We will feel disappointed not to have taken anything from this thrilling game against local opposition, writes James Barrett.
Despite opening the scoring and getting ourselves back level early in the second-half, two goals conceded via set-pieces contributed to a 3-2 loss.
Manager Stuart Massey welcomed back Jack Eden, Dawayne Campbell, Jordan Higgs and Tommy Bradford to the starting line-up, while Steve Burford was given a chance to start down the right. Mickel Miller was rested and sat on the bench alongside the returning Nicky Greene and young Oliver Thornton among others.
We survived a real scare after just three minutes when Leafe striker Roscoe DSane won the ball from Tony Sinclair and ran through on goal, but he screwed his finish horribly wide from 10 yards.
Leafe kept on the front foot for the first 10 minutes but we finally started to become an attacking force, with Sean O’Toole and Michael Campbell both denied clear runs on goal by tight offside calls.
The game opened up and attacks were traded; our best featured a neat run by Brendan Murphy-McVey, but his one-two with Campbell in the box was just cut out, while Campbell himself latched onto an O’Toole pass in the box but his shot lacked power to beat keeper Sheikh Ceesay.
We took the lead just before the half-hour mark as some neat one-touch football eventually saw Murphy-McVey tackled on the edge of the Leafe box, but Higgs followed it up and hammered in his first goal of the season from nearly 20 yards.
The closest we came to restoring our lead before the break was through Michael Campbell but his free header on corner delivery was always going over.
HALF-TIME: 1 – 1
Leafe won a corner one minute into the second-half and Dsane glanced a header on the flight of the ball and it flew inside the far post.
That set-back didn’t last long however as we rallied and got back on level terms just three minutes later.
Murphy-McVey lofted a measured through ball to put M Campbell through on goal and the striker showed great composure to lob the ball over the oncoming Ceesay and into the empty net from 17 yards.
The game began to swing end-to-end; Jai McKinlay and Robert Tanner made good blocks to deny Dsane glimpses of our goal, while Tanner was seemingly felled on the edge of the Leafe box but nothing was given. Matt Males came on for Higgs during this period too.
Burford made a good run down the right on the hour and his cross was met by the head of O’Toole but Ceesay managed to get behind it to save.
Michael Campbell and Bradford played a slick one-two on 62 minutes but the former’s shot was charged down in the visitors’ box. Murphy-McVey followed it up but, under pressure, his effort went just wide with Ceesay sprawling.
Leafe sub Tommy Harper had a free header saved by Jack Eden at the other end before Greene and Mickel Miller were introduced with 20 minutes to go.
Michael Campbell’s pace put him into a similar position as his goal just after those changes but this time he blasted over the bar.
The visitors grabbed what turned out to be the winner on 74 minutes as Dsane managed to shake the attentions of Sinclair and Tanner to, from just inside our box, deceive Eden with a low reserve shot which rolled in.
We carved open the Leafe defence just a minute later as Males ran from deep to latch onto an inswinging cross but, under no pressure, he put a first-time volley over from 16 yards.
Massey switched us to a flat back four for the last 10 minutes and pushed Bradford and Miller up to support Campbell closer, but we only fashioned one more decent chance to level before the end.
Miller played a short free kick to O’Toole and he whipped in a good cross which was met by the head of Campbell in front of goal, but the striker put the ball wide of the post.
Next up: We welcome Chipstead to Colston Avenue on Tuesday 30th September before we travel to Folkestone Invicta on Saturday 4th October. We then play Whyteleafe again in a Surrey Senior Cup game at home on Tuesday 7th October.
Carshalton Athletic: Eden; McKinlay (Miller – 70), D Campbell, Sinclair (c); Burford, Higgs (Males – 59), Murphy-McVey (Greene – 70) Tanner, O’Toole; Bradford, M Campbell
Unused subs: Dukali, Thornton
Goals: Higgs (28), M Campbell (49)
Booked: Tanner
Whyteleafe: Ceesay, Kenlock (Smith – 79), Simpson, Hollingsworth, Merchant (c), Thompson, Fowler (Harper – 62), Graham, Dsane, Andrews (Lyle – 70), Henry
Unused sub: Penfold
Goals: Bentley (35), Dsane (46 and 74)