We got back to winning ways as struggling Chatham Town were hit for six, writes James Barrett.
The game started fairly even as both sides looked to get forward quickly, while Joe Tupper had to get down to stop Adjei's shot on six minutes.
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| Lining it up: Folkes going for goal |
Hyde was called into action shortly after that as he got down to parry Mickel Miller's angled drive. Folkes and Tommy Bradford tried to work an opening in the far side but the former was eventually crowded out.
But we did double our lead on 22 minutes and it was a fantastic team effort - five players neatly passed the ball through the middle of the pitch before Folkes got Adeniyi in on goal with a neat flick. Our boss seemed odds on to score but, as Hyde came to narrow the angle, he squared to the unmarked Bradford whom tapped home.
And our third arrived just three minutes later as Davidson-Phipps, whom was a constant thorn in Town's side all game, delivered a measured cross from the right which Folkes crashed home first-time past the stricken Hyde with his left foot.
We almost grabbed a fourth on 27 minutes as Kalvin Morath-Gibbs guided a Bradford free kick on target at Hyde's near post but the keeper parried the shot around the post. Our corner was cleared but we kept the ball alive before Kaba put a free header on an Adeniyi cross wide of the far post.
Another fine move began on 33 minutes as Ricardo Panton won, and cleared, the ball almost on his own byline. Jordan Hibbert turned on the ball and swept a long pass out to Davidson-Phipps whom took it into acres of space. He unselfishly tried to find the hat-trick-seeking Folkes but his cross went just behind his teammate in the box.
Chatham kept huffing and puffing but we were quelling their build-up play, Hibbert in particular doing well to cover back on 37 minutes before back-heeling the ball back into our possession.
Miller got in on goal again on 39 minutes and he dinked a shot that seemed destined to go over Hyde and nestle in the back of the net, but the keeper just got a finger on the ball.
But our fourth duly arrived in added time as Bradford intercepted a poor pass out of Town's backline before he jinked past a couple of opponents and slid the ball beyond Hyde and inside the far post.
HALF-TIME: 4 - 0
Town made a triple substitution at half-time but we stayed on the front foot, with Hibbert teeing up Miller who was frustrated by Hyde again. We forced a corner and he parried a firm drive by Hibbert before recovering excellently to deny sub Dominique Bongo from about three yards.
But the young defender gave away a penalty on 57 minutes as he left a leg in on Adjei and Ricky Freeman blasted it past Tupper.
That galvanised the visitors for five minutes and Freeman flicked on a long ball for Adjei to get in on goal, but Tupper tipped his effort over the bar.
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| All smiles: Bradford gets the plaudits |
Miller worked some space in the Town box on 64 minutes however and he found Bradford whom managed to battle past his marker before stabbing a shot which Hyde saved.
Another corner was delivered short four minutes later and Adeniyi and Kaba managed to tee up Miller whom yet again found his route goal blocked by Hyde, and Kaba rattled the post from four yards as he pounced on the loose ball.
Bongo then had another chance to extend our lead as he met Bradford's free kick delivery from the far side but he couldn't direct his free header on target.
So it was left to Bradford to break the visitor's second-half resistance on 74 minutes - Panton made ground down the left before squaring for Miller, whom again was left rolling his eyes as Hyde acrobatically saved his shot, but Bradford neatly turned home the loose ball first-time for his hat-trick.
And Bradford wrapped up a good afternoon for him and the team by blasting a low effort past Hyde from 20 yards with 10 minutes to go.
Folkes almost claimed a treble of his own on 82 minutes as he played a one-two with Kaba before opening up his body 15 yards from goal, but his left-footed effort flew millimetres wide of the far post.
Tupper had kept his concentration as he comfortably dealt with a couple of pot shots at the other end, but Bradford put two shots just off target and Folkes had a goal disallowed for offside late on as we kept pushing.
Photos from the game are available here.
Next up: We travel to Godalming Town on Tuesday 17th January before we visit Hastings United on Saturday 21st January.
Carshalton Athletic: Tupper; Davidson-Phipps, Adeniyi, Morath-Gibbs (Bongo - 46), Hamilton-Downes (c); Panton, Kaba, Bradford, Hibbert, Miller (Sobowale - 75); Folkes
Unused subs: King, Kozakis, Healy
Goals: Folkes (13, 25) Bradford (23, 45, 74, 79)
Assists: Adeniyi (2), Davidson-Phipps, Miller
Chatham Town: Hyde, Ca Hefferman, Lyabi, Price (Lightfoot - 46), Rogers, Benner, Adjei, Michalson (c) (Bray - 46), Freeman, Co Hefferman, Edwards (Flack - 46)
Unused subs: Stace, Acland
Goal: Freeman (57 pen)
Attendance: 223
Our Man Of The Match: Tommy Bradford