Robins Smoke Hamlet
Carshalton Athletic produced arguably their best home performance of the season in perhaps the most important game of the campaign so far as they swept aside fellow playoff contenders Dulwich Hamlet 3-0 at Colston Avenue.
In front of an Easter Monday crowd of 1,082 the Robins showed their intent in the first five minutes. With just two minutes on the clock Bunmi Babajide just failed to direct Kwaku Frimpong’s low cross on target and that was followed shortly afterwards by a Danny Bassett shot that almost caught out Hamlet goalkeeper R’Avan Constable at his near post.
As the half went on, Carshalton continued to look purposeful and dangerous but couldn’t make the breakthrough, Babajide again going close when trying to force home at the near post after confusion from a corner.
The Robins’ deserved opener wasn’t long coming in the second half though. Some slick passing down the right-hand side freed Brad Williams to break forward and when his ball into the box picked out Babajide a neat first-time layoff found Mason Saunders-Henry in support and he finished emphatically for his first Robins goal.
With Dulwich largely confined to scraps, Bassett again tested Constable and Babajide hit the side netting from a tight angle after more neat build-up play.
After the Robins had nearly scored from a beautifully worked training ground corner routine, the second goal came from a more traditional corner kick. Williams’ ball into the penalty area found Babajide unmarked six yards out and he headed in his 20th goal of the season.
A convincing afternoon for the Robins was rounded off in unfortunate fashion for Hamlet as Michael Chambers and Constable got their wires crossed on a long clearance from Aaron Jones, resulting in Chambers’ back header rolling into an empty net.
The win keeps Carshalton in the hunt for the end of season playoff places, but with all the top nine bar Dulwich and leaders Hornchurch (whose game was postponed) winning, they remain in sixth place with ground to make up on the teams above.
See photos from this and other fixtures on flickr
Carshalton Athletic:Â Jones, Read, Beeden, Bell, Williams, Vose, Saunders-Henry, Bradford, Bassett, Frimpong, Babajide.
Substitutes: Hamilton-Downes (for Saunders-Henry 80’), Everitt (for Bradford 88’), Lucan (for Bassett 88’), Kennett, Marshall
Dulwich Hamlet: Constable, Ojemen, Graham-Barrett, Ricketts, Chambers, Wanadio, Scott, Mills, Jeffrey, Shokunbi, Parry.
Substitutes: Shonibare (for Jeffrey 57’), Hansson (for Ricketts 72’), Clifton, Krasniqi, Bonnett-Johnson.
