SAL Division 1 - 27th January 2007

After last week's convincing victory over Old Esthameians, Carshalton were looking to continue in their rich vein of league form, which has seen them rise from a very anonymous mid table to a very threatening promotion hunting team. 

Upon our arrival at the Joseph Hood playing fields you could have been excused for thinking you had arrived at Camber Sands for a weekend by the sea, such was the mass of sand covering the pitch we were to play on. The game got underway but unlike past weeks we were slow out of the blocks, allowing Merton to win a lot of the loose balls and generally compete all over the pitch with us.  After a while of being suppressed we decided we'd like to play some football and when we decide to play there are few in the division that can stop us.  The passing was crisp with some lovely cross-field balls from Fisky for Justin to run on to and we were winning everything in the air.  The defence looked impenetrable.  This is normally the point at which we concede, having started to impose ourselves on the game, but not this week.  We created a few half chances but couldn't hit the target.  Then, about 5 minutes from the break Justin skinned his man (for the upteenth time) and delivered the second best cross of the game (we'll talk about the best cross in a bit) to the far post where Luke powered his header towards the top corner.  Everybody had already started to celebrate when the Merton keeper appeared from nowhere to tip the ball over the bar and claim save of the season (not counting any of Backers' stops obviously). 

So at half time it was scoreless, but we felt that all we had to do was keep applying the pressure and we would get the breakthrough we deserved.  The second half started as the first had finished with all the football being played by Carshalton whilst Merton tried their very best to disrupt the flow of the game (the no. 11 in the centre with persistent fouling it has to be said).  Their tactics worked somewhat in that we were reduced to long range efforts and they were coming closer themselves to scoring.  Justin, having his best game for the first team, was beating his man time and again and with better delivery we could have been a couple up inside the first 10 minutes of the restart.  

About half way through the second period Dave Tilley put across the best cross of the game (Dave could possibly lay claim to cross of the season) and Swanny powered home a free header which if the keeper had got in the way of would have taken him into the back of the net as well.  No one could argue that we didn't deserve the lead.  It was now Merton's turn to go on the offensive but the defence stood strong and cross after cross (poor crosses though Dave, nothing to compare with yours) and corner after corner were cleared away. 

The final whistle blew (apparently 8 minutes early according to the Merton supporters on the line) and Carshalton proved that they are one of the best sides in the division.  You would have been hard pushed to find a team that would get the ball down and play football like us on a pitch like that.  It was mentioned to those Carshalton supporters on the sideline, by someone from Merton, that we were the best side they have played this season.  That's credit to all those that played on Saturday.  

Man of the match this week for me was Justin because it was the best game he's had for us this season.  Fisky was impressive again, as were the entire back four.  Clean sheets are becoming almost a habitat, Neil. So, now we sit second in the league, 3 points behind Norseman (who got thrashed 5-0 at HSBC) with a game in hand.  Promotion is in our hands boys. Well done.

Jonny Phillips