If Canvey's meteoric ten-year rise from Essex Senior League anonymity to the Conference is to be achieved this summer, maybe Meadow Park will be seen as one of the key factors in their success.

Three points behind title rivals Gravesend a week earlier, two 3-0 wins inside five days at Wood's home have now given the Gulls a two point advantage at the summit, despite the Kent club holding games in hand.

Micky Engwell and Lee Harvey's men suffered an identical fate to that befalling lodgers Enfield in midweek, and they can have few complaints at the outcome.

With goalkeeper Ashley Harrison untested throughout the afternoon, Canvey missed enough chances to have at least doubled their final total, and Wood quickly found that spirit alone could not bridge the gap in class between the sides.

However, with injury and suspensions stripping the hosts of key men Mason, McDonald, Harvey and Delisser, Wood can argue that they had attempted to take on a prizefighter with one arm tied behind their back.

Discipline continues to be a problem for the club, and Engwell's frantic reshuffling of his pack meant that he had to fill in alongside Garry Wotton as an emergency centre back,

The joint player-manager said later: "We had two of our first choice centre backs suspended today against the league leaders, and it's very frustrating.

"The discipline has to be better it's punishing us and we need to address it. The Chairman is aware of the problem, and he's working with Lee and myself to sort it out."

Unfortunately, it must be said that Harvey was one of those missing this match with a ban following ten bookings this term, and Engwell was dismissed at Maidenhead last month.

The management have not appeared to be leading by example lately.

On a bright sunny afternoon,and before a crowd of 372, Wood's best gate since the season's opening day, the hosts struggled manfully from the start to contain Canvey in a congested and combative midfield.

Wood forced the game's first corner, but were soon on the defensive as Ashley Nicholls sidefooted over and Noel Imber had to gather Peter Kennedy's angled drive.

Mark Stimpson's clever ball behind Wotton put Lee Boylan in the clear, but The Gulls' leading marksman dragged his shot wastefully wide of the near post.

Imber denied Boylan moments later, but could delay the inevitable no longer, as the Canvey striker took Nicholls' short pass on the edge of the box to beat the Wood keeper with a neat cross shot in the 29th minute.

An off target Gary Dixon header and miscued Steve Sinclair effort were the sum total of the home side's goal attempts in the first period, whilst Nicholls sent a dipping shot just too high and Boylan started the second half by blasting high over a yawning net.

But Wood so nearly took advantage of their guests' generosity as they enjoyed a brief period of ascendancy.

Dixon prodded an excellent low ball from Kodra wide of the post, and then saw Harrison scramble to palm away his swinging cross.

An incisive crossfield pass by Engwell picked out Jones who fired inches over the angle on the run, and Jeran Meah pivoted to shoot over the top on the hour.

"We missed some very good chances not half chances in the 25 minutes after half time, and should have at least got it back to 1-1" moaned Engwell later.

But Canvey held firm, and Boylan should have sealed the points when put through one on one, but again missed the target. Imber's brilliant instinctive save denied Gulls' FA Cup hero Neil Gregory from close range, but the visitors underlined their superiority with two goals in the final 90 seconds.

Nicholls, a former England schoolboy international signed only the day before from Ipswich, bulleted home Ben Chenery's cross with a fine near post header to mark an impressive debut.

Then added time was being played when Boylan despatched substitute Knight's low ball from the left into the bottom corner for number three. A true outcome on the balance of play, but nevertheless Wood can take heart from an encouraging performance.

Any team including the likes of Meah and young Sinclair could never be said to have been outclassed, but the club's winless run now extends back over three months, and must be quickly ended.

Engwell, however, remained optimistic, observing: "We played well today without getting our reward.

"We had our first choice midfield back today, and once we get a full squad I'll have a selection problem for the first time."

WOOD: Imber, Grime, Engwell, (McCarthy, 88 minutes), Sinclair, Jones, Wotton, Meah, Kodra, Browne, Dixon, (Bunn, 81minutes), Lamb. Sub.(not used): C.Harvey. Booked : Jones, Wotton, Engwell.

Boreham Wood 0

Canvey Island 3

Ryman League Premier