It was a night of frustration as we narrowly lost against a club which climbed to the top of the table with victory, writes James Barrett.
A physical game played at constant high tempo gave both sets of fans their money’s worth, but a solitary goal midway through the first-half was the only reward either side could muster.
Manager Stuart Massey handed a debut to striker Cecil Jee Thomas up top in place of Emmanuel Akokhia, while the returning Matt Males was given a midfield berth. Defender Rhys Coleman and forward Tommy Bradford made way for Dawayne Campbell and midfielder Jamal Alexander respectively.
It was a lively start to proceedings, typified by Males’ crunching yet ball winning tackle on 30 seconds, and we popped the ball around neatly when in possession.
At the other end Jack Eden, who had just scooped the league’s ‘Golden glove’ award for August, easily clutched two Casual crosses while his defenders all made good blocks or interceptions in front of him as the visitors’ pressed.
The men in red weren’t shirking the physical side of the evening’s challenge either, Alexander and Males robustly winning possession at various times in particular.
We almost took the lead on 17 minutes after Nicky Greene flicked on a high pass and Jee Thomas eventually spread the ball out to the galloping Moraes on the left. The defender’s shot from 19 yards was deflected over and Tony Sinclair met Greene’s corner on the volley but a defender bravely blocked it away off-target.
That gave us confidence however and we became the dominate force. Mickel Miller managed to nod a goal kick on 22 minutes and Jee Thomas ran free into the area but visiting keeper Danny Bracken did well to force the debutant wide of the goal as he took the ball under control.
We kept Casuals on the back foot but without testing Bracken any further before the visitors took the lead with their first real chance. A corner was knocked clear but a deep cross from the left was powerfully headed home by Joe Hicks from 10 yards.
Miller managed to work some space in front of goal on the half hour but Bracken got down well to tip his shot wide. This led to us forcing three consecutive corners, the second of which saw Alexander turn and shoot a loose ball goalwards, but it took a slight nick on its way through to take it over the bar.
The game settled down a little after that although both teams were still moving the ball forward with purpose. Our last decent chance of the half fell to Campbell, but his header on Males’ free kick just went the wrong side of the near post.
HALF-TIME: 0 – 1
Sean O’Toole ventured forward down the right a minute after the second-half started but his eventual pot-shot was deflected and it looped into the grateful arms of Bracken.
Jee Thomas almost latched onto Greene’s weighted through ball but, again, the pace on the ball just favoured the advancing keeper inside the area.
At the other end, Casuals striker Jamie Byatt missed two gilt-edged chances in the space of a couple of minutes – his blushes only being spared by two very late offside flags on each occasion.
Akokhia was brought on for Aikhionbare just after the hour and Jee Thomas almost played the substitute in on goal, although he just couldn’t read the pace of the pass and failed to get it under control.
We huffed and puffed but couldn’t find a way through to really test Bracken again, while Bradford and Nassim Dukali were thrown into the fray for Jee Thomas and Miller respectively.
Sinclair made a last ditch block to deny Casuals striker Carl Wilson-Denis inside our area before the game descended into ‘attack vs defence’ for the last 10 minutes. Casuals were happy to put nine men behind the ball and leave Byatt as a lone frontman.
Bradford turned and hit a Dukali through ball on target with six minutes to go but a defender’s lunging leg blocked it away for a corner. Sinclair met the delivery running in from deep but no men in red managed to get onto the ball following his headed knockdown.
O’Toole blasted a speculative 30 yarder way over Bracken’s bar and a 94th minute free kick by Males went over everyone and drifted out of play to compound our night in front of goal.
Next up: We travel to Redhill on Saturday 13th September for an FA Cup tie before they come to visit us for a league game on Tuesday 16th September. We then visit Hastings United on Saturday 20th September.
Carshalton Athletic: Eden; O’Toole, Campbell, Sinclair (c), Moraes; Males, Alexander, Greene, Miller (Dukali – 71); Aikhionbare (Akokhia – 62), Jee Thomas (Bradford – 71)
Unused Sub: Tanner
Corinthian Casuals: Bracken, Wright, Vidal, Hall, Hicks (c), Dudley, Goddard (Spencer – 75), Bettache, Byatt, Wilson-Denis (Turley – 78), Hodges
Unused subs: Fahm, Bower, Green
Goal: Hicks (26)
Booked: Byatt
For more information on Carshalton Athletic go to: www.pitchero.com/clubs/carshaltonafc/