CAFC vs Epsom & Ewell – Match Report
A Kwaku Frimpong brace sealed Carshalton Athletic’s place in the First Round of the Surrey Senior Cup following a tightly contested 2-1 preliminary phase victory over Epsom & Ewell.
There were five changes following last Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat away at Canvey Island. Goalkeeper Mackenzie Foley made way for Fabian Whittier having sustained an injury against the Gulls, while debutant Dilan Pauw replaced Hamilton-Downes at Centre-back and Sanchez Ming started at full-back with Luke Read absent. Tommy Bradford came in for Florian Kastrati at the base of the midfield and Kwaku Frimpong made a welcomed return to the starting XI, with new signing Luke Cook suffering a hamstring issue.
Carshalton demonstrated a lot of patient build-up play in the opening stages and were punished for their complacency, Nelson Roberts low driven pull back evaded everyone in yellow and Adam Green went to ground in the box claiming a penalty. No. 9 Carl Oblitey won a tussle with debutant Pauw but the proceeding strike sailed high over the bar. Up the other end, Mason Saunders-Henry slipped through Kwaku Frimpong’s one-on-one for the Robins first chance of the game, the winger’s side-footed effort was denied. A well-worked short corner routine followed, and Saraiva let it run to Saunders-Henry on the edge of the penalty area, who laid it off to the onrushing Bradford, he was nimble enough to manufacture the shooting opportunity, firing straight at Dan O’Dononvan’s near post to force the save.
The Reds rattled the post inside ten minutes after Bryan Ifeanyi drifted inside and whipped an effort towards the far corner, beating O’Donovan at full stretch but not the woodwork. The visitors were putting the Robins backline under considerable pressure and it almost paid dividends when Whitter was sold short by a backpass and Oblitey came agonisingly close to latching onto it. The Salts won a free kick in a dangerous position just outside the area, Green successfully finessed it around the wall but safely into Whitter’s grasp.
Even though it had been an evenly contested first 17 minutes, Carshalton were the ones who drew first blood thanks to Kwaku Frimpong. Frimpong was teed up to the left of the penalty area and maintained his composure to lash a low-driven strike into the far corner beyond a diving O’Donovan. Keen to capitalise on the momentum garnered, Carshalton pushed to extend their advantage. Bradford and Frimpong combined well for the former’s driven effort to have the sting taken out of after being deflected for a corner.
Mid-way through, the Reds forged a two-goal cushion. Bradford was given license to drive unchallenged through the centre of the pitch, he capped it off by playing a wonderfully cushioned defence-splitting pass to Goather-Braithwaite who miscued the shot, but it was cleared only as far as Frimpong and the midfielder lifted it first time over O’Donovan. As we entered the final third of the half, except for a Salts long throw that was flicked into the side netting by Green and the captain’s set piece grazing the head of Epsom’s No. 8, the Robins were in control.
That said, the tables turned and there was a shift in momentum when Frimpong, who had bagged himself a brace, was sent off following a second yellow card. The Wimbledon academy product stood in front of the Salts player who wanted to take the set piece and proceeded to kick it straight at him. Having already been booked earlier in the game, he had no choice but to exit down the tunnel. It did not take the visitors long to take advantage and Oblitey halved the deficit after a pinball-like scramble ensued in and around the six-yard box, the forward eventually sliding it into the empty net whilst on the ground. Bryan Ifeanyi searching to peg back Epsom once more, skipped past a couple of Salts defenders and flashed it at O’Donovan from the tight angle of the byline,
the shot-stopper parried it away and Goather-Braithewaite could not bring it under control in the penalty area as it was scrambled away from danger. There was a defensive mix-up between Whitter and Ming on the stroke of half-time and Nelson-Roberts beat the latter for pace to float it the wrong side of the bar, sparring the blushes of the Carshalton duo. A tightly contested first 45 of football concluded with Epsom in the ascendancy but the Robins crucially in the lead. Manager Peter Adeniyi made one change at the break, Charlie Kennett made way for Azez Sankoh.
In the early stages of the second half, the Reds were probing the Salts backline, Goather-Braithewaite attacked right and had a delivery diverted into the hands of O’Donovan, while Ifeanyi slalom run down the left channel saw him carry the ball into the penalty area and drag an effort wide. A positive start from our wingers. The game gradually opened up and a Salts long throw was cleared only as far as Miller lurking on the edge of the penalty area, the effort failing to dip in time to trouble Whitter. Moments later, an alert Saunders-Henry forced the turnover in Epsom’s own box, he powered it at O’Donovan who obliged punching straight back into his path and the follow-up cross came narrowly close to being turned in by Ifeanyi at the back post.
On the hour mark, Ifeanyi was causing Epsom full-back Niall Stillwell a lot of problems. Saraiva’s cute curling pass in behind sent Goather-Braithwaite clear away to attack left and bring about a routine diving stop from O’Donovan at his near post. Bradford’s inswinger was then met by the head of Saraiva, O’Donovan acrobatically tipping it over to deny the midfielder. Despite an unusually quiet first half, Ifeanyi had been extremely threatening in the second and cutting inside off the right flank, he narrowly missed the top far corner.
For the next ten or so minutes, the match entered a bit of a lull with no real chances of note. Entering the final third, Oblitey’s flick-on threaded through Jason Bloor, but the striker was flagged offside. The ball spent large parts of the latter stages in the Salts half; however, the Robins struggled to create any clear-cut opportunities. The visitors, meanwhile, posed a threat on the counter-attack. Five minutes from time, Ifeanyi’s trickery enabled the winger to carry the ball up until he was bundled over on the edge of the penalty area, the Salts raced to the other end and called Whitter into action.
Trench warfare-like tactics ensued, Carshalton making steady progress towards the corner flag and keeping it there as long as possible in a bid to run the clock down and avoid the dreaded penalties. In the dying embers, both sides were reduced to ten men when Green was brandished with a red card.
The Robins held on to progress into the First Round of the Surrey Senior Cup, Adeniyi’s side will hope to carry the momentum into Saturday’s Isthmian Premier clash with Folkestone Invicta.
Up Next
Date: Saturday, November 2, 2024 (vs Folkestone Invicta)
Venue: Colston Avenue
Kickoff: 03:00 PM
Admission: Admission: £11, £8, £5 (online prices) on the gate is a pound or two dearer.
Tickets: ETicket App first team
