Carshalton and their visitors Weirside Rangers served-up for those spectators lucky enough to be at Beddington Park on Saturday a hugely entertaining,  splendidly contested six-goal thriller, which rightfully ended with honours even, although both teams will point to chances late on that might have won it.

Cars manager Ian Lewis had warned his players beforehand that despite their home advantage they would certainly face a stiffer test than they had when defeating Rangers at St. Mary’s on the opening day of the season.  And, the early exchanges proved this to be the case as an improved Rangers outfit took the game to their hosts.  The visitors, having enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession in the opening ten minutes should have benefited from a mix-up in the Cars 18-yard box on 12 minutes.  However, the Rangers left-winger wasted the chance that came his way, rushing his shot, which he screwed wide of the far post.  Rangers were causing all sorts of problems for the home side down the left flank, and eventually after 26 minutes it was from here that they fashioned the move that led to their left-winger opening the scoring with a blistering strike that he took on the half-volley and which Ross Sinclair in the Cars goal never got near to stopping.  The Cars response to going behind was immediate – straight from the restart midfielder Kevin Macleod taking advantage of the Rangers keeper’s failure to deal with a cross, firing his side level with a sharp strike from six-yards.  On the half hour mark Cars were made to pay for conceding an unnecessary free-kick on their left, and from which they inexcusably failed to pick-up a Rangers player at the near post, who having controlled the ball, raced into the six-yard box and crossed to the far post where a colleague had the simplest of tasks in finding the back of the net from two-yards.  With the half-time approaching there were a number of half chances at either end, but with defenders on top at this stage of the proceedings, these were easily snuffed-out and the teams therefore went into the break with the visitors holding a slender lead.  

It was noticeable as the second half got underway that Cars had upped the tempo, especially down the wings where they looked to get players in behind the Rangers full-backs.  The early Cars pressure was soon rewarded when in the 56^th minute their striker Martin Vincent was brought down on the edge of the Rangers 18-yard box.  As the Rangers players voiced their protests to the Mr. Lane, the match official, Vincent took a quick free-kick, which he played to his fellow strike partner Shane Bowes standing unmarked and with just the keeper to beat, which he finally did at the second attempt after the Rangers custodian had brilliantly turned the first effort onto the post.  The momentum was now with the hosts and on 58 minutes they took the lead from a simple long ball played over the top that allowed Vincent to get in behind the Rangers left-back and from 18-yards calmly lob the ball over the advancing keeper and into the empty net.  Cars continued to press for their fourth goal that would see the game as a contest ended, but despite the Rangers defence looking shaky they couldn’t force the all-important breakthrough and Rangers who weren’t finished yet, began to ask some serious questions of the Cars back-four.  However, the goal that was to see Rangers draw level was extremely fortuitous – a 25-yard shot that Sinclair seemingly had covered being deflected past him by the boot of team mate Neal Collard.  In the final minutes of what had been a great advert for SAL football both teams went looking for the win and the three points it would bring, with chances at both ends that might have won it.  The most notable of these late opportunities, a long-range effort from Rangers that struck the foot of a post, and then at the other end what looked a definite penalty award for Cars when Paul Pearce was tripped as he went through on goal – the referee looking long and hard before waving away the loud appeals of the home players.  Finally, the shrill from Mr. Lane’s whistle sounded the end of the game with all who’d taken part agreeing that a draw was probably the fairest result.

Beddington Hotspur