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Carshalton and Old Salesians shared the spoils in this rather scrappy league game at a bitterly cold and windy Beddington Park on Saturday, although it will surely be the home side that will regard this as two points lost after they had surrendered a two-goal advantage in the final 10 minutes of the contest.  The opening exchanges saw very few chances as both sets of players struggled to cope with the windy conditions.  Cars though were first into their stride and were duly rewarded with the opening goal on 13 minutes when a long throw into the Salesians box from Stuart Jeffreys caused confusion amongst the defenders, resulting in the ball arriving at the feet of Neil Collard who rattled home his shot from 8 yards out. 

Midfielder Gary Cummings should have added a second for Cars in the 28th minute after he ran onto a great flick from Paul Pearce, but his shot on the run flew inches over the bar, much to the relief of the Salesians keeper who didn’t appear to have it covered.  With the interval looming Cars winger Pearce forced the keeper into a great save at the near post after he had left the Salesians left back for dead on the edge of the 18-yard area. 

The second half was barely 5 minutes old when the away side drew level courtesy of a sweetly struck free kick from 20 yards after Cars had needlessly conceded.  Just 12 minutes later Cars regained the lead when Pearce presented forward Michael Pickett with the simplest of chances after his neat work had taken both keeper and left back out of the play.  Despite yet again having gone behind, Salesians were looking dangerous and more than capable of pulling another goal back.  However, the next goal when it arrived in the 75th minute went the way of Cars and was a second for Collard who benefited from the pressure put on the last defender from the persistent Pickett who forced the Salesians player into a mistake that led to Collard drilling the ball past defender and keeper on the goal line. 

Having extended their lead Cars took the opportunity to substitute Pearce who had been struggling with illness throughout the game.  Unfortunately for Cars the wingers’ departure allowed Salesians the chance to exploit a now evident weakness down the Cars right flank, which they did with much aplomb, forcing a succession of corners. The corner count against Cars was racking up and finally told 10 minutes from time when the Salesians centre forward stabbed home from close range at the second attempt after heroics from skipper Dean Tomlinson had seen the first shot brilliantly blocked.  With just 2 minutes remaining the visitors from Ewell completed the comeback breaking Carshalton hearts with an equaliser that to be honest had looked an almost certainty from the moment they had snatched their second.  As the 90th minute approached only desperate defending, a couple of last-ditch tackles and a fantastic save from Ross Sinclair in the dying seconds ensured that Salesians didn’t travel home with all three points.

A somewhat disappointing result for Cars after they looked to have had the game won going into the closing 10 minutes.  Salesians no doubt will be over the moon with a well-earned point from a battling display that showed why they had come into this match occupying the second divisions’ third spot.  Very difficult to name a MOM this week, but performances of note came from Ross Sinclair in the Cars goal, Dave Tilley in midfield and Neil Collard with two well taken goals. 

Next week Cars make the short journey to Warlingham to take on Royal Sun Alliance 1st XI of the London Financial League in an AFA Surrey Intermediate cup semi final.  Boss Tony Edwards and his players know that there will have to be a vast improvement in their level of performance if they are indeed to have any chance of reaching this season's final.

Beddington Hotspur