It was a consummate performance as we hit Godalming Town for ten on Monday night, writes James Barrett.
Team news: Brendan Murphy-McVey came in for Sean O'Toole
from Saturday, while Ricardo Panton was back among the substitutes.
And we flew out the blocks as, within the first eight
minutes, we scored three goals to effectively end the game as a contest.
The first came as Ricky Korboa cut inside their area and had
a shot blocked, only for Mickel Miller to latch onto the loose ball, cut onto
his left and hit a deflected shot past Luke Edgcombe.
And we doubled that lead in the fifth minute as Tommy
Bradford beat Edgcombe's dive from the penalty spot after Korboa drew a foul
from Graeme Purdy.
Before the opposition could take stock Miller got down the
left just two minutes later and his cross was swept home left-footed by Peter
Adeniyi for his first of the season.
We continued to pass the ball around well and Korboa was
subjected to some late challenges by a frustrated Town backline, but the
forward managed to force a good save out of Edgcombe on 14 minutes.
It was all one-way traffic, with Jahmahl King and Kalvin
Morath-Gibbs always available when we had to ‘start again’, but Korboa failed
to convert a low Bobby Price centre from close range on 20 minutes.
Town's Jon Palmer did well to nick possession just inside
our half on 23 minutes and he thought he'd try to catch Alex Kozakis sleeping,
but our keeper watched his long-range effort harmlessly sail off target.
Another crunching tackle on Korboa finally yielded the first
booking of the game awarded to Ashley Lloyd before Adeniyi got Miller in behind
a high Town defensive line but, while a square pass to the unmarked Korboa was
available, Edgcombe saved his eventual shot.
Murphy-McVey was next to try his luck but his half volley
from 20 yards dipped the wrong side of the crossbar, but we did extend our lead
on 35 minutes after he won a goal kick, got Miller away and he found Bradford
whose cross was deflected over Edgcombe by the outstretched boot of Wales.
The fifth came on 39 minutes as Kaba displayed great strength
to keep a deep cross alive, hold off two opponents and turn back towards goal.
He fed the ball into the lurking Korboa whom rifled a low shot past Edgcombe's
outstretched leg from 15 yards.
And there was still time for more thrilling action as Miller
headed a Murphy-McVey cross straight at the keeper, Korboa bent home his second
from just inside the area and Miller made it seven just before the break by
taking Adeniyi's pass around Edgcombe and squeezing home from a tight angle.
HALF-TIME: 7 - 0
Matt Males was brought on for Morath-Gibbs at the start of
the second-half and Edgcombe denied Bradford after our man took down a deep
cross and fired on target from 15 yards, while Kaba also just couldn't latch on
to a dinked Murphy-McVey pass in front of the keeper.
Town made a double substitution but it failed to make any
instant impact as Paris Hamilton-Downes fed a pass into Miller whom sweetly
flicked the ball first-time into the run of Korboa and he completed his
hat-trick with a dink over the oncoming Edgcombe.
That was Miller's last contribution as he made way for
Kingsley Aikhionbare before Hamilton-Downes was teed up 18 yards from goal but
his low shot went the wrong side of Edgcombe's near post.
Price foraged forward on 64 minutes but Aikhionbare couldn't
guide a header on his cross on target but, just two minutes later, Korboa saw a
deflected shot bulge the net after he gathered a backheel by Bradford inside
Town’s area.
It was pleasing to see the team as a whole still work hard
to deny Town any glimpses of Kozakis' goal at this point, particularly when
Males blocked an effort by our near post as the visitors caused some rare panic
inside our area.
And we made it a 'perfect 10' as Korboa picked out Aikhionbare with a neat flick and he calmly steered his first of the season
in past the exposed Edgcombe.
Pleis Oldland took aim for the visitors on 81 minutes from 20 yards but the
ball rolled past Kozakis' right-hand post and, that aside, we controlled the
rest of the game without adding to the scoreline, although Aikhionbare almost found
Bradford with a weighted through ball which flew millimetres in front of his
teammate's head by the penalty spot.
More photos from the game can be viewed here.
Next up: We travel to Whyteleafe on Saturday 24th September
before heading to Dorking Wanderers on Tuesday 27th September.
Carshalton Athletic: Kozakis; Price, King, Morath-Gibbs
(Males - 46), Hamilton-Downes (c); Bradford, Adeniyi, Murphy-McVey, Kaba,
Korboa (Ismail - 71); Miller (Aikhionbare - 58)
Unused subs: O'Toole, Panton
Goals: Miller (2 and 44), Bradford (5 pen), Adeniyi (7),
Wales (35 og), Korboa (39, 43, 54 and 66), Aikhionbare (70)
Assists: Korboa (2), Miller (2), Bradford (2), Kaba, Adeniyi, Murphy-McVey
Godalming Town: Edgcombe, Wales (Musgrove - 51), Hutton,
Lloyd, Purdy (c), Brice, Perkins, Sellick, Palmer (Spiers - 51), Oldland, Gales
(Cristiano - 71)
Unused sub: Anton
Booked: Lloyd, Cristiano
Attendance: 197