Canvey Island 1 Gravesend & N 1

MANAGER Andy Ford vowed to clean up Gravesend’s worsening misconduct record after Matt Rouse became the second Fleet player to be sent off in four days on Tuesday night.

With Moussa Sidibe receiving his marching orders in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Northwich, which followed Lee Protheroe’s dismissal in the pre-season friendly against Gillingham, the club are reeling from three expulsions in the last 25 days with the new season barely underway.

Rouse was ordered off by referee Darren Deadman in the 66th minute for a second yellow card having earlier been cautioned for dissent. He received no sympathy from his manager.

“I was disappointed with his sending off and he knows exactly how I feel about it because he let the side down as his first booking was for dissent,” said Ford.

“We’ve had three players sent off already and we’ve got to curb that. I laid into Moussa on Saturday and he’ll be fined a week’s wages because we must maintain discipline.

“Had we kept 11 players on the pitch we might well have beaten Canvey.”

As on Saturday, Fleet were guilty of allowing a lead to slip having looked more than capable of registering a first Nationwide Conference win of the season on a night when their old rivals looked to celebrate their home debut in the competition with a win.

Congestion outside the ground forced the kick off to be delayed 15 minutes and when the match started a crowd of 1,223 were packed inside, though home fans were given little to cheer as the Fleet asserted early authority.

Roy Essandoh stressed their superiority in the 14th minute when he rose to meet Lee Gledhill’s free kick and head a simple goal. Andy Drury should have increased the lead in the 35th minute when he headed over from close range Manny Omoyinmi’s cross.

A mistake by Fleet goalkeeper Paul Wilkerson allowed Canvey back into the game when he fumbled the ball to present the prolific Lee Boylan with an easy 56th minute chance.

Essandoh found the back of the net again only to have the effort ruled out for offside before Rouse’s early exit changed the course of the game as 10-man Fleet clung to a point.

“I would have taken a point before the game so I can’t be too unhappy,” Ford added.

Gravesend: Wilkerson; Gledhill, Porter, Moore, Rouse; Drury, Saunders, McKimm, Surey; Omoyinmi, Essandoh. Substitutions: Jackson for Omoyinmi 63 minutes, Pinnock for Drury 80 mins. Not used: Mitten, Shearer, Protheroe.

Attendance: 1,223.