A busy opening week to the Isthmian Premier Division season concludes with a trip to Canvey Island.
Invicta continued an unbeaten start to the campaign with a second consecutive 1-1 draw on Tuesday evening against Cray Wanderers at Flamingo Park. Debutant Kweku Lucan scored Invicta’s equalising goal. Find out more about Kweku here.
Supporters’ Coach
Spaces are available on our supporters’ coach, departing from The Dugout Sports Bar at 11:30am on Saturday. Supporters can book their seats via our ticketing provider Fanbase. Click here to book.
Team News
Jay Saunders confirmed on Tuesday night that Ollie Black has suffered an injury to his ACL that will keep him out for an extended period of time, joining Jeremy Santos on the long-term injury list.
Kit
Invicta will be in black and amber on Saturday, with our opponents in yellow and blue.
From The Manager
First-team manager Jay Saunders spoke to Invicta TV following our Tuesday evening draw against Cray Wanderers:
“We’ve started off with two tough matches, away to Chichester and Cray Wanderers who are really good sides, but it doesn’t get any easier.
“I know Peter really well and I know he’ll have them set up well. We need to go away and regroup on Thursday, we have plenty to go through and work on, to manage the players and prepare ourselves for Saturday.”
The Opposition
A new era began at Canvey Island this summer following the departure of Brad Wellmen after a four-year spell. Former England manager Peter Taylor has taken the reigns, two years after his last job at Maldon & Tiptree. It’s been a tough start to the season, with defeats to Cray Wanderers and Cheshunt that leaves The Gulls bottom of the Isthmian Premier Division table at this early stage.
Pre-Season
08/07 – Braintree Town (H) – Lost 2-1
12/07 – Enfield Town (H) – Lost 1-0
15/07 – Old Southendians (A) – Won 8-1
22/07 – Witham Town (H) – Lost 2-1
26/07 – Cambridge City (H) – Lost 2-0
29/07 – Maldon & tiptree (H) – Drew 0-0
02/08 – Bowers & Pitsea (H) – Lost 3-2
First Two
09/08 – Cray Wanderers (A) – Lost 2-0
12/08 – Cheshunt (H) – Lost 4-1
Recent Meetings
Invicta won both meetings between the sides last season – a 1-0 win in Essex followed by a 4-2 victory back at the Alcaline Stadium. The sides share three wins apiece since Canvey’s return to the Isthmian Premier in 2022, but Invicta have won the last three meetings.
Ade Yusuff bagged a hat trick with Dean Rance scoring his first Invicta goal when we last met in January. You can catch up with the highlights on Invicta TV.
Last 6
03/12/22 – Canvey 3-0 Invicta
15/04/23 – Invicta 1-3 Canvey
23/01/24 – Canvey 2-1 Invicta
16/03/24 – Invicta 1-0 Canvey
19/10/24 – Canvey 0-1 Invicta
18/01/25 – Invicta 4-2 Canvey
The Manager
Peter Taylor took the reins at the Steve’s Taxis Stadium this summer, two years after his last managerial role with Maldon & Tiptree in the Isthmian North Division. Aside from his spell as caretaker of the England National Team in 2000, Taylor has managed Gillingham, Leicester City, Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion and Hull City over a storied career.
One To Watch
Michael Finneran spent three years with Canvey Island from 2019 to 2022 before joining Maldon & Tiptree, where he worked under Peter Taylor. Finneran returned to Canvey this summer to reunite with Taylor, and scored their first goal of the season during Tuesday night’s defeat to Cheshunt.
Familiar Faces
Invicta fans may recognise Chris Regis who had a spell at the Alclaine Stadium in 2023, making 11 appearances.
How To Follow
You can keep up to date with the action with updates from our X (formerly Twitter) account or via Football Web Pages.
The Venue
Directions can be found here.
Travel
Always check rail times/strike action before you travel.
Benfleet is the closest railway station to Canvey Island, with services running from Stratford. Supporters can take the 22 bus service from Benfleet, alighting at Canvey Island Transport Museum.
Admission
Supporters can pay on the gate for this fixture, with both cash and card accepted.
- Adult: £12
- Concession: £8
- Under 16: £3
