The visitors dominated for an hour and looked likely to go on to take three points when Jeff Minton cancelled out Paul Armstrong's goal just after the break.
But they failed to keep up the pressure and the Reds punished them with goals from Sacha Opinel and former Canvey striker Steve Burton.
The Islanders had three chances to take the lead in a relentless spell of pressure just after the half-hour mark. Home keeper Phil Smith kept out the first with a superb save from a point-blank shot by John Keeling.
Nathan Bunce then had a header cleared off the line by Burton from the resulting corner and, from the next flag kick, Dominic Sterling rose above the home defence and nodded onto the crossbar.
Crawley went in front against the run of play a minute before half-time when Armstrong ran onto a neat flick by Burton and somehow squeezed a low angled shot inside Danny Potter's near post.
Canvey hit back with only 30 seconds of the second half gone when Minton swept home a cross from Kezie Ibe, and they should have gone ahead soon after when former Crawley striker Allan Tait fired straight at Smith despite having the whole goal to aim at.
The Reds gradually began to control the game as the second period wore on and restored their advantage on 50 minutes when Opinel raced onto a throughball by Simon Wormull and toe punted under the on-rushing Potter.
Burton killed off his old side in the 72nd minute with a close-range header after Jamie Cade had done well to beat Sterling for pace and cross from the right wing.
Chris Duffy capped a disappointing afternoon for Canvey when he was sent off five minutes from time for lashing out at Chris Giles.
But they failed to keep up the pressure and the Reds punished them with goals from Sacha Opinel and former Canvey striker Steve Burton.
The Islanders had three chances to take the lead in a relentless spell of pressure just after the half-hour mark. Home keeper Phil Smith kept out the first with a superb save from a point-blank shot by John Keeling.
Nathan Bunce then had a header cleared off the line by Burton from the resulting corner and, from the next flag kick, Dominic Sterling rose above the home defence and nodded onto the crossbar.
Crawley went in front against the run of play a minute before half-time when Armstrong ran onto a neat flick by Burton and somehow squeezed a low angled shot inside Danny Potter's near post.
Canvey hit back with only 30 seconds of the second half gone when Minton swept home a cross from Kezie Ibe, and they should have gone ahead soon after when former Crawley striker Allan Tait fired straight at Smith despite having the whole goal to aim at.
The Reds gradually began to control the game as the second period wore on and restored their advantage on 50 minutes when Opinel raced onto a throughball by Simon Wormull and toe punted under the on-rushing Potter.
Burton killed off his old side in the 72nd minute with a close-range header after Jamie Cade had done well to beat Sterling for pace and cross from the right wing.
Chris Duffy capped a disappointing afternoon for Canvey when he was sent off five minutes from time for lashing out at Chris Giles.