CAFC Women vs Haringey Borough -

CAFC Women vs Haringey Borough

Carshalton Athletic exited the Isthmian Cup after a 4-1 defeat to Haringey Borough despite an impressive performance against the tier 5 outfit.

There was early pressure from Borough as they probed our box, but wing-back Kenza Gueriani did well to dispel the danger and win a goal kick. Despite that, Carshalton sent a warning to the visitors after an alert Heather Eade forced the turnover in the final third and drove her effort into the defender. The resulting corner saw Gueriani, involved again, deliver an inch-perfect inswinging corner, Edwards’s header was denied on the line to ensue a pinball-like scramble before it was cleared only as far as the onrushing Sarah Chapman, who lashed a low driven effort from distance which was helped on by an offside Abbey Measures flick on. Up the other end, Haringey dispossessed the Reds on the edge of their penalty area; however, the defence were sparred their blushes when the attacker squandered her half-volley.

Unfortunately, a few minutes later, Borough took the lead, albeit against the run of play following a tidy finish on the swivel from the No. 10. Keen to capitalise on the momentum shift, Borough moved the ball nicely and threatened the Robins goal. That said, Bob Cato’s side could not find a way through and when they did, the assistant raised his flag – a testament to Lamont’s side defensive resolve from the get-go.

On the 20-minute mark, Chapman’s tenacity was paying dividends as a stray pass was laid into the path of Measures, but a rush of blood produced an audacious strike that was dragged wide of the far post.

Full of energy, 43-year-old Chapman continued to spearhead the intense high press and fashioned another loose pass, Eade’s dipping half-volley was deemed inconsequential following the offside. Pushing for the leveller, it became apparent that our best avenue back into the match was sustained high pressure, Eade once again tested the keeper after Carshalton won the ball back in Borough’s final third.

The Reds received their just deserts following a quintessential Georgie Edwards set piece stunner. When Edward’s stepped up, she only had one thing on her mind and despite being 30-yards-out the skipper was not deterred, striking sweetly through the goalkeeper’s palms.

Eager to peg back the hosts once more, Haringey broke and the attacker cut in on the edge of the area, searching for the far corner, but Demi-Allen’s outstretched leg crucially diverted it for a corner. Four minutes from the break, Kanita Throp’s trickery enabled her to skip past a couple of defenders and into the box, cutting in, Throp drove it straight at the keeper one-on-one. Borough then counter-attacked Carshalton, the attacker lifting it over Solley but thankfully rattling the post to conclude the last action of the half.

Even though the Robins went a goal down, it had come against the run of play. Furthermore, Lamont’s side survived a succession of attacks following the momentum shift. This meant that after the 20-minute mark, the match opened up, largely thanks to the effectiveness of the intense high press, and we deservingly levelled. Heading into half-time, the cup tie had developed into an end-to-end affair.

A strong but fair Allen challenge ushered in the second half, Gueraini was teed up to attack down the opposite flank thanks to an abundance of time and space, eventually having her progress disrupted for a free-kick – Edwards’ whipped set piece was well held by the keeper. End to end, there was a huge let-off when the Borough forward miscued her close-range header following No.10’s curling right flank cross. However, in the 54th minute, the visitors punished us directly from a set piece, beating Solley and nestling it into the roof of the net.

If anything, Haringey taking the lead for the second time Friday evening, spurred on the ladies to equalise. A well-cushioned defence-splitting pass played through substitute Honey Dulley left, the winger rounded the keeper and went to ground, the referee waving away the half-hearted appeals.

As the hour mark beckoned, Solley had been called into action between the sticks a few times and obliged. The shot-stopper diving right gathered a close-range header before scampering off her line to collect and deny the striker sent clean through on Carshalton’s goal. An excellent one-on-one save followed to cap off a string of brilliance. The next chance came from the Robins main attacking threat, Edwards set pieces, forcing the keeper to prod it round the post with her foot unconvincingly.

Frustratingly, Borough pegged back Carshalton and put the game out of sight as the occasion entered the final third. Even though Solley pushed it away one-on-one, and Demi-Allen cleared the follow-up off the line, No. 7 made no mistake on the third time of asking and found the far corner. The Reds refused to let their heads drop, and Bale came narrowly close, heading wide from the centre of the penalty area before the assistant raised his flag. Not long after, Edward’s rattled the underside of the bar just outside the box, Dulley failing to convert the follow-up. To rub salt in the wound, the visitors made sure of their win with a scintillating finesse effort into the top corner.

The referee blew his whistle and confirmed Carshalton’s exit from the Isthmian Cup. Despite this, the girls can be incredibly proud, they had gone toe-to-toe with a tier 5 side.