A stunning goal by Carshalton Athletic's Dan Summers capped a consummate performance over promotion hopefuls Faversham Town, writes James Barrett
We started on the front foot from the off and Summers broke free of the visiting defence on just two minutes as Youseff Bamba found him with a lobbed pass but, before he could get a shot off inside the box, Daniel Carrington recovered to get a foot in.
We should've had a penalty on six minutes following a cleared corner which Billy Marshall returned with interest. Tommy Bradford met the cross with his head but a defender blocked the ball from going in with his hand, but the referee didn't see it and waved away our vehement protests.
We kept Town on the back foot but keeper William Godman did well to claim the crosses we got in, while Luke Colquhoun's first action saw him bravely punch a corner away on 17 minutes.
The pace of the game slowed a little as defences stayed on top at both ends, although David Botterill thumped a 30 yard free kick that kept rising and cleared our crossbar on 30 minutes.
Town defender Ryan Cooper was lucky to escape with only a booking on 32 minutes as, following a late tackle on Bamba which left our man crumpled in a heap, he needlessly stood over the midfielder and launched a torrent of abuse.
But we eventually made our superior possession pay off after we won a corner which Marshall delivered into the near post. Summers got across his man and flicked an effort that beat Godman but not the crossbar, only for Bobby Price to bundle the rebound in for his first goal of the season.
We kept up the pressure and, shortly after the goal, Bradford had another good chance but he couldn't get enough purchase on his header to beat Godman, but he did win a corner. We took it quickly and Bamba took the ball into the Town box before trying to catch out the keeper at his near post, but Godman got down well to palm the ball around the post.
Our defence were still keeping the Town forwards quiet whenever they tried to get momentum, typified by a well-timed Matt Males tackle on halfway as the visitors threatened to counter-attack.
Summers was denied in added time as Godman managed to tip over his angled free kick over from 25 yards.
HALF-TIME: 1 - 0
The visitors registered their first shot on target just after the restart but Colquhoun comfortably took George Monger's shot into his midriff.
Town made two substitutions but we were still looking comfortable as we kept pressing and denying them any real opportunity to get on our goal, like when Bamba ran back 30 yards to toe end a through ball away from an opponent's burst forward before he and Price combined to clear.
We hit our visitors on the break on 78 minutes and Summers picked out substitute Ricky Korboa in the Town box. He cut inside his marker but his shot was blocked back out to Summers whose return ball turned into neither a cross nor a shot, drifting wide of the far post.
But we solidified our lead in the 81st minute after some nice keep ball on the right ended with Marshall threading a perfectly weighed through ball for Price to latch on to. He played a low square ball in from the byline and Summers rifled it into the roof of the net from six yards.
While that was a great team goal, our third was a fine piece of individual opportunism - Summers turned on a loose ball just inside his own half before striking a firm shot that sailed over the advanced Godham, who furiously backpedalled to no avail, and bounced once before bulging the net.
Next up: We visit Hythe Town on Saturday 24th October before Guernsey travel to Colston Avenue on Monday 26th October. We then travel to East Grinstead on Tuesday 3rd November.
Carshalton Athletic: Colquhoun; Price, Males, Sinclair (c), Summerfield; Bamba (Korboa - 73), Marshall (Alexander - 86), Bradford (Higgs - 86) Miller; Summers
Unused sub: Boosey
Goals: Price (36), Summers (81 and 84)
Faversham Town: Godman, Cooper, Maxted, Bottrill (Scarborough - 55), Bourne (c), McCallum, Carrington, Monger, S King (Lester - 86), L King (Grant - 55), Robertson
Unused sub: Webber
Booked: Cooper
For full details of the club's activities go to ROBINS