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CAFC vs Whitehawk FC – Match Report

Carshalton Athletic suffered late heartbreak following a Charlie Lambert last-gasp leveller to secure visitors Whitehawk a 2-2 draw with possibly the last kick of the game in the Isthmian Premier Division at Colston Avenue on Monday evening.

Nabeel Ghannam’s sensational debut goal put the Robins in the lead inside four minutes, and a cheeky Mason Saunders-Henry backheel forged a two-goal cushion for the Reds at the beginning of the second half. That said, Andrew Briggs halved the deficit from the spot with six minutes until time, before Lambert smashed home the equaliser in the final few seconds of the six minutes of additional time.

Manager Peter Adeniyi gave latest additions, Nathan Paul-Lavaly, Nabeel Ghannam, and Joshua Shonibare from Lewes, Bromley, and Maidstone, respectively, their first starts for the Robins. A fellow new recruit, Lilywhite Soul Kabar, was named among the substitutes. 

There was an early sight at goal for Mason Saunders-Henry inside two minutes when Ghannam teed up the midfielder down the right channel, and he flashed an audacious dipping volley narrowly over the bar. Moments later, debutant Ghannam opened the scoring in spectacular fashion. Drifting inside off the left flank, the former Lewes winger whipped the strike beyond a diving Jasper Sheik to nestle the ball cutely in the far corner.

Searching to issue an immediate reply, up the other end, Hawks forward Luke Robinson dragged an effort the wrong side of Foley’s near post coming in off the left flank. 

Approaching the quarter of an hour mark, Fabio Saraiva controlled a throw-in to the right of the penalty area, driving a shot into the defender before a half-volley follow-up forced an acrobatic tip over the bar from the visitor’s shot-stopper, Sheik. The Robins were moving the ball really well, probing the Whitehawk backline, who survived a succession of shots and crosses. Pushing to forge a two-goal cushion and capitalise on the momentum garnered, Saunders-Henry set the ball back from inside the box towards the onrushing Saraiva, but the midfielder failed to get the intended connection and saw the strike go well wide of the post. Twisting and turning down the right channel, Saunders-Henry then caressed the ball goalbound from 25 yards out, but it was straight down the keeper’s throat. Twenty minutes in, Whitehawk’s Kai Jennings sent a warning sign when he grazed the bar with a well-struck half-volley just outside the penalty area; Foley was rooted to the spot. 

Unfortunately, proceedings had to be paused for a couple of minutes following a serious injury to Hawks forward Robinson, who seemed to be in a lot of pain and had to be stretchered off the pitch. Of course, it goes without saying, that everyone at Carshalton wishes Robinson a speedy recovery. Saunders-Henry’s tame flick at goal ushered in the restart, and with ten minutes until the break, Read was dispossessed in a dangerous position down the touchline; however, Paul-Lavaly demonstrated excellent recovery pace to prevent a certain one-on-one with Foley, stealing the ball off the attacker on entrance to the penalty area. 

Towards the latter stages of the half, Shonibare gave chase and latched onto a lofted pass in behind, beating the defender for pace, before squaring the ball across the face of goal to see it spilt by Sheik, but frustratingly nobody was alert enough to react and stab it home. With the Reds applying considerable prolonged pressure on the Hawks, Paul-Lavaly had a threatening right-channel delivery just inside the penalty area hooked away from danger.

On the stroke of halftime, there was a bit of a momentum shift; Andrew Briggs was denied twice by the wall set up for his set piece, and Jennings’s low-driven follow-up was comfortably wide. Forward Reece Grant was causing a few problems in Carshalton’s box, while Emmanuel Mensah looked to use his pace to get in behind Adeniyi’s defence. 

The Reds carried forward the same attacking intent into the second 45; Shonibare’s short corner found Saraiva, and the midfielder danced through the Whitehawk backline before drawing the save from Sheikh at his near post.

It was not long until Carshalton made it two goals for the good. In the 51st minute, Saunders-Henry controlled the ball in the penalty area and deceived the Hawks defenders and goalkeeper with a cheeky backheel through the sea of blue and into the back of the net.

A few minutes later, Ghannam squared a good opportunity, blasting high over the bar. On the hour mark, Smith did well to hold the ball up and remain composed to thread through Ghannam down the right channel, who drove into the penalty area and shot low and hard into Sheik’s legs, looking to go across the keeper from the tight angle. A momentary lapse of concentration saw Saraiva dispossessed just outside the Robins penalty area; Rob O’Toole fizzed a cleanly struck half-volley inches wide. Up the other end, Paul-Lavaly squared the ball across to Smith, languishing in the centre of the box; the striker chopped the ball low to Sheik’s left, but it failed to test the shot-stopper, gathering with ease.

As the clock crept towards the final third of the match, substitute Bryan Ifeanyi attacked left and unleashed a venomous strike that Sheik had to parry. Moments later, the Hawks proceeded to break at pace, and pinball ensued in the Robins penalty area before it ricocheted off one of the visitors and into the path of Jennings, who side-footed it into the palms of Foley. There were then two chances in quick succession, Saraiva’s right channel 20-yard set piece whipped over the wall and into the arms of Sheik as well as Ifeanyi’s attempted chip. With six minutes until time, disaster struck when Harry Bridle was dragged to the ground by Atewologun and the referee pointed to the spot. Briggs made no mistake, sending Foley the wrong way and wiping out Carshalton’s clean sheet to halve the deficit. All of a sudden, it was panic stations as the visitors piled on the pressure; centre-back Fikayo Atewologun made a crucial block from a powerful Charlie Lambert effort close range. 

Six minutes additional time was indicated and the Hawks came close to levelling after Borg rattled the side netting following a goalmouth scramble. Unfortunately, in the dying embers, Lambert sealed the visitors a point on the road with possibly the last kick of the game, smashing home one-on-one. Adeniyi’s side travel to Hendon FC at the weekend where there will be hopes the lads can get back to winning ways.

Up Next

Date: Saturday, January 18, 2025
Venue: Silver Jubilee Park
Kickoff: 03:00 PM
Admission: Admission: £12 (adults), £8 (concessions), £1 (Students and Under 18’s)
Tickets:  Buy Online Tickets Here