Club legend and former Hornchurch striker Martin Tuohy will be returning to Bridge Avenue as Canvey Island visit this weekend.

Tuohy played 220 games for the Urchins, scoring 84 goals, and has been a huge factor in the club’s success over recent years but will now be the opposite dug-out with the club’s promotion rivals on Saturday (3pm).

Hornchurch will be looking to get back to winning ways after failing to win their last two fixtures and have seen their lead at the top of the Bostik North table reduced to 11 points.

“It’s always nice going back to Hornchurch. It has been big part of my football and the fans and management and everyone involved behind the scenes always make me welcome,” Tuohy said.

“I still have contact with the lads and I’ve made good friends from my time playing there.”

The forward was released by the club on November, 2 and enjoyed brief stints with Essex Senior League side Redbridge and Bostik North outfit Barking before re-joining The Gulls on February 15.

He admits the Bridge Avenue club have been nothing but good to him but he would love to go there a nick a win against them.

“Even when it was time for me to leave, Jim McFarlane and Colin McBride said loads of nice things in the paper and the feeling is mutual,” added Tuohy.

“I played for Barking against them and we won 1-0. Obviously I would love us to get a win, but as long as we come away with something that should be pleasing.”

Tuohy praised the current Hornchurch squad, but believes Canvey need to take some points off the leaders to keep their own automatic promotion chances alive.

“The Hornchurch squad is so strong all over and obviously that limited my playing time but I really want to see them promoted because the club deserve it and hopefully we at Canvey can achieve that too,” he said.

“We will be going there to take the points as we aim for automatic promotion ourselves and we won the reverse fixture, so that should stand us in good stead and help us be confident come Saturday.”