League Match - 10th October 2009

Carshalton made it three home victories out of three against HSBC on Saturday and whilst it will not have gone down in history as our greatest ever performance, it said a lot about the character and commitment of the team, and even more about the success we can achieve this season if every member of the squad wants it badly enough.

The first half was not pretty to watch with both sides giving the ball away and an ordinary HSBC team out-battling us for much of the time winning more than their share of 50-50 balls. It didn’t help that collectively we somehow managed to get under the referee’s skin which is never helpful. After 25 minutes an HSBC midfielder broke into the box and Billy Tilley mis-timed (by about 7 minutes) his tackle and the referee pointed to the spot. Bruce went to his left but the penalty taker put it straight down the middle to put HSBC in front.

Matt Wigham tore into us at half time, kicking over water bottles, grabbing the odd player by the throat, swearing and shouting, and with our ears still ringing we ran back out on to the park. (Wouldn’t it be great if one of these days he really did do that!)

The second half was a big improvement, Poullier and Tilley started to boss the middle of the park, Fisk and Corner got forward to support Clare and Taylor at regular intervals. Within minutes Carshalton were back in the game. A long throw from Clare was flicked on by Corner (who wins nearly every header in these situations) and with the ball bouncing in front of him Adam Fisk showed great skill and vision to loop it over the keeper from no more than 8 yards with his head.

Having pulled the game back to all square, Carshalton continued to put the pressure on and it was rewarded on the hour mark when another Corner header found Clare in the box and as he tried to flick it to the unmarked Andy Taylor, the ball was handled by the HSBC centre-back. The referee awarded the penalty and though Clare picked the ball up hopefully, Richard Webb, urged on by every other player in the team, Matt Wigham, the old gits watching and a couple of passers-by walking their dogs, grabbed it off him and wisely took the penalty, scoring without a fuss.

The remainder of the game was a bit of a blur with Carshalton missing some good chances, a Clare lob from 10 yards out and an Adam Taylor header from 5 yards out to name but two, but HSBC also having some dangerous moments when they perhaps could have scored. All in all though the defence marshalled by a sick Tom Ritchie but with able support from B Tilley, Webb and Haughton, coped extremely well, and Martin Bruce continues to impress between the sticks.

It was a deserved win in the end, although we all know that we are capable of playing much better and will have to more often if we are to retain our place at the top of the table over the coming months. This is the second time this season that we have come from behind at home to win, and the third time that we have successfully defended a one goal advantage in the latter stages of the match.

On a final note, I have just taken charge of the website and have been nostalgically looking back through 1^st team match reports from up to 10 years ago. There is no doubt we have had some excellent sides and some talented players over the last decade but in terms of ability and fitness this current side would be up there with the best. But to turn that talent into league and cup success we collectively need to believe it, want it and commit to it week in week out.

Of course we lead busy lives and sometimes have to work on Saturday’s or have commitments we can’t get out of, but if we do everything possible to maximise our availability that could make the difference. Yes, we pay to play and play for pleasure, and on a Friday night after a week at work it is likely some of us fancy a few bevies. But the more Friday nights that it is just a few or even none, rather than a lot of bevvies, the better we will perform Saturday-in Saturday-out. The best Carshalton player I played with in terms of all round ability and passion was undoubtedly Keith Cave, and I know most of the 1^st team knew and played with him. He used to phone me (and every other member of the first team) up EVERY Friday night to tell me how nervous he was about the next day’s game, to ask me if I was nervous, and to discuss how we were going to play. I’m not suggesting we need to do that (he was a bit of a saddo!) but Keith was a winner through and through and if we show that type of desire we can, and will, win trophies this season.         

Simon Clare