Canvey Island 0 Bury Town 2
A wonder strike by young Will Gardner, and a late poacher's effort by substitute Cruise Nyadzayo, secured a terrific away win for Bury Town in a top-three clash in the Isthmian League North at Canvey Island's Park Lane this afternoon.
Hosts Canvey Island hit the woodwork twice, but it was battling Bury who took the points to stay unbeaten in the league.
Left-back Gardner broke the deadlock with a sensational long-range strike in the 37th minute, crashing a 25-yarder into the top corner of the net.
And Ben Chenery's men then soaked up some second-half pressure from the Gulls, who had begun the day in second spot after three wins from three starts, before Nyadazyo took advantage of some hesitancy in the Gulls defence to slot the ball beyond keeper Lamar Johnson for the killer second on 86 minutes.
Bury have now collected 10 points from a possible 12 in their first four fixtures of the campaign.
The visitors began brightly and bossed possession in the first few minutes, although it was Canvey Island who created the early chances.
Keeper Dan Barden, on loan for the season from Norwich City, dived bravely at the feet of striker Jason Hallett to snuff out a chance on seven minutes, and just a minute later winger Josh Hutchinson smacked the inside of the near post with a ferocious low drive.
At the other end, keeper Johnson just managed to scoop up a through ball before Ollie Hughes could pounce on 18 minutes - the Blues striker needed treatment on an injured knee before he could continue.
On the half-hour mark, Gardner whipped over a terrific cross from the left which caused problems in the Gulls' defence. Hughes and Emmanuel Machaya were just a whisker away from diverting home.
Three minutes later and another Bury cross, this time delivered by Machaya from the right flank, again only needed a touch as the ball whistled just beyond the reach of Cemal Ramadan, with defender Alex Stephenson almost stabbing it home for an own goal.
However, Bury did hit the target in the 37th minute, thanks to a thunderbolt from Gardner.
Bury moved the ball about confidently, outside the penalty area, with Ramadan and Ryan Horne both involved, but there seemed little danger when Gardner received the ball until he let fly with an unstoppable shot from 25 yards out.
Gardner's rip-roaring effort rose beyond keeper Johnson and flew into the top corner of the net.
Hughes nodded wide from Jake Chambers-Shaw's cross, in first-half stoppage time, as the visitors ended the first half on top.
The Gulls stepped up a gear at the start of the second half, peppering the target.
Hallett's goalbound shot was deflected wide from Sammy Knott's cross, and the hosts hit the woodwork for the second time of the afternoon when defender Stephenson's towering header from Hutchinson's 56th minute corner rebounded off the far post.
Bury had to defend a few corners around the 75-minute mark, including when keeper Barden had to arch back to claw the ball over his bar to prevent an own goal by Joe Hood.
Barden came to Bury's rescue again with a wonderful save in the 83rd minute, finger-tipping George Purcell's deflected shot over his bar.
Substitute Nyadzayo made the game safe by sweeping home after both defender Elliott Warren and keeper Johnson had misjudged a long ball forward, with four minutes remaining.
Squads
CANVEY ISLAND: Johnson, Osifuwa, Knott, Lacey (sub Hamphreys, 62), Warren, Stephenson, Joseph, Levett, Hallett, Purcell, Hutchinson (sub Gebrai, 80). Unused subs: Gilbert, Finnegan, Dulieu.
BURY TOWN: Barden, Stafford, Gardner, Hood, White, Machaya (sub Robson, 650, Chambers-Shaw (sub Maughn, 72), Horne, Hughes, Ramadan (sub Nyadzayo, 85), Crane. Unused subs: Kennedy, Bugg.
Attendance: 251
Elsewhere in Isthmian League North, AFC SUDBURY beat Romford 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller at King's Marsh, thanks to an injury-time winner by Tom Maycock.
Ben Hunter put Sudbury 1-0 up in the eighth minute, shrugging off a challenge to slot the ball past keeper Aldridge, but Romford scored two goals in quick succession through Jonathon Nzengo (23) and Jimmy Cox (24) to go 2-1 up.
Liam Bennett, who again impressed all afternoon, equalised from the edge of the box in the 36th minute, and it remained 2-2 at half-time.
Nzengo restored Romford's lead in the 53rd minute, but Billy Holland equalised by stabbing home Maycock's cross on 73 minutes.
And with time running out, Bennett won possession and Dettmar obliged with a 25-yard lob.
League leaders MALDON & TIPTREE made it four wins out of four, beating Aveley 2-0 away from home.
First-half goals by Joseph Wicks and Danny Parish, in the 14th and 40th minutes, won it for the Jammers.
FELIXSTOWE & WALTON UNITED went down 3-0 at Soham Town Rangers. Jake Andrews (37) and Sam Mulready (38) gave the hosts a 2-0 half-time lead, and Toy Andrews netted the third in the 79th minute.
Meanwhile, in the Southern League Premier Central, NEEDHAM MARKET celebrated a notable 1-0 away win at Hednesford Town.
Luke Ingram scored the only goal of the game, tucking home from close range in the 18th minute after the home keeper had failed to deal with a cross by Callum Strurgess.
But there was no joy for winless LEISTON, who went down 2-1 at home to Alvechurch.
Joshua Ezewele fired the visitors 1-0 up in the 28th minute, and an own goal by Harry Knights doubled the lead in the 40th minute. An own goal by away keeper Lloyd Ransome gave Leiston hope on 53 minutes, but they remain bottom of the league.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here