A second-half goal blitz saw Carshalton Athletic leave Imperial Field pointless on Tuesday night, writes James Barrett.
Team news: Boss Matt Howard made one change from the team that beat Sittingbourne last weekend, with Tommy Bradford coming in for Greg Andrews. New signing Dan Summers was named on the bench. Ex-Robins Sol Pinnock and Brendan Murphy-McVey lined up for Tooting.
The first 15 minutes saw neither side take the game by the scruff of the neck; each suffered an offside call, Adam Thompson cleared a long throw into our box away admirably and home keeper Sam Somerville denied Sean O’Toole by coming out and sweeping a long ball away from his path to goal.
Tooting & Mitcham Utd v Carshalton Athletic - 25 August 2015 58 photos
Match photos
The first real goal threat fell to our hosts on 19 minutes as Michael Salako half blocked a clearance by Matt Willard. The ball was eventually passed out to Pinnock and Salako met his cross from close range but his header went over.
We fashioned a good chance on 23 minutes as O’Toole and Bradford combined to put Paris Hamilton-Downes in behind. His first time cross was only half punched by Somerville and collected by Jordan Higgs, whom sent a shot in that forced the keeper into a low parry. O’Toole seemed destined for a close range tap-in but a defender managed to lunge in and just nick the ball away from him.
The game continued to ebb back and forth but it was defences on top. On 32 minutes, Lee Hall swung a free kick into the United box which Craig Mullen almost connected with at the back post. Adriano Moraes kept the ball alive on the far side and his low pass was taken by our striker by the near post but, despite turning his marker well, his ball across was wayward.
Willard was called into action five minutes before half-time as Antonio Simeone met a corner delivery firmly with his head but our keeper patted it over the bar.
And we should’ve gone into the break with the lead as Mullen broke through on a long clearance in added time. Somerville came out to put him under pressure but our man managed to get a shot past the keeper, but it rolled agonisingly the wrong side of the post too.
HALF-TIME: 0 – 0
Alex Penfold was introduced for O’Toole at the start of the second-half and, during our first attack, a Mickel Miller cross seemed to strike the hand of a defender inside the area but the referee dismissed our calls for a penalty.
The home side took the lead on 55 minutes as M-McVey fed a pass into Michael Salako, whom skipped free to get one-on-one with Willard before almost passing the ball into the back of the net.
Summers was introduced shortly afterwards but it was Mullen that got a sight of goal on the hour but his shot lacked enough power to trouble Somerville.
United went straight down the other end and Salako dummied a low pass that deceived our defence. Serge Mafoko wriggled onto it before neatly flicking the ball first time past the oncoming Willard and just inside the far post.
We tried to rally, with Greg Andrews also introduced with 20 minutes to go, but it was our new man that created our next chance.
Jake Downs’ cross just eluded Mullen and Hamilton-Downes in the United area and it was half cleared to Summers. He took aim from 20 yards but his floating effort, which had Somerville sprawling, went narrowly wide.
The last real action of any note arrived on 81 minutes and it came courtesy of ex-Robin M-McVey. We only half cleared a free kick whipped into our six yard box and the midfielder returned the loose ball with interest to compound his old team’s evening.
Next up: We travel to play Erith and Belvedere for an FA Cup tie on Sunday 30th August before going on to visit Hastings United on Saturday 5th September. Tooting and Mitcham United then come to us on Monday 7th September.
For full detaials of all the club's actyivties go to ROBINS