A high tempo game at Kiln Brow brought about mixed emotions after it finished 2-2, writes James Barrett.
While the point stopped a run of four consecutive away defeats, we made enough chances throughout the game to have made it an even happier ending.
Team news: Matt Males served his one-match suspension so Joshua Adusei came in for his second start since recently joining. Austin Gacheru was drafted back in at the expense of the injured Jerome Walker and reserve team player Connor Power was named among the substitutes.
Jack Eden was well placed to pluck a George Craddock header on a cross out the air after 60 seconds and Gacheru was millimetres away from meeting a Mickel Miller centre two minutes later as the game began brightly.
Deadlock
We broke the deadlock on eight minutes however after Brendan Murphy-McVey did well to prevent the ball going out for a throw-in by halfway. Miller challenged for the high ball and it fell back into the path of Murphy-McVey on the right. His cross was only slightly diverted away from in front of goal. Tommy Bradford came onto the loose ball and, from 18 yards out on his weaker foot, he slammed it back into the bottom right hand corner.
Our joy didn’t last long as our hosts levelled through Tyrone Pink just four minutes later – he collected a pass in the inside right position, turned his marker and angled a drive across Eden and in.
Gacheru displayed great awareness on 16 minutes as Bobby Price fizzed a pass up to him and he chested it past his marker to set Miller free on goal. The winger got into the box but his shot was blocked in front of goal by the covering Michael Olarewaju.
Spectacular
We had a couple of spectacular attempts on the Redhill goal as the clock ticked past 20 minutes – Price with an overhead kick from 15 yards and Murphy-McVey with a first-time volley off target from 20 yards.
At the other end we were grateful to Ricardo Panton for making an excellent tackle to deny Connor French a glimpse of our goal. We broke and Murphy-McVey managed to almost pick out Miller at their back post but Rob Hill just nipped in front to clear.
Eden claimed a long ball into his box on 27 minutes and quickly released the ball up to Gacheru who managed to panic home keeper Michael Hunter into rushing out of his area to challenge him. The ball almost broke kindly for Murphy-McVey but he couldn’t turn it back towards the open goal.
It was Panton who came closest to re-establishing our lead before we actually did as Sean O’Toole put the full back away down the left. His endeavour saw him beat his marker and cut into the box but Hunter tipped his shot onto the crossbar and Gacheru couldn’t fully connect with a diving header on the rebound.
It was us creating all the chances and the poor surface conspired against us when Miller, in a good position in front of goal, swiped a left-footed shot well wide as the ball bobbled just before he connected.
Our energy levels remained high as we competed for loose balls and possession competitively, Tony Sinclair and Adriano Moraes winning the lion’s share of defensive headers too.
We re-took the lead on 38 minutes as we broke from a Redhill attack and Murphy-McVey played a weighted pass to set Gacheru in on goal. Hunter again rushed out of his area but this time our striker went round him before keeping his composure in the area to roll the ball home.
And it could’ve been even better for us before the break as O’Toole beat his man on the left and crossed in. Miller came in to met it six yards from goal but a last gasp header by Shaun Loft denied our man what surely would’ve been a third goal.
HALF-TIME: 1 – 2
We were building an attack on halfway when the referee stopped the game to consider how ‘soft’ the match ball was. We were naturally aggrieved but stood back to allow Redhill to return the ball to Eden – however they played a short pass and built an attack which led to a corner. We defended the delivery but out hosts kept up the pressure which culminated with Loft heading home a high cross which Eden didn’t deal with.
Two corners
We went back on the offensive and forced two consecutive corners on 56 minutes – the first had a defender clearing a Sinclair header off the line and the second saw Hunter palm away a header from Gacheru.
Just after the hour mark we defended a Redhill corner and broke at speed with Murphy-McVey playing O’Toole in over the top. Hunter was again lively off his line and received a booking for clattering into our winger 25 yards from goal – Murphy-McVey could only hit the wall with his free kick however.
Both sides made substitutions, and Gacheru and Olarewaju received yellow cards after a spat by the halfway line, but neither team could finish off positive approaches – our striker in particular met a Jordan Clarke cross on 75 minutes in front of goal but he put the ball over the bar.
Both sides put long-distance efforts off target before our number nine was given another good look at the Redhill goal on 84 minutes – good work by O’Toole and Murphy-McVey managed to slip Gacheru beyond the home defence but Olarewaju recovered to make a fine block as our man set to shoot.
A second contentious drop ball situation occurred on 89 minutes as Murphy-McVey was denied the chance to put a free cross into the home box because Hunter was down after bravely blocking at the feet of Gacheru. Redhill rolled the ball to Panton by halfway but our man was immediately pressured by an opponent and had to concede a throw-in, much to the frustration of all associated with the Robins.
Immediate impact
Subtitute Ricky Korboa came on in stoppage time and almost made an immediate impact – he took a pass in and went round one opponent towards goal but a covering defender sadly managed to snuff out the threat of a potential shot.
Next up: We welcome Hastings United on Saturday 14th March before we head to Corinthian Casuals on Tuesday 17th March. We then go to Whyteleafe on Saturday 21st March.
Carshalton Athletic: Eden; Price, Sinclair (c), Moraes, Panton; Miller (Clarke – 69), Bradford, Adusei, Murphy-McVey, O’Toole; Gacheru (Korboa – 90)
Unused subs: Higgs, Power, Howell
Goals: Bradford (8), Gacheru (38)
Booked: Moraes, Gacheru
Redhill: Hunter, Duke (Barton – 65), Hill, Mazzone, Olarewaju, Loft, Morley, Craddock (Dear-Douglas – 65), French (Johnson – 79), Sawyer, Pink
Unused subs: Thompson, Farmer
Goals: Pink (12), Loft (56)
Booked: Hunter, Olarewaju, Mazzone, Loft
For full details of the club go to: www.pitchero.com/clubs/carshaltonafc/