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Carshalton booked their place in the next round of the AFA Surrey Intermediate Cup when they beat a dogged Clapham Old Xavarians team that had travelled to Beddington Park looking to avenge an earlier defeat this season at the hands of the home side in the AFA Intermediate Cup.

The Cars side has this season had the knack of scoring early on in cup matches and everything here pointed to them doing it again in this tie as they piled on the pressure straight from the kick-off with both Paul Pearce and Stuart Dunne going close in the opening minutes. The predictable early goal duly arrived in the 12^th minute when Clapham were made to pay for giving away a needless free-kick halfway in their own half. Chris Tilley took the kick hitting it long to the far post where it was met by the outstretched leg of Michael Tilley who did well to convert from a couple of yards out. The home side enjoyed the majority of the possession throughout the first period, but it was not until right on the stroke of half time that they doubled their lead. Having won a throw-in down by the corner flag, Danny Hewitt launched the throw to Stuart Dunne who got up well at the near post out jumping the defender on the line to head home.

The visitors came out after the interval determined not to let Cars have things all their own way and were guilty of some rather over zealous tackling which introduced an unsavoury flavour to the game, thereby dragging the contest down for a while. However, with the referee having lectured the offenders, Cars gradually got back into their stride and it was business as usual as once more they put the Clapham defence under pressure. This pressure was soon rewarded when in the 65^th minute a long pass from the back split the Clapham central defensive pairing who had both pushed far too far up field allowing Jason Winyard to sprint unopposed from inside his own half, toe the ball past the fast advancing keeper, carry it to the edge of the six-yard box and smash it into the empty net having first cheekily taunted the chasing defenders to come and get it. 

Despite going three down the opposition didn’t give up and at times even gave the Cars back four some nervous moments, but in truth they never really looked like finding a way past MOM Dean Tomlinson who was having an outstanding game. With less than 5 minutes left, Cars conceded a first goal in cup competitions this season when Clapham scored a consolation goal from the penalty spot after keeper Ross Sinclair had up ended their centre forward. Just a minute later the scoring for the day was completed when Tony Edwards ran onto a through ball and majestically lobbed the keeper from the edge of the box.

Beddington Hotspur