Canvey Island face a virtual six-pointer tomorrow afternoon when they travel to Essex rivals Maldon for a Ryman One North encounter.

The two sides are locked together in the top five with fourth-placed Gulls leading tomorrow's hosts only on goal difference.

The Islanders have had a season far better than could have been expected when the term began.

For they entered the fray as a completely unknown quantity, having mainly turned out as the Islanders' Reserves last term, when they won the Essex and Herts Border Combination.

But expectations have grown during the campaign and everything looked to be going well until the team hit an unexpected slump in which they lost three games on the trot earlier this month.

That fall from grace was halted in midweek when John Batch's men bounced back with a 3-0 win at Wivenhoe.

Tomorrow's hosts are, however, likely to prove a far tougher nut to crack.

A series of outstanding results has seen them enter the promotion race and, although they lost at Park Lane early in the season, they did knock Gulls out of the FA Trophy away from home a little later.

Fans are reminded that the Islanders have switched their Easter home league match from Saturday to Good Friday with a 1pm kick-off.