CAFC Women 2-0 Farnborough
A scintillating Ella Bale half-volley confirmed a first pre-season clean sheet for the Robins following a dominant 2-0 victory over Farnborough FC today.
Number 10 Sarah Chapman gave Carshalton an early lead after a superb solo goal before Bale made sure of the win when she fired into the roof of the net to make it two. A crucial stop from our trialist goalkeeper in the final minute capped off a sunny Sunday afternoon with a clean sheet.
It was a quick start from Carshalton, showing lots of attacking threat from the get-go and they almost opened the scoring inside the first minute. Kenza Gueriani received the ball down the left and released it to Chapman in the centre of the box. She spotted India Cox in acres of space on her right shoulder and squared it as the promise of an early lead was immediately quashed by the sound of the referee’s whistle to indicate offside.
However, the Reds did not have to wait long to be rewarded for their efforts. Captain Georgie Edwards unleashed Chapman languishing on the right flank, and driving one-on-one at the defender, she brilliantly knocked the ball past her opponent to then use her pace to latch onto it and calmly side-foot the ball beyond the goalkeeper at her near post.
The hosts continued to move the ball nicely and probe the Farnborough defence as Boro did their best to try and spark a counter attack, but not only were their chances few and far between but they were also mopped up by the midfield and defence, working in tandem. A few minutes later, Farnborough had their first sight at goal following a Yellows corner that was cleared away before it was met by the boot of number ten, whose effort was always curling away from goal.
Georgie Edwards was pulling the strings in the middle, Cox was enjoying herself on the right, and Carshalton were comfortably on top.
On the 20 mark, Chapman found herself through on goal and forcing a fine save from the Boro keeper down low to her right to tip it onto the post and out for a corner, this came after Cox flicked on an Edwards throw. Midway through the first half, Farnborough found themselves in behind the Robins backline for the first time, a testament to our girl’s defensive resolve, when number 10 teed up 11; however, the danger was scrambled clear.
Carshalton’s high press prevented the Yellows from being able to play out and garner any sought of momentum as they faced wave after wave of attacks. Well into the final third of the half, Nesbett’s searching ball to Chapman in the centre from out wide was controlled beautifully by the number 10, her touch allowed her to take the ball around the defender towards the left-hand side of the box and attempt to angle a low driven strike into the far corner – the post once again proved her arch nemesis.
Trying to catch Carshalton out, the Boro goalkeeper looked to play quickly with a long throw; however, it was intelligently intercepted by Gueriani, who eventually found Cox isolated on the opposite side. Bringing it down, she only had the keeper to beat, but was denied by the GK’s outstretched boot, making amends for her previous error.
On a rare occurrence, Farnborough countered from a Carshalton corner, number 10 had the beating off Robins centre-back Tanya Dady, yet her effort was sliced into the side netting. Number 16 desperately tried to inspire hopes of a leveller on the stroke of halftime following a speculative set-piece attempt that was well held by a diving Patton.
Despite the slender scoreline, it was an extremely dominant 45 from our ladies.
Heading into the second half, Lamont made two changes to the front three, Guariani and Cox made way for Honey Rose-Dulley and Ella Bale. The hosts picked up from where they left off with the first chance of the half falling to Bale, who cut in and caressed the ball aiming to nestle it into the far corner, but there was not enough whip on the strike.
Midfield maestro McCarthy then threaded through Rose-Dulley to drive and produce a good stop from the legs of the goalkeeper. Moments later, she was clean through, but cruelly denied by the offside flag.
The duo were then responsible for a wonderful move that was almost capped off by a quintessential Bale finesse shot that was denied by the fingertips of the keeper – “That deserved a goal!” yelled one spectator.
Just after the hour beckoned, a well-worked corner routine from the Reds made its way to McCarthy on the six-yard box, who stabbed at it, but it rolled agonisingly wide of the post, much to her dismay.
Bale finally got her just deserts when her tenacity paid off as she beat the defender to get on the end of a pass over the top and fired into the roof of the net on the half volley. The forward followed it by running over to embrace a spectator and wish them a happy birthday, pulling at the heartstrings.
The magnitude of the task at hand, overturning a two-goal cushion, meant the game gradually began to fizzle out with Carshalton enjoying the lion’s share of possession and threatening the Farnborough goal.
In the closing stages of the match, Bale combined well with Rose-Dulley to thread through the latter, yet she allowed the ball to run across her a bit too much and given the tightness of the angle, her effort was tame. Even though Chapman had been working for the entire 90, she still had the energy to battle two challenges, cut back and set up Rose-Dulley in a dangerous position; however, her shot was parried for a corner.
Trialist shot-stopper Shahara replaced Patton between the sticks at the break and made a big one-on-one diving save to her right to keep the Robins’s clean sheet intact at the death, a crucial step for this new-look team.
The match finished 2-0 to our girls and it was a very impressive defensive and offensive performance from Lamont’s side. In truth, it could have been a lot more to the Robins, but the clean sheet is an important strive forward for this group of ladies.
The third victory of pre-season, Carshalton will have hopes of a fourth on Wednesday against Three Bridges.
Carshalton Athletic: Patton (Shahara 45), Dady, Nebbett, Allen, Edwards, Williams, McCarthy, Eade, Chapman (Bale 45), Gueriani (Rose-Dulley 45), Cox (trialist 60)
Farnborough FC: N/A
Goals: Sarah Chapman, Ella Bale
Next Up
CAFC Women vs Three Bridges
Date: Wednesday 14th August
Ko: 19.45
Venue: Carshalton Athletic FC
Admission: Free Admission for all
