Canvey went down to an 88th minute goal at Park Lane last night as a visiting Hastings side came from behind to win.

The Gulls took the lead with a slapstick deflection off Scott Manning in the first half, but home centre back Steve Sheehan turned the ball into his own net early the second half to level matters.

But Ryan Thompson’s neat finish at the death gave the visitors the win their performance just about merited.

Canvey skipper Matt Game was missing with a knee injury, and new signing Danny Spendlove started in a midfield five.

Hastings had a great chance to take a third minute lead as Manning put an unmarked header over from six yards out.

Canvey had to wait until the 26th minute for their first effort on goal as Jay Curran lashed a over, and then Alex Rhodes whipped in a cross for Jason Hallett to send a diving header straight into the arms of Lloyd Anderson.

And they took the lead in comical fashion as Rhodes’ left wing cross was volleyed by Josh Jirbandey into the back of centre back partner Manning, and that sent it trickling into the net.

But the visitors responded very well and Joe Jafati-Barham had three great chances to level before the interval.

First he skipped past John Easterford but messed up his attempted pull back, then he sliced inches wide with a clear sight of goal, and then he forced James Russell into a save from Zac Attwood’s cute through ball.

By the time Lee Carey drew another full-stretch save out of Russell from a curling, direct free-kick, it was Canvey — and not the visitors – who were holding on for the half-time whistle.

The hosts improved at the start of the second half and had a good penalty claim turned down when Attwood appeared to take Andrew West’s legs.A nd it would prove pivotal as Hastings drew level on the 53rd minute when Carey drilled the ball low across the box and Sheehan turned it into his own net.

Canvey boss John Batch went for it with 20 minutes to go by bringing on strikers Danny Heale and Kyle Asante for Spendlove and Hallett.

But it Hastings who sealed the win with two minutes to go as Thompson made space on the edge of the box to pivot and fire low past the static Russell.