AFA Intermediate Cup Round One – 15th October 2005

A blistering ten minute spell before the break where they scored three goals without reply was enough at Beddington Park on Saturday to send Carshalton on their way to a comfortable victory over third division side Ibis, and through to the second round proper of the AFA Intermediate Cup where they’ll meet Enfield Old Grammarians.

Cars for the first time this season were able to include in their line-up last season’s successful strike partnership of Shane Bowes and Paul Pearce.  And, straight from the kick-off it was this pair who caused all sorts of problems for the Ibis defence, without though ever creating a clear goal scoring opportunity.  Despite dominating for much of the first-half the home side somewhat surprisingly had to wait until the 35^th minute before opening the scoring.  There looked to be little danger when the ball was played up field towards Bowes who was some 25-yards from the Ibis goal.  However, with his back to goal the Cars striker turned on the proverbial sixpence to send a thunderous volley crashing into the net.  In the 40^th minute and just as the visitors appeared to be hauling themselves back into the contest, Sam Butler doubled the Cars lead with an effort the equal of Bowes’ opener – the young midfielder collecting the ball on the left and hitting an unstoppable drive from fully 30-yards.  Four minutes before the break the Ibis defenders allowed Pearce to twist and turn his way into the box before stopping him with two clumsy challenges that gave the match official an easy decision to make in awarding a penalty.  Gary Cummings converted the resulting spot kick to send the home team in at the interval three goals to the good with seemingly more to come in the second half.  

The early exchanges of the second half saw the visitors not only raising their game but also for the first time in the contest threatening the Cars goal.  Clearly, the visitors weren’t about to rollover and surrender and they deservedly pulled a goal back in the 58^th minute when they scored direct from a 20-yard free-kick.  The best move of the day saw Cummings restore Cars’ three-goal advantage when he finished from close range in the 65^th minute.  Despite numerous further openings for the home side they couldn’t find a fifth goal, which surely would end the game as a contest and see them through to the next round, indeed; the next goal when it arrived on 71 minutes went the way of a rejuvenated Ibis side, courtesy of a fine solo effort from one of their central midfield duo.  Having conceded a second goal and been given a wake-up call Cars poured forward exploiting the gaps that were appearing across the park as Ibis went in search of a third goal, which if it was to come along would make the closing stages of the tie rather interesting.  With ten minutes remaining Pearce looked to have put the result beyond doubt, but despite his 25-yard strike looking to be on its way in, the ball struck the inside of the near post and went out to safety.  Moments later, the Ibis centre-back was extremely lucky not to be sent off when as the last defender he pulled Pearce back on the edge of the penalty area, thereby denying the Cars striker a clear run-in on goal and near certain goal.  However, the match official ruled that a booking and the award of a free-kick was sufficient punishment.  Almost immediately, another foul on Pearce did see Cars get their second penalty of the match.  Although MOM Cummings was on a hat trick, regular penalty taker Stuart Jefferys stepped forward, placing his spot kick wide of the keeper and completing the scoring in the tie.

Cars are back in league action next week when they’ll make their second visit of the season to the Old Elizabethan Sports Ground in Barnet to face an Old Stationers team they beat on the opening day of the season in the season in the AFA Intermediate cup. 

Beddington Hotspur