Saturday 13 December 2014. Ryman League, Division One South.
Carshalton Athletic 1 Walton & Hersham 0.
Swans suffered the first double over them of the season as they put on a disappointing performance on their first visit to Colston Avenue for eight years. They never really got their game going in a scrappy match, struggling to create chances against opponents who were hard-working but distinctly beatable.
Robins’ goalkeeper Jack Eden had just two shots to deal with in the match, the second coming three minutes from the end of the scheduled ninety, as his side made it five games in a row unbeaten at home. While their own recent home form has been good, Swans have struggled to score goals away from Stompond Lane, just one coming in their last four matches on the road, and three in the last six.
The home side started the better against the again unchanged visitors, and after five minutes Mickel Miller crossed from the left to the far-post for Ricardo Panton to get in a downward header that was easily taken by Swans’ keeper Gary Ross. Ross was then fortunate when Jordan Clarke drove the ball in from the right and it ran across goal and just wide as Joshua Silvera just failed to get a touch at the near-post.
Swans’ first effort came when Dominic Ogun got forward on the left, but his shot from 25 yards out was too high. Tarome Hemmings then played in a free-kick from deep and Gareth Chendlik was able to force a corner on the right.
After twenty minutes Jahmahl King seemed to be the victim of a stray elbow and had to leave the pitch to have a cut head bandaged, leaving Swans playing with ten men for five minutes.
With just over ten minutes left to the break Swans mustered their first effort on goal as Andrew Mensah cut in from the left to drive in in a good shot that Eden saved at his near-post.
But it was the home side that took the lead after 38 minutes. Miller took a corner from the right, and when Silvera nodded the ball on Tommy Bradford had the simple task of heading in from almost on the line at the far-post.
Swans were stung by the goal and stepped up their efforts, and Harry Mills made a tremendous surging run out of defence to get down the right and win a corner. From Ogun’s kick King headed wide at the far-post. Nathan Daly then played a ball into the box, and when Chendlik nodded back to Mensah he struck a fine volley that just cleared the bar. Swans will have been disappointed to hear the half-time whistle as they had finished the half well on top and pressurising the home goal.
That pressure continued after the break and Swans forced three successive corners on the right, but all, taken by Ogun, failed to create openings. Dylan Cascoe replaced Hemmings after 57 minutes, but King again left the pitch at the same time for more running repairs to his head cut, and Swans were again a man light for a few minutes.
Ross was fortunate when his clearing kick struck Silvera, but the ball rebounded off the Carshalton striker and went wide of the left-post. Silvera then turned on the edge of the box to strike a low shot just wide of the left-post.
Swans immediately brought on 17 year-old youth team player Jake Bedford, with Chendlik going off, but they almost went two down as Clarke was allowed to make a run in on the left, and Ross had to turn his shot wide of the near-post.
With just under twenty minutes remaining Cascoe put in a terrific cross from the left, but both Bedford and Vernon Francis just failed to get their head to the ball at the far-post.
Daly picked up the game’s only booking for a foul 30 yards out, and Ross made a fine save, diving to push the ball away on his line as Matthew Males drove the free-kick in low.
Swans began to wind up the pressure on the home goal, and with ten minutes remaining Mills made another terrific run forward that got him into the left of the box, but the ball just ran away from him and over the line.
With three minutes of normal-time remaining Swans had the chance that could have salvaged at least a point. Some fine play by Mensah on the right ended with a superb cross to the far-post to pick out Cascoe, but he could not generate enough power on his header and Eden just managed to get to the ball and prevent it from crossing the line. Three minutes into stoppage-time more fine play by Mensah on the left ended with a low cross into the six-yard box, but Francis just failed to get the ball under control to get in a shot.
Swans’ Team: Gary Ross, Nathan Daly, Dominic Ogun, André Scarlett, Jahmahl King, Harry Mills, Tarome Hemmings (Dylan Cascoe 57’), Vernon Francis, Gareth Chendlik (Jake Bedford 66’), Andrew Mensah, Anthony Oaks (Kadeem Ajeon 76’). Subs. not used: Jack Battie, Martin Beard. Caution: Daly, foul (72’).
Carshalton Team: Eden, Price, Hamilton-Downes, Sinclair, Moraes, Males, Miller (Gacheru 78’), Clarke (Moore 88’), Silvera, Bradford, Panton. Subs. not used: Tanner, Murphy- McVey, Burford. Scorer: Bradford (38’).
