"Our unbeaten home run ended on seven as we failed to convert our dominate display into goals against a hard-working opponent.
Team news: Matt Males came in at the back as boss Rob Scantlebury was missing key defensive personnel. Mickel Miller and Jerome Walker were given starts down the flanks as Ricardo Panton dropped to the bench and Sean O’Toole missed out through injury. Brendan Murphy-McVey, after his long lay-off, returned on the bench as did Ryan Young and goalkeeper Matt Willard.
We set about the visiting defence from the off and both Walker and Jordan Clarke showed some nice flashes of skill going forward, while Tommy Bradford scuffed a shot into the arms of Gareth Williams on six minutes.
Horsham were forced into an early change just a minute later as right back Jack Page had to go off with an injury, but they created their first opening on the quarter hour as a right wing cross by Tony Nwachukwu whistled past Jack Eden’s far post.
Our keeper comfortably handled a Bailo Camara shot from distance on 17 minutes before Walker received a short corner and deceived his marker by turning and facing the box, but his low cross was cleared from inside the six yard box.
The visitors’ best spell in the first-half came on 25 minutes as Eden came out to deflect a Camara effort away at the near post. Tom Hughes then rose highest to connect with the corner but Eden sprung to tip it over.
We steadied ourselves and, three minutes later, Clarke took down a goal kick before Jordan Higgs swept the ball out to Miller who nodded it past his marker. He burst towards the area before cutting onto his left foot but Williams got down well to smother the shot.
The game became a bit of a stalemate as it moved towards the break but our last good chance came after Walker won a free kick near the angle of the Horsham box on 39 minutes. Bradford just beat Williams to the delivery but his header flew off target.
HALF-TIME: 0 – 0
Walker fizzed a low cross in from the right which the advanced Bobby Price dummied at the near post. Austin Gacheru seemed a dead cert to score but Hughes threw himself at the striker’s on-target stab and deflected it away.
Murphy-McVey came on for Walker to complete his return from a long lay-off on the hour and it was he who was felled by a clumsy challenge a few minutes later. The free-kick was 25 yards from goal and the young playmaker took it himself but Williams was always behind the curled effort.
The two biggest moments came with around 15 minutes left to play and we perhaps should’ve taken the lead before we went behind.
We broke from a Horsham attack and Young, who had only been on the pitch a couple minutes, was clear through the middle as Clarke burst down the left. His accurate square ball found our sub in front of goal with plenty of time and space but Young conspired to put the ball the wrong side of the far post.
The deciding goal came moments later as a ball over the top saw two opponents put Price, facing his own goal, under pressure. His attempted clearance hit Nwachukwu and Camara ran onto it in our box.
Eden came out and went to ground but the winger just toe poked the ball away from our keeper’s arm and his momentum meant he took the player down. Nwachukwu stepped up and scored by putting the ball low to Eden’s left.
We kept probing but the visiting defence stayed firm, although there was a case for a penalty of our own on the 90th minute.
Miller set off on a mazy run down the left and he beat two players to cut into the box. He then forced the ball past a third challenge before a fourth sent him crashing to the turf, but the referee awarded only a corner which Williams punched clear.
Our last glimmer of hope came in the fifth minute of stoppage time as our full backs combined – a deep Price cross was met by the head of Hamilton-Downes but his header dipped just over the crossbar."
Next up: We travel to Hythe Town on Saturday 17th January before welcoming East Grinstead Town to Colston Avenue on Saturday 24th January. We then visit Corinthian Casuals on Saturday 31st January.
Carshalton Athletic: Eden; Price, Males, Moraes (c), Hamilton-Downes; Miller, Higgs (Panton - 86), Clarke, Walker (Murphy-McVey – 59); Gacheru (Young – 72), Bradford
Unused subs: Moore, Willard
Booked: Clarke, Eden, Hamilton-Downes
Horsham: Williams, Page (Akande – 7), Hamilton, Hughes, Sherriff, Gilbert, Branford, Morley (c) (Welch – 46), Lockyer (Ampleford – 55), Nwachukwu, Camara
Unused subs: Berry, Smith
Goal: Nwachukwu (76 p)
Booked: Gilbert, Lockyer, Hughes
For more details about Carshalton Athletic go to: http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/carshaltonafc/