game and their patience was rewarded wth the equaliser after 78 minutes.

Craig Davidson was allowed room to cross into the box where Curran's glancing header gave Sean Thomas no chance.

The Stones bounced back, but Wiseman was twice equal to the task, yet the Canvey keeper did not have to break a sweat to keep out late weak efforts from Spendlove and Haule.

Hicks' chance to settle it came and went before Canvey's Antoine was left cursing the lineman's flag. [25a0] Wealdstone: Thomas, Carl Martin, Chappell, Gray (cpt), Massey, Ashe, Forbes, O'Leary,Alexander (Haule, 69), Ngoyi (Spendlove,45), Hicks.