CAFC vs Potters Bar Town – Match Report
Carshalton Athletic edged Potters Bar Town 2-1 at Colston Avenue on Monday evening to go three unbeaten in the Isthmian Premier Division.
Following the 1-1 draw with Bognor Regis Town at the weekend, Dion Henry returned between the sticks, Fikayo Atewologun replaced Ollie Hamstead at the heart of the Robins backline, and Mason Saunders-Henry was unavailable, so skipper Paris Hamilton-Downes came into the starting XI.
It was a tempered start from Carshalton with lots of patient build-up play and attempted long balls in behind from Atewologun. Striker David Smith demonstrated the necessary attacking threat as he drove with the ball through the centre of the pitch, laid off Bryan Ifeanyi, who drifted inside, and flashed it against the defender before Luke Read’s volleyed follow-up went straight down the keeper’s throat. Moments later, Kola Salami carried the ball into the penalty area and was denied one-on-one from a tight angle. Pushing for the opener, Fabio Sarava swung in the corner; it was headed back across goal; pinball ensued, and an alert Bernie Tanner lashed it wide.
Eventually, wave after wave of attack paid dividends as some Ifeanyi trickery enforced the foul to win the spot kick and Smith converted, sending the keeper the wrong way.
Keen to capitalise on the momentum garnered, the Reds almost made it two when Salami pulled it back to Smith, who had his shot blocked close range on the swivel. Despite the majority of the action coming in the visitor’s own third, the scholars levelled through Nana Kyei. The forward battled his way past our centre-backs and nestled it beyond Henry.
Midway through, Potters Bar had survived a sustained spell of attacking pressure from Peter Adeniyi’s side and proceeded to issue a couple of warning signs to the hosts. A loose pass from Henry teed up Steve Cawley to drive unchallenged and strike; however, the shot-stopper made amends and produced a wonderful diving save low down to his left, pushing it around the post. Not long after, Cawley threatened again, powering an effort wide.
The Scholars came agonisingly close to pegging back the Reds on the 30-minute mark. Atewologun nearly turned a Ber Ward-Cochrane cross into his own net, but thankfully the post rescued the defender and sparred his blushes. After a dominant start, the match had opened up, and it was all to play for between the two sides. With nine minutes until the break, Saraiva delivered the right channel set piece, and it was cleared only as far as Tanner, whose sweetly struck half volley grazed the bar. Having survived a succession of shots and crosses, the Robins broke at pace, and Smith squared the ball across to Ifeanyi on the opposite flank, who remained composed and drove it into the far corner to peg back the Scholars on the stroke of halftime.
Inside the first two minutes of the second half, the Robins’s intense high press, which was spearheaded by Smith, nearly forced a calamitous error from the GK, whose clearance ricocheted off the forward but away from the Scholar’s goal before the tenacious forward got in the way of another attempt to get rid. On the hour mark, Carshalton were in the ascendancy pushing to extend their advantage with successive free-kick opportunities squandered, a speculative long-range effort, and some dangerous crosses into the penalty area. Chances for Potters Bar, meanwhile, had been few and far between.
A few minutes later, the ball was launched upfield towards Tommy Bradford who touched it down for Hamilton-Downes to come onto and lift over the bar. There was a bit of a shift in momentum approaching the 70th minute as the Scholars had a backheel denied close-range and tried to power home a pinball-like scramble. The match then entered a lull before Prosper Keto’s right flank cross was controlled and driven into a Carshalton body on the swivel by Harry Brant at the front post. Salami, the Reds main attacking threat, forged Carshalton’s best chance of the half as he darted in behind and stabbed the ball into the keeper one-on-one before Smith’s headed rebound was tame, so he gave chase and side-footed the follow-up for a corner.
The resulting corner saw Atewologun glance wide from the centre of the penalty area. Appeals for a penalty followed soon after when the ball appeared to strike the Potters Bar defender on the arm, the referee waved it away.
With five minutes until time, Ifeanyi, twisting and turning, fired a dipping effort into the keeper’s grasp, it would prove the final chance of the game.
The result moves the Robins up to sixth place on 23 points, three behind Lewes in the play-off places.
Up Next
Date: Saturday, November 23, 2024 (vs Cheshunt)
Venue: Colston Avenue
Kick-off: 03:00 PM
Admission: £11, £8, £5 (online prices) on the gate is a pound dearer.
Tickets: https://form.123formbuilder.com/566
