It was a first defeat for Carshalton Athletic under Chris McGinn as they failed to convert their chances against Hythe Town, writes James Barrett
The only goal of the game came on four minutes as Jack Harris managed to get onto a defence-splitting through ball and he coolly slotted past the advancing Luke Colquhoun.
We reacted straightaway by winning a corner but Jake Downs fired a scuffed clearance back in and it flew just off target.
Then a flowing move involving Mickel Miller, Ricky Korboa and Murphy-McVey saw the returning forward play Korboa into the box but he didn’t catch his shot properly.
We turned the screw again and Jordan Higgs peeled away from his marker on 10 minutes to get free in the Town area, but Murphy-McVey skewed a first-time shot from the midfielder’s pull back narrowly wide.
Town defender Craig Cloke dithered on a pass on the quarter hour before slipping over and allowing Miller to gather the ball and run in on goal, but he unfortunately fired his shot straight at keeper Joe Mant.
Our visitors were content to try and hit us on the break but our defence had tightened up considerably since conceding. At the other end however, Higgs and Tommy Bradford dragged shots wide, while Murphy-McVey’s 20 yard free kick just dipped the wrong side of the crossbar.
We had a good shout for a penalty on 32 minutes as Downs’ run, following a one-two with Bradford, into the Town area was clumsily halted by Josh Burchell but the referee waved away the protests.
Frankie Sawyer had a chance to test Colquhoun with a 20 yard free kick just before half-time but he fired it high over the crossbar.
HALF-TIME: 0 - 1
We started the second-half brightly and a low cross into the visitors’ area caused alarm, but Miller and Murphy-McVey couldn’t connect with the bobbling ball.
Downs trotted up for a corner won on 54 minutes and he connected with Murphy-McVey’s delivery but the header flashed off target.
Miller was replaced by Josh Phillips just before our best chance of the game arrived on the hour.
Ten-Grotenhuis was strong in midfield, winning the ball before striding forward and finding Murphy-McVey. The ball was then shuffled out to Bradford whom played a through ball into the continuing run of our returning forward, who was up ended by Mant whom had come haring out to meet him. The keeper atoned for his mistake however by saving Bradford’s penalty and, frustratingly, Higgs stretched to knock the rebound against a post.
We then lost the quietly impressive Ten-Grotenhuis to injury and he was substituted for Ryan Healy.
Town continued to look most dangerous on the break but Colquhoun was called into any serious action, while a whipped Murphy-McVey free kick on 71 minutes just needed a touch from someone on it’s flight as it drifted across Mant’s six yard area.
Higgs then wriggled free in the Town area but Mant patted away his angled drive and Bradford failed to connect with a overhead kick, before Korboa had a shot blocked by Jack Mahoney.
Then Healy sprayed a neat ball out to the advancing Paris Hamilton-Downes whose first touch got him inside Ben Wilson and the area but, as he checked on to his right foot, his shot was blocked and Korboa blasted his follow-up over from 18 yards.
Colquhoun bravely blocked at the feet of Sawyer as the striker broke free inside our box on 85 minutes and Tony Sinclair blocked Louis Sprosen’s follow-up.
But it was just one of those days as we fashioned more chances that went begging – Bradford’s fizzed pass across their six yard box wasn’t met, a curling Korboa effort hit Downs and drifted wide of Mant’s near post and Phillips struck a firm shot from 15 yards wide in the second minute of added time.
Next up: We visit Whyteleafe on Saturday 20th February before Ramsgate come to us on Saturday 27th February.
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