Click on back button to return... 

Former winners of the AFA Surrey Intermediate Cup and current London Financial League Division One high fliers Royal Sun Alliance ended Carshalton’s hopes of an appearance in this year's final, defeating the Beddington Park team in an exciting semi final played at Greenacres Leisure Club, Warlingham.  Cars went into this game knowing they faced their stiffest test yet in this season's competition and that they’d undoubtedly be starting as underdogs; indeed Sun Alliance had already claimed the scalp of the mighty Nottsborough in the previous round.  However, any thoughts that Cars may have harboured that perhaps Sun Alliance might underestimate them were soon dispelled in the frantic opening exchanges that saw Paul Pearce, Tony Edwards and Michael Pickett all on the receiving end of crude challenges which kept referee Mr. Harkin fully employed awarding a series of early free kicks against Sun Alliance as they set about trying to intimidate the younger Cars side. 

Favourites Sun Alliance started much the brighter and should have taken the lead as early as the 5^th minute when their centre forward beat Cars’ keeper Ross Sinclair in a chase for a through ball, but amazingly with the goal at his mercy the number 9 managed to miss the target.  Just moments later Sinclair found himself scrambling at his near post to keep out a snap shot that came in from close range.  Despite the early Sun Alliance onslaught, Cars produced a couple of chances of their own - Gary Cummings heading over from 8 yards after meeting a Pearce cross, while Danny Hewitt almost embarrassed the keeper with an audacious overhead kick that finished just wide of the left-hand upright.  The Sun Alliance centre forward who was causing all sorts of problems for the Cars’ back four again found himself in front of goal in the 14^th minute, his chip though, not only sailed over the keeper, but also the Cars’ crossbar.  The big centre forward after two glaring misses wasn’t to be denied, for only a minute later, following a long throw to the near post, he wriggled free from his marker to shoot unopposed into the Cars net putting his side into the lead.

Having gone behind Cars responded well coming back strongly with the best move of the afternoon.  Chris Tilley picked up a loose ball and hit a superb pass into the feet of Pearce who swivelled and sprayed the ball out wide to Michael Tilley on the right wing allowing him time to play a beautifully flighted cross into the Sun Alliance box that was met by the head of Hewitt who, having escaped the attentions of the centre half, put the chance wide.  In the 34^th minute the men in green survived another scare when a run through the heart of their defence ended with a Sun Alliance midfielder shooting outside an upright from the edge of the penalty area.  With the interval approaching Sinclair in the Cars’ goal got his angles spot on when sprinting off his line to keep his side in the contest with an excellent one-on-one save.  Right on the stroke of half time Cars came close to nicking an equaliser - Pearce sending over a dangerous looking cross for Cummings who was just beaten to the ball by the alert and quick thinking keeper.  Cars went into the break somewhat flattered by a score line that didn’t really reflect a first 45minutes that had see them second best for much of the time.  

Dominating the first half as they had, Sun Alliance were surprised to find themselves on the back foot after the break as a rejuvenated set of Cars’ players answered Charlie Sinclair’s half time demand for an extra 10% effort from the team.  Playing with the advantage of the slope Cars didn’t have to wait long for the opening chance of the second period, which came courtesy of a run and shot from Pearce that was easily dealt with by the keeper low down to his left.  Cars continued to press forward with an equaliser now looking a distinct possibility.  On the hour mark the incident that turned the game occurred with Cars controversially denied a penalty after Pearce had been felled in the six-yard box as he shaped to turn and shoot.  So loud was the volume of the Cars’ remonstrating and the apparent acceptance of the impeding punishment from the Sun Alliance players that all who witnessed the incident will surely have been staggered by the fact that Mr. Harkin didn’t call upon his assistant for help.  Matches are won and lost on decisions such as this and unfortunately for Cars there would be no exception in this semi final.  Although Cars were now taking the game to Sun Alliance, the opposition still looked capable of catching them on the break, going close in the 70^th minute with a shot that whistled narrowly past Sinclair’s right post.  Cars piled on the pressure as they went in search of the goal that would see them draw level and with only 13 minutes remaining the elusive goal looked as if it might arrive when Pickett threaded a delightful pass through to Pearce who dispatched a well hit low drive towards the near post, but incredibly the Sun Alliance keeper turned the ball around his post and out for a corner.  Substitutes Stuart Jeffery and Liam Howard were thrown on for the final push, but as the game entered its last 5 minutes and with Cars committed to pushing more players forward, the inevitable happened. Sun Alliance having broken down their left flank scored the clincher with a soft looking header at the back stick to finally put the game beyond Carshalton who had worked their socks off in the second 45 minutes.  Cars continued to pour forward, but weren’t now a threat to a Sun Alliance side who successfully played out time to deservedly book their place in the final.

Beddington Hotspur