CAFC vs Hashtag – Match Report
Carshalton Athletic made it three unbeaten after David Smith secured the Robins a well-deserved 1-0 victory over arguably the most in-form team in the Isthmian Premier Hashtag United at Colston Avenue on Saturday.
There were a number of changes for Peter Adeniyi’s side following the Robins 2-1 Surrey Senior Cup win over tier 5 Abbey Rangers on Tuesday evening. Muca made way for Mackenzie Foley between the sticks, Luke Read and Fikayo Atewologun returned as centre-backs, Kwaku Frimpong came into the midfield, while a front three of Nabeel Ghannam, Smith, and Bryan Ifeanyi spearheaded the Robins. Despite a lively performance earlier in the week, Bromley loanee Soul Kader was named among the substitutes. Carshalton had the first chance of the match; Aziz Sankoh sent the ball down the left channel
for David Smith to touch down and drive towards goal before going to ground on the edge of the penalty area for a free kick. Tommy Bradford stepped up, successfully whipping it over the wall but straight down Jack Giddens’s throat for catching practice. Up the other end, the visitor’s long throw ricocheted into the path of Tom Anderson, who couldn’t quite stab home from close range, the ball evading the boot of the midfielder at full stretch.
The majority of the action up to this stage had been in the Tag’s own half, particularly in and around their box. That said, Jay Devereux’s side did look a threat when counterattacking at pace; however, Adeniyi’s backline had nullified any threat posed by the likes of Misha Djemaili, Luke May-Parrott, and Josh Osude, frustrating the in-form team. The only other chance of note for the Robins approaching the first quarter of an hour had been a miscued Frimpong effort following a Fabio Saraiva inswinging corner.Â
A few minutes later, the Tags proved a threat on the break once again; Josh Osude attacked left and claimed to have been fouled by Frimpong, but his appeals for a penalty and indeed those travelling fans behind the goal were waved away. The Reds continued to win most of the battles in the midfield as Ghannam, searching for another worldie to add to his ever-growing collection, angled his run inside and drove towards goal before striking across the ball and forcing Gidden’s into a save down to his left. Chances so far had been few and far between; on the 20-minute mark, Hashtag worked the ball out wide to Osude, who eventually arrowed it into the penalty area in search of May-Parrott, but Foley was there to gather.
Midway through, the lads were moving the ball well and putting together some nice passages of play out from the back under intense pressure, mostly involving the trio of Read, Atewologun, and Saraiva.
Adeniyi probed the Tags defence, yet they struggled to find a way to penetrate the visitors. There were also some good battles between Nathan Paul-Lavaly and Joshua Rusoke down the right flank, the latter seemingly coming out on top in the one-on-ones.
Entering the final third of the half, the Tags began to show more attacking intent, piling the pressure on the Robins. Sakariya Hassan, May-Parrott, and Djemaili combined for the latter to scuff the side-footed first-time strike well wide of the post before the Reds survived a succession of crosses into the penalty area. Moments later, the best chance of the half ensued when Giddens sent Osude clear away on Carshalton’s goal directly from the goal kick, but the winger squandered the golden opportunity, rattling the post-one-on-one with Foley, who seemed to be stuck in two minds as to whether to come out or stand his ground. Huge let-off!
With a few minutes left until the break, there was a momentum shift in favour of the Reds as striker Smith drove into defender Nathan Smith before receiving the ball just outside the penalty area and manoeuvring it onto his stronger left, only to drag the effort wide. On the stroke of halftime, Hassan thought he had given the visitors the lead when the winger found himself in acres of space and whipped the ball towards the far post for Foley’s parried stop to ricochet off Osude and into the back of the net. Fortunately, he was adjudged offside.
Thanks to Smith, it was the perfect start to the second 45 for Carshalton when the Robins took the lead in the first five minutes. Ghannam attacked left and delivered across the face of goal for our No. 9, languishing in the six-yard box under no real pressure, to head home.
Fuelled by a situation that occurred in a previous encounter with the Tags while he was a Lewis player, Ghannam wheeled away in celebration towards the main stand, cheering in the face of some of the travelling support. Eager to issue an immediate reply, a period of sustained attacking pressure ensued from the Tags through a series of shots and crosses repelled by Adeniyi’s resolute backline. Passing the hour mark, the tables turned, and the Reds were very much in the ascendancy, searching to extend their advantage. Bradford was looking to slip through Smith in behind, while Paul-Lavaly caused all kinds of problems with his long throws.
Seventy minutes in, and Hashtag were getting closer to a leveller. Substitute PK Humble picked out Djemaili in acres of space to the right of the penalty area; the forward controlled and set himself before lashing it goalbound for Foley to tip over athletically at full stretch. Brilliant stop. Moments later, there were shouts for a penalty after Djemaili got to the ball first and went to ground claiming to have been caught, but the referee was not interested. The Tags manufactured a couple of chances in the dying embers of normal time, yet they failed to test the Reds shot-stopper, Foley, and Carshalton, for the most part, were comfortable sitting back and absorbing the pressure.
Six minutes of additional time was indicated, and the Robins fanatics behind the goal were in fine voice, doing their best to spur on the lads. A wonderful Darnell Goather-Braithwaite hooked pass played through Smith in behind, and the No. 9 proceeded to run down the clock by taking the ball to the corner flag. It would set the precedent for the rest of the injury time, with the rest of the Reds attackers repeating the action at every opportunity.
Adeniyi’s side managed to hold on and secure the 1-0 win. The result moves the Robins up to ninth in the Isthmian Premier Division with 39 points, there will be hopes Carshalton can carry forward the momentum garnered across the last three games when we welcome Hastings United on Monday evening.
Up Next
Date: Monday, January 27, 2025
Venue: Colston Avenue
Kick-off: 07:45 pm
Admission: £11, £8, £5 (online prices) on the gate is a pound dearer.
Tickets: Buy online tickets here
For our full matchday guide please click here
