CAFC vs Hastings United – Match Report
A fantastic Nathan Paul-Lavaly strike secured Carshalton Athletic a 2-1 victory over Hastings United in the Isthmian Premier Division at Colston Avenue on Monday evening.
There were two changes for Peter Adeniyi’s side following Saturday’s 1-0 Isthmian Premier Division victory over Hashtag United at Colston Avenue. Kwaku Frimpong made way for Mason Saunders-Henry, while Soul Kader replaced Tommy Bradford to complete a midfield shake-up.
The half started with Hastings moving the ball well and probing the Carshalton backline. With the majority of the action in the Robins own half, it became apparent the visitors were trying to get in behind, but the lads remained resolute, riding out the early pressure. After six minutes, the Reds revealed themselves as a threat on the break when Soul Kader was threaded through to attack right and drove a venomous delivery into the penalty area that was scrambled away. The first real chance of the game fell the way of Adeniyi’s side when Paul-Lavaly launched one of his quintessential long throws into the box, and it fell kindly to the feet of Bryan Ifeanyi,
who cut inside and lashed an effort low and hard through a pile of bodies, forcing a diving stop out of goalkeeper Louis Rogers that ended up ricocheting onto the bar.Â
A few minutes later, the momentum shifted back to the U’s. Kian Moynes came narrowly close to stabbing home close-range; however, an alert Mackenzie Foley was quick off his line to gather, while Davide Rodari was causing a few problems when in possession down the right channel. Approaching the 20-minute mark, Moynes’s swivelled strike off a Hastings corner sailed high over the bar. A combination of heavy wind and rain contributed to extreme weather conditions that were playing their part in the league clash, causing the ball to trickle away whenever stationary for a set piece or corner kick, as well as change trajectory suddenly to make heading and goal kick’s an impossibility at times. So far, there was nothing to separate the two teams, and since the Ifeanyi chance, neither side had fashioned anything of note.
Midway through, Foley was called into action when he had to punch clear twice in quick succession while under intense pressure from Hastings attackers following a dangerous whipped cross into the penalty area that took a deflection to dip towards Carshalton’s goalline. Moments later, an inswinging U’s corner floated to the far post, but the onrushing white shirt failed to convert the side-footed volley, which strayed to the wrong side of the post. The Reds settled and proceeded to control proceedings as Kader snatched at a golden opportunity to take the lead, striking with the outside of his boot from the centre of the penalty area straight down Roger’s throat. Up the other end, it was the visitor’s turn to miss a chance to open the scoring when George Walker was played through in behind and picked out Freddie Legg, who miscued the half-volley over the bar. With five minutes until the break, a pinball-like scramble ensued in our box and fortunately saw the ball graze the bar following some fantastic last-ditch defending. Despite Hastings being in the ascendancy,
Carshalton took the lead on the stroke of halftime after the ball found its way into the penalty area and fell kindly for striker David Smith to poke into the far corner from a few yards out.
The No. 9 has now netted 14 times in the 2024-25 campaign, 12 of which have come for Adeniyi’s side.
It was an end-to-end start to the second 45; Moynes latched onto a through ball in behind down the right channel and pulled it back for Legg to smash over. Breaking at pace, Ifeanyi arrowed a delivery across the face of goal before Ghannam and Saunders-Henry had crosses repelled by the U’s backline. The attack concluded with Fabio Saraiva’s strike on the edge of the box forcing a routine diving stop from Rogers to his right. Pushing to extend their advantage, an alert Smith gave chase to a loose ball in behind and squared it across the penalty area in search of Ghannam; however, it was cleared before it could reach the winger. Moments later, Saraiva’s inswinging corner almost found its way in, but it was beaten away on the line by Rogers, and Ifeanyi produced a finessed effort on the turn that the visitors No. 1 held with relative ease. On the hour mark, Hastings were having to subside wave after wave of Robins attacks as all bar Rodari were behind the ball; the two-goal cushion looked in sight.
That said, out of nowhere, the U’s levelled just past the halfway mark. Following a Reds substitution, the visitors capitalised on a brief lapse of concentration, counterattacking for Rodari to be bundled over on the edge of the penalty area. The captain took the responsibility and successfully side-footed the ball low inside the bottom right-hand corner. Questions may have to be asked over the Robins wall organisation. Keen to peg back Hastings, Carshalton demonstrated more attacking intent, with the Sussex-based side having to deny a succession of shots and crosses from in and around the penalty area before a pause in proceedings for a head injury disrupted the momentum garnered.
In the dying embers of the match, Carshalton received their just deserts thanks to Paul-Lavaly. Smith and Sankoh combined well down the left flank for the former to drift inside and feed Bradford on the edge of the penalty area, who maintained his composure, teeing up the onrushing young full-back to rifle the ball into the far corner.
It was a fantastic strike from the Bromley loanee and his second goal in three games for the Reds. That said, there was a big chance for the U’s in additional time when the ball found its way through a crowd of bodies to Moynes, but the resulting shot was thankfully just over the bar.
The Robins held on to extend their winning streak to four matches, moving up to eighth with 42 points in the Isthmian Premier Division. Carshalton travel to league leaders Dover Athletic at the weekend with hopes of carrying forward the momentum.
Up Next
Date: Saturday, February 1, 2025
Venue: The Crabble Athletic Ground
Kickoff: 03:00 PM
Admission: Admission Prices are as follows, £15 (Adult), £14 (Over 60 Concessions), £9 (Under 18’s), Free (Under 11s)
Tickets: For Tickets Click Here
