Carshalton Athletic 0 Dorking 4
It was a disappointing start to the season as Ryman South newcomers Dorking took all three points, writes James Barrett
Despite making good chances throughout the game, it was the visitors that displayed the cutting edge in front of goal and that was to prove telling come the final whistle.
Team news: Boss Matt Howard gave debuts to Jake Downs, Adam Thompson, Lewis Gonsalves, Bentley Graham, Lee Hall and Greg Andrews, while Luke Pigden was named among the substitutes.
We’d hardly time to settle before Dorking took the lead on four minutes; Phil Page knocked a diagonal free kick back first time into our box and, despite the close attentions of Gonsalves, Tom Tolfrey nipped in to bundle the ball just inside the near post.
We responded straightaway with an Andrews header that was clutched by goalkeeper Jake Makiese, whom then thwarted Tommy Bradford who glanced a free kick on target with his head.
Andrews thought he’d opened his Carshalton account on nine minutes with a fierce drive from 20 yards but Makiese tipped it round the far post at full stretch.
A poor piece of decision making let us off the hook a minute later however as James Duff broke clean through into our box but, instead of shooting, he tried to square for a team-mate and Thompson got a foot in.
Sean O’Toole displayed his first proper run of the season by travelling 60 yards with the ball down the left before he floated over a dangerous cross which Bradford headed over the crossbar.
We fell further behind on 16 minutes as Gonsalves played a weak pass across his own box which Page intercepted. He took the ball round the advancing Matt Willard and stuck it into an empty net.
We had a strong penalty appeal five minutes later as Makiese spilt a Paris Hamilton-Downes cross and, as Mickel Miller latched on it, the goalkeeper bundled our man down but the appeals were waved away.
Although the visiting strike force kept our defenders on their toes it was still us creating the better chances – Wanderers captain Chris Boulter made two brave blocks inside his box and Bradford maybe should’ve shot early rather than trying to twice beat his marker from 10 yards out.
Our uphill struggle was made harder on 36 minutes as a rash tackle by Graham in our half gave referee Brennan a decision to make. A red card was eventually brandished and the debutants afternoon ended prematurely.
Howard reacted by bringing on Pigden for Bradford, meaning Andrews was deployed as a lone forward, and the substitute almost reduced the arrears in first-half added time.
Downs won a free kick 19 yards from goal with which Andrews won a corner after the defensive wall deflected his shot away from goal. The first delivery was seen out for another which was inadvertently flicked on by a Dorking player to the back post. Pigden came in and headed it goalwards but the ball rattled the post.
HALF-TIME: 0 – 2