Carshalton Athletic endured a tough visit to the Kent coast as their hosts ran out convincing winners on a cold, grey afternoon, writes James Barrett
Both sides began the opening 10 minutes adjusting to the greasy playing surface and our best attack came when Bobby Price got the ball out wide to Youssef Bamba but Dave Cook just beat Tommy Bradford to the cross.
Luke Colquhoun had to deal with a low Alfie May free kick on 11 minutes which skidded off the slick grass. The ball ran loose in the area but Matt Males did well to block Frankie Sawyer’s follow up.
Males was called into action again two minutes later as, with Colquhoun committed to his back post on a deep cross, he hacked away a Craig Cloke knock down towards our penalty spot.
We finally worked a good move on 19 minutes as Bradford collected an Aikhionbare flick before playing Mickel Miller in on goal. The winger perhaps should’ve shot after his first touch but he tried to come inside his marker and was tackled.
But Town looked the more likely to break the deadlock and we survived a scare as Frankie Sawyer was flagged offside while tucking away an unselfish May square pass.
Our hosts kept up the pressure but one break saw us threaten to steal a march – Bamba pressurised Phil Stevenson into knocking a Miller cross down inside his own box but Bradford skewed a shot across goal from 12 yards. Aikhionbare tried to force the ball in but was outmuscled by a defender.
Colquhoun then kept us in the game by winning two duels with Sawyer as the forward got played in one-on-one twice in the space of three minutes.
Although Town had been on top most of the half when they did break our resolve it came in fortuitous circumstances.
Sawyer took a ball into feet and teed up Ryan Johnson on the edge of the area. The midfielder completely shanked a shot off target but May slammed the ball home at the back post despite looking suspiciously offside.
HALF-TIME: 1 – 0
We made a double substitution at the start of the second-half with Summers and Jordan Higgs replacing Aikhionbare and Bradford, but Colquhoun was in action early as he tipped over a dipping Johnson effort.
The back three of Town, much like in the opening period, were keeping our forwards quiet although Bamba did work some space on 54 minutes only to drag his shot wide of the near post.
And we fell further behind just after the hour as Tony Sinclair and Higgs did well to repel a corner and subsequent shot, but May dinked the loose ball back in for the unmarked Sawyer to fire in high past Colquhoun.
The rain began tumbling as Ricky Korboa was introduced for Bamba on 65 minutes, but Lee Hall and Summers could only hit their keeper with 20 yard efforts as time ticked on.
Town cemented their victory with 11 minutes to go as three quick passes stretched our defence for James Morrish to slide in on a low cross to make it three.
We had two decent opportunities to salvage some pride before the end, the first coming as Price and Higgs challenged their keeper on a cross but Korboa couldn’t guide the loose ball on target.
The second came in added time as Miller nodded a deep Korboa cross down into the mixer but their keeper kept out Summers’ stabbed effort with a leg.
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