AFA Surrey / Kent Intermediate Cup Preliminary Round – 1st October 2005

Last season’s beaten finalists Carshalton were dumped out of the AFA Surrey / Kent Divisional Cup at the first hurdle this time around when they lost this Preliminary Round tie to a controversial late goal at the hands of a very physical and intimidating Old Addeyans side at Blackheath Park.

The early exchanges although very scrappy nevertheless produced chances for both sides.  The first of these chances falling to Cars’ Gary Cummings who fired over from the edge the six-yard box after four minutes, which was followed some five minutes later at the other end by an almost identical opportunity for the Addeyans left-winger who volleyed over from 8-yards.  On 16 minutes Cars were indebted to their keeper Ross Sinclair when he had to be at his best to make a fine stop from the Addeyans’ centre forward.  Moments later, Cars survived a massive penalty shout when Mr. Horner the match official waved aside the very vocal appeals of the home player’s who claimed the ball to have been handled by a Cars defender inside the penalty area.  As the half wore on then so the contest noticeably deteriorated, becoming a very stop start affair, the shrill sound of the referee’s whistle all too frequently interrupting the proceedings and the foul count against the hosts increasing by the minute; indeed, it was now that the yellow card made its first appearance of the afternoon.  A challenge on Cars’ Martin Vincent during this period particularly bad and as crude as any likely to been seen in a game played at this level.  It was from yet another foul in the 35^th minute that Gary Cummings was given the chance to break the deadlock – Cars being awarded a penalty after Alex Corner had been pushed to the ground by an Addeyans’ defender.  With regular penalty taker Stuart Jefferys watching from the subs bench Cummings stepped forward to nonchalantly slot the spot kick past the keeper, drawing first blood for Cars.  Two minutes later Corner came close to increasing the Cars lead but his superb long-range drive despite beating the keeper crashed against the foot of the near post.  Just five minutes of the first half remained when following a corner on the left hesitancy in the Cars defence allowed an Addeyans midfielder to put his side back on level terms with a shot that went through a crowd of players, beating Sinclair at his near post. 

Although not really creating too much to trouble their opponents, the first 20 minutes after the break clearly belonged to Addeyans who enjoyed the loins share of both territory and possession.  However, from their first attack of the second half a flowing box to box Cars move saw Sam Butler go close to putting them back in front when he fired wide from outside the 18-yard box.  Moments later, Corner rose high at the far post to meet a well delivered cross from Butler only to see his header find the side netting.  On 80 minutes and with thoughts turning to the possibility of extra-time, Addeyans snatched what looked to be the winning goal when unchallenged on the six-yard line their centre-forward hooked his effort home having met a cross from the right.  Cars, undeterred by this body blow immediately went looking for an equaliser, which they came mighty close to finding in the 82^nd minute when a ball from Paul Pearce sent Cummings clear and through on goal.  Unfortunately for Cars though, the lob from Cummings flew over both keeper and crossbar.  With the clock against them and showing just four minutes of the tie remaining, a passage of play down the Addeyans’ left led to Cars winning a throw-in from which substitute Stuart Jefferys found Butler unmarked in the middle.  Having taken the ball forward in his stride Butler then unleashed a spectacular 30-yard effort that flew into the top left-hand corner of the net to bring his team level.  The Cars joy though was short-lived and two minutes from time an Addeyans’ attack down the right flank led to their controversial winner.  The Cars players seemed to be justified in their claim that the forward who’d nicked the winner had been at least a yard offside when the ball had been played to him.  The last action of the tie saw Cars forcing a corner where including keeper Sinclair; they threw everyone forward in one last desperate effort to take the game into extra-time.  Despite Butler sending over a decent delivery the home side managed to clear their lines, relieved to hear seconds later the sound of the final whistle.  

Beddington Hotspur