Arlesey Town 1 Canvey Island 4 No excuses for this scoreline could be made for Arlesey as they were well beaten. It was not a good day for the Blues who looked to be lacking any attacking potential to worry a side with the play-offs firmly in their sights

Arlesey Town 1 Canvey Island 4

No excuses for this scoreline could be made for Arlesey as they were well beaten.

It was not a good day for the Blues who looked to be lacking any attacking potential to worry a side with the play-offs firmly in their sights.

Only a goal down at the break after playing against a strong wind, they failed to adjust their game and were given a footballing lesson in the second half.

Just some steadfast defending stopped an even heavier defeat.

Ryan Oliva failed to recover from the ankle injury sustained in the Beds Senior Cup fixture with Leighton Town before Easter.

Matt Clark took over his role in the centre of the home defence and was easily the best Arlesey player.

The Blues had a great chance in the fourth minute as a clever ball from Leon Gutzmore found Obi Nene whose shot was blocked by the Canvey keeper James Russell, on loan from Stevenage Boro.

Curran could only place a free header wide from a left-wing cross from Fanibuyan, and then Clark rescued Arlesey when he twice blocked shots from Canvey forwards.

The visitors were increasing the pressure on the home goal with the home defence fighting a rearguard effort.

However, the visitors took the lead in the 43rd minute in unlikely circumstances.

Having cleared their lines, Curran hit the ball goalwards from the right wing for the gale to take the ball into the net.

On the restart, Arlesey could not make any meaningful attacks with the wind in their favour and were lucky to stay in contention when Haule beat the defence only to strike the crossbar.

The second Canvey goal arrived in the 51st minute from a Dobinson free-kick when Haule headed home from close range.

The only change in proceedings came when Nene returned the first-half compliment to Gutzmore whose shot was saved by Russell.

Double substitutions for the home side saw Lee Tekell and Ide Okojie on for Nene and Craig Reynolds.

This had little effect for in the 70th minute, Curran worked the ball on the edge of the penalty area to deliver a low shot that found the net through a crowd of players.

Luke Howard blocked a Fanibuyan shot from close range, before the home side at last produced some attacks and Russell was forced to make a fine save from a diving header by Gutzmore.

Luck, who had minutes earlier come on for the visitors, added number four with a low shot in the 85th minute.

Arlesey gained a consolation when Tekell took a free-kick from the left-wing position from around 30 yards that defeated Russell.

Blues: Howard, Waldron, Fowler, Clark, Dillnutt, Beale, Young, Brown, Gutzmore, Nene, Reynolds. Subs: Tekell, Okojie, Beevor, Robinson.