CAFC Women vs Dorking Wanderers Development – Match Report
Carshalton Athletic Women suffered defeat for the first time in the Surrey Premier Division following their 2-0 loss to Dorking Wanderers Development at Colston Avenue on Sunday afternoon.
While the Reds dominated the ball and created chances, the Wanderers backline proved extremely resilient, and their attackers were particularly threatening on the counter-attack. It was winger Honey Dulley with the first sight at goal for the Robins inside two minutes. The ball was worked from left to right to Dulley in space on the opposite side of the penalty area; however, she dragged her effort wide. From the get-go, it was apparent that Carshalton would action Aaron Lamont’s quintessential high press, but the manager wanted more tempo to their play. In the 7th minute, Wanderers took a surprise lead, capitalising on their first actual attack. Isobella Farooqi drove on the outside of Evie Nebbitt and beat the full-back for pace, sending a low driven cross into the path of Kamara, which she calmly turned in from close range.
Approaching the 20-minute mark, our ladies had enjoyed a lot of the ball but were failing to pose any real threat. That being said, the intense press was proving to be effective for the Reds as Wanderers struggled to play through it and Carshalton had come agonisingly close on a couple of occasions to nicking it in goalscoring positions. Edwards, desperate to try and inspire the leveller, nearly sent Dulley clear away, so far the winger had been the Robins main attacking threat. Mid-way through, Dorking thought they had a second when Lawrence finished off a nice move – thankfully, it was brought back for the offside. Following that, the visitors continued to have some joy getting in behind our high defensive line and we were saved more than once, albeit perhaps controversially, by the assistants flag.
Lamont, unhappy with the performance, demanded more from his girls, yelling “come on!”. Entering the final third, Carshalton probed the defensively resilient Wanderers but to no avail, growing increasingly frustrated. While the visitors spent less time in the Carshalton find third, they moved the ball well and extending their advantage was a very real possibility. Up the other end of the pitch, the Robins, eight minutes from the break, were momentarily level when Ella Bale controlled a searching pass from the right flank and fashioned it onto her stronger right boot to lift it over the goalkeeper; however, it was ruled out for offside, something that seemed to be a running theme in the first half.
Proper chances had been few and far between for the Robins, but Emily McCarthy went close 43 minutes in when Dulley’s left flank delivery was cleared only as far as the midfielder, who came onto it and let fly, but was denied by a diving Mia Robinson between the sticks. The Wanderers almost doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time, Kamara attacked right and lifted her cross to the back post, which ended up bouncing off the inside of it and away. The last opportunity of the half fell to McCarthy when Edwards’ deep left flank set piece narrowly evaded her, languishing at the back post. All in all, it was a tough opening 45 for our ladies, while we enjoyed lots of the ball and created chances, there were none of real note and Dorking had been very defensively resolute.
The Wanderers almost secured a two-goal cushion immediately from the restart, Kamara was one on one with Solley and angled her shot towards the far corner, but the goalkeeper managed to divert it wide. Our shot-stopper was called into action again from the resulting corner, gathering a tame close-range effort comfortably. Aware that they needed to platform more attacking intent, Carshalton went about putting it into fruition. Bale and Edwards combined well before the latter laid it off to Throp who fired over on the edge of the penalty area. Dorking were not letting up though, a pass from the right flank diverted into the path of Grace Bates, who played through Kamara down the right channel and her effort rattled the bar.
In a similar vein to the first 45, Carshalton probed but were left exposed when the Wanderers counter-attacked them. On the hour mark, the Robins were gradually edging closer to the leveller. Dulley took the ball down well in the penalty area but could not quite fashion a shooting opportunity, eventually it was cleared but only as far as Edwards, who miscued her shot. A few minutes later, Throp made a driving run goalwards and was brought down just outside the box, taking the responsibility of the free-kick, the midfielder drove her effort straight at the wall. Cries of “keep pushing” bellowed from Lamont as an alert Abbie Measures latched onto an attempted clearance from a long throw into the box and tried lobbing the goalkeeper, but it went the wrong side of the post.
Heading into the 75th minute, the Robins still trailed. They were putting the Wanderers under substantial pressure as the visitors subdued a succession of shots and crosses. Dulley gave chase to a searching lofted pass in behind from Edwards and when the onrushing Robinson failed to claim, the winger almost capitalized trying to slid it into the empty net; however, the shot-stopper made amends, recovering well to gather, sparring her blushes. Abbie Measures departure for Anna Tilley in the 83rd minute was Lamont’s fifth and final substitution, demonstrating a certain ruthlessness from the young manager who has high expectations, and justifiably so, for this new-look side. Towards the latter stages, desperation had crept in for Carshalton, Edwards’ half volley from an impossibly tight position was symbolic of it.
Unfortunately for our ladies, the Wanderers pegged us back once more in the dying embers of the game. Kamara flicked on a free kick from just inside our half and Bates was there to turn it in, devastation for the Robins. Refusing to give up, Edwards lashed a powerful set piece at Robinson who spilled, but Gueriani failed to convert the follow up. The result not only meant a first taste of defeat in the league, but also an end to a five-match unbeaten run that stretches back to the 11th of August.
Up Next
The Robins will be desperate to bounce back next Sunday when we welcome Croydon FC to Colston Avenue. As always free entry for all, with the Kick-Off time still to be confirmed.
