SAL Division 2 – 22nd October 2005

Despite on the hour having looked good value and well set to take the three points when they went ahead by three goals to one in an extremely absorbing and competitive league encounter at the Old Elizabethan Sports Ground, Barnet, Carshalton nevertheless finally had to settle for a share of the spoils after their hosts Old Stationers completed a great fight back.

The opening exchanges saw Cars start much the brighter of the two sides though without ever really troubling their opponent’s goal.  However, with the game just 7 minutes old Paul Pearce latched onto an intended back pass and, having left his marker for dead, slotted the ball confidently past the Stationers’ keeper to open the scoring for Cars.  The home side came more into the contest as the first half wore on, winning in the 25^th minute a free-kick just a few yards outside the Cars 18-yard box from which they found an equaliser – the Stationers’ centre-forward scoring with a well directed header from a beautifully executed delivery.  Moments later, and from way out on the flank, the Stationer’s left-winger hit the far post with an imaginative long-range effort that caught Cars’ keeper Terry Vinson flatfooted.  On 41 minutes the last meaningful action before the teams went into the interval saw the Stationers’ keeper tipping over a very well struck free-kick, which the Cars defender Neal Collard had hit from 25-yards out.

The competitiveness of the first half promised much to come after the break, and the two teams didn’t disappoint.  Cars started the second half well and it was no surprise when within the opening five minutes they regained the lead through Pearce.  Again, the young striker’s pace allowing him to pounce on a weak back pass, snatching his second goal of the game with a toe poke under the luckless Stationers’ custodian.  The visitors early dominance of the half saw them rewarded with a third goal on the hour mark that came from a move started by their keeper Vinson.  Having safely collected a dangerous looking cross, Vinson quickly threw the ball out to right-back Billy Andrews who sent it up the line to Andy Clower.  Clower, taking the ball forward some 10-yards then delivered to the far side of the Stationers’ penalty a defence splitting pass to Shane Bowes who cleverly turned inside and hit a shot that cannoned into the legs of a defender, resulting in the ball rebounding kindly for Gary Cummings to drill home his sixth goal of the season.  Almost immediately the home side grabbed, or rather were given a lifeline when Andrews put through his own net whilst defending a corner kick on the right.  In truth though had the Cars right-back not attempted to clear the ball from under the crossbar then the forward at the far post would surely have netted.  Stationers were obviously lifted by the second goal and they began to dominate both the possession and territory.  The writing for Cars was seemingly on the wall at this stage of the proceedings and it wasn’t long before Stationers pulled level - awful Cars marking allowing a midfield player to scramble the ball over the line in the 71^st minute.  Neither side was content to settle for the draw, resulting in both probing to find an opening that would perhaps lead to a winning goal.  But, the defenders finally seemed to be on top and therefore most of the remaining action was played out in the midfield.  The final chance of the afternoon fell to Cars’ Neal Collard whose close range shot was blocked by the legs of a defender on the goal line as Stationers frantically defended a last minute corner on the right.

Beddington Hotspur