A spirited second-half performance wasn’t enough to keep Carshalton Athletic slipping to a Bank Holiday Monday defeat, writes James Barrett.
Our hosts went two up inside 25 minutes and added a late third which sandwiched many chances for ourselves and a well-taken first goal for midfielder Matthew Males since he joined in 2013.
Team news: Warren Sadare-Morgan and Daniel Boateng were given full debuts while Bobby Price came back in for his first start since mid-February.
We almost made the perfect start as Males played a neat pass to put Boateng in on goal with just 45 seconds gone, but keeper James Wastell rushed out and blocked the attempted lob on the edge of the area.
Good pace
South Park’s Harry Kirby then bore down on our goal two minutes later but Ricardo Panton showed good pace to get across and snuff out any chance of testing Liam Sallis.
Both teams were pushing and probing forward during the first 15 minutes but it was the home side which drew first blood.
A throw-in down our left saw a simple one-two played in our box and an unmarked David Smith steered a square pass past Sallis from 12 yards.
And their second arrived on 24 minutes as Owen Roberts needlessly conceded a corner which Dale Burgess whipped in and the ball went in off the inside of the far post.
We had a penalty shout waved away on the half-hour as a driving run by Price saw him eventually feed Sean O’Toole on the left. The winger played a high ball back into Price’s path in the box and he appeared to be pushed by a defender but the referee wasn’t interested.
Unable to convert chance
A minute later and Males put O’Toole away again and this time the winger delivered a low ball into the six yard box but Boateng couldn’t turn it goalwards.
Boateng had another opportunity on 34 minutes as Brendan Murphy-McVey flicked on another O’Toole centre but the debutant striker careered an effort way off target.
But this little spell of pressure did lead to a reward as Murphy-McVey and O’Toole combined to put Panton into the box and the defender’s square ball was guided neatly back past the scrambling Wastell by Males at the far post.
HALF-TIME: 2 – 1
A combination of Sallis and Panton denied David Smith another glimpse of our goal on 52 minutes before Adriano Moraes had to go off with a leg injury – Tommy Bradford took his place as Males dropped back to cover in defence.
We thought we got level three minutes later as Murphy-McVey scooped a pass out to O’Toole who drove a first-time cross towards the back post. Price came in and squeezed the ball between Wastell and the post but a dubious offside decision curtailed the celebrations.
Sallis did well to deal with a couple of attempts hit by Chris Smith, the current league top goalscorer, before we cranked up the pressure on our hosts again on 64 minutes.
Firm shot
O’Toole took three defenders with him as he raced into their box and he struck a firm shot which Wastell could only parry. It ran out to Murphy-McVey but, from 18 yards, his returned shot hit a combination of Price and defender and deflected away.
Our left winger caused more panic in the home defence on 72 minutes as, similar to his last run, he this time cut inside on his right but his curled effort was straight down the throat of the home keeper.
Panton then tested Wastell with a low effort from 20 yards before the keeper could only watch as Murphy-McVey fizzed an 18 yard free kick narrowly wide of the target.
The home keeper was earning his corn and he yet again denied O’Toole on 88 minutes. The defence smuggled the ball clear and Jordan Higgs, who had a solid afternoon overall, picked out Gacheru with a diagonal ball to the back post. The striker took it down and flashed in a shot but Wastell patted it round the near post. Price nodded the corner down into the mixer but, despite Gacheru, Bradford and Roberts all trying, we couldn’t force the ball in past some desperate defending. We kept up the pressure and Panton won a free kick 20 yards from goal but Murphy-McVey saw his effort cannon back off the crossbar and sadly bounce to safety.
Our hosts added a gloss to their victory in added time as Sallis dropped a cross on the far side of his area and David Smith tapped in his second of the game.
There was still time for Higgs to crash a bouncing half volley on target a minute later but, as per usual, Wastell got down to push it away from his goal.
Next up: We travel to Ramsgate on Saturday 11th April before we welcome Merstham to Colston Avenue on Saturday 18th April. Our season then ends with a trip to Three Bridges on Saturday 25th April.
Carshalton Athletic: Sallis; Sadare-Morgan, Roberts, Moraes (c) (Bradford – 52), Panton; Price, Males, Higgs, O’Toole; Murphy-McVey, Boateng (Gacheru -46)
Unused subs: Power, Tanner
Goal: Males (38)
South Park: Wastell, Lovegrove, David, Stafford, Higgins, Ayling, D Smith, Burgess (Rice – 75), Kirby (G Smith – 46), C Smith (c), R Smith
Unused subs: O’Connor, Jackson
Goals: D Smith (14 and 90), Burgess (24)
Booked: Rice
For al of the details about Carshalton Athletic go to http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/carshaltonafc