A red-hot streak early in the second-half saw us overturn a half-time deficit as five different players got on the scoresheet.
Team news: Manager Rob Scantlebury had Tony Sinclair, Rhys Coleman and Ricardo Panton all missing so Paris Hamilton-Downes was deployed at centre back and midfielder Robert Tanner slotted in at left back. Mickel Miller did return from missing out last week however, while Kingsley Aikhionbare was back in the fold and on the bench.
Neither goalkeeper was threatened during the opening exchanges but Jordan Clarke was at the heart of our best moves and it was he that opened the day’s scoring. His quick feet and burst forward eventually drew a foul right on th edge of the Park box and he picked himself up to place a low effort past the wall and beyond the dive of Keiron Campbell.
That joy was short-lived however as South Park levelled sixty seconds later. Chris Smith took a pass inside our area and slotted it past the unsighted Jack Eden.
The game was well and truly off now and Eden claimed a curling effort by Kieran Lavery, while Campbell got behind a long-range effort by Bobby Price which threatened to enter the top near corner.
We created a great chance to re-take the lead on 20 minutes as Tommy Bradford put Sean O’Toole in behind the visiting defence. The winger bore down on goal and seemed certain to score but he unselfishly tried to square for the oncoming Austin Gacheru, however the pass sadly went behind the striker by the six yard box.
We kept up some decent pressure in and around the Park box but couldn’t carve out another good chance; Gacheru came closest with a near post drive that was deflected away.
A couple of late Park tackles rose the game’s temperature and four yellow cards were dished out after a melee of players, before Jack Stafford was given a straight red for scything down and then pushing O’Toole on 36 minutes.
But, far from unsettling the visitors, they took the lead two minutes later as Smith rifled home from 10 yards after our offside play failed to catch him out.
Again our forwards went back on the offensive but we failed to convert some serious possession into tangible threats before the break.
HALF-TIME: 1 – 2
Clarke read a poor touch by a Park player to gather the ball and drive towards the 18-yard line on 50 minutes, and he played a reverse pass into the run of Gacheru. The angle didn’t favour the striker but his venomous left-footed shot almost crept inside the far post.
But we were level a minute later as Campbell spilled a driven cross from Hamilton-Downes in front of Miller and he calmly took the ball round the sprawled keeper and slammed it home.
We were in the ascendency and our front five were creating havoc at will – but it a defender that put us into the lead for a second time.
As we worked the ball down our right Miller cushioned a neat through ball into the path of the overlapping Price. He cut into the box and, from the tightest of angles, buried a high shot over Campbell and into the far corner of the net.
We kept pressing and Clarke took down a deep cross by Gacheru 15yards from goal and proceeded to do a delicious step over to skip away from a forceful Higgins charge, but Campbell saved the low drive with his feet.
Bradford had our next chance but his drive from distance took a deflection which meant the ball flew just off target.
But the fourth goal arrived just after the hour as O’Toole burst passed Jack Watts and, while holding off a second opponent as he got in on goal, slotted past Campbell from close range.
Gacheru was so close to grabbing a goal for himself on 65 minutes after he turned on a ball into the box. It bobbled as he shaped to shoot meaning the angle got worse but he dug out a left-footed cross which deceived Campbell and almost dropped inside the far post.
Price did well to deny Smith a glimpse of goal on 69 minutes but, from the resultant corner, the forward gathered a headed clearance and curled the ball back over Eden for his hat-trick.
Ryan Young came on for his home debut straight after and had a good opportunity to put us two goals to the good again almost straightaway. Hamilton-Downes battled down the left and squeezed a ball across the six yard box but Young skied a first-time effort high over the bar.
Gacheru twice and O’Toole almost added to our tally as the clock ticked down but we were grateful to Eden for nudging a David Smith knock towards our goal around his near post.
Nerves were well and truly settle after Bradford went on a mazy run and was eventually brought down by Daniel Guscott in the box on 90 minutes. The striker got up and sent Campbell the wrong way from the spot for his fourth of the season.
Next up: We visit Tooting and Mitcham United on Thursday 1st January before Walton Casuals arrive at Colston Avenue on Saturday 3rd January. We then host Horsham on Saturday 10th January.
Carshalton Athletic: Eden; Price, Hamilton-Downes, Moraes (c), Tanner (Males – 46); Miller (Young – 70), Moore, Clarke, O’Toole; Bradford, Gacheru (Aikhionbare – 86)
Unused subs: Higgs, Burford
Goals: Clarke (13), Miller (51), Price (55), O’Toole (61), Bradford (90 pen)
Booked: Moore, Moraes, O’Toole, Bradford
South Park: Campbell, Watts, Hatfield, Stafford, Guscott (c), Ayling (Jee-Thomas – 86), D Smith, Higgins (Ward – 80), Lavery, C Smith, Jackson (David – 73)
Unused subs: None
Goals: C Smith (14, 38, 70)
Booked: Watts, Guscott, Ayling, Higgins
Sent off: Stafford
For more details and up to date information on Carshalton Athletic go to http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/carshaltonafc/