We kept our play-off dreams alive with a comfortable win over Herne Bay, writes James Barrett.
Team news: Kalvin Morath-Gibbs and Mickel Miller returned to the starting line-up as Peter Adeniyi and Omari Hibbert dropped to the bench.
It was very blustery conditions throughout and we had the wind behind us in the first-half as Tommy Bradford put a sighter from 18 yards just wide in the fourth minute.
Our visitors set their stall out early with several late challenges and rushed clearances, but the pace of Mickel Miller, Kingsley Aikhionbare and Ryan Gondoh were keeping them on the back foot.
Aikhionbare won a corner on 10 minutes which we played short and eventually Gondoh had a shot which was blocked away by goalkeeper Jack Delo.
We kept up the pressure and Miller broke clean through 60 seconds later and took the ball around the sprawling Delo, but his pass to Bradford saw his teammate's effort blocked by a covering defender. Gondoh fired the clearance back in on goal but, although it got past two opponents, Gary Sayer prevented it from getting over the line.
Bradford then spotted a forward run by Bobby Price but our captain fizzed his volleyed effort across Delo's six yard area.
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| On the spot: Miller scores his first of the afternoon |
Connor Sanders, playing against his old club, won a big tackle by the centre circle on 22 minutes and Price charged off with the ball in our possession. He eventually released Aikhionbare whom worked space for a cross but the ball bounced off our incoming captain and Delo got a hand on the ball to stop it going in.
Then Ricardo Panton ventured forward and he took aim from 25 yards but his powerful drive flew just the wrong side of Delo's top right-hand corner.
We finally made the breakthrough on 29 minutes as Darnell Weise handled Bradford's cross into their area and Miller squeezed the spot-kick past Delo's left hand.
Joe Tupper hadn't had much to do until Bay were awarded a 20 yard free kick on 34 minutes but he was alert enough to tip Adam Woolcott's effort over the crossbar.
And, after defending their corner kick, we broke forward with Aikhionbare whom managed to steer a pass into the unmarked Miller whom kept his composure before blasting a shot past the oncoming Delo from just inside the box.
HALF-TIME: 2 - 0
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| Sanders harries an old team-mate |
Then Sanders, whom was up for a corner, managed to get a flick on a subsequent near-post Gondoh cross but he was denied a goal against his former employers by an outstretched boot.
Both sides made their first substitutions but it was Bay that grabbed the next goal - a long free kick was pumped into our box and Mark Lovell rose highest to head the ball past Tupper.
But we didn't let that turn into anything more serious and kept attacking when we had possession, eventually restoring our two-goal lead as Miller and Korboa swapped three passes inside their area before the former dinked home his hat-trick goal over Delo.
Bradford and Korboa both had runs on goal halted by the linesman's flag during the closing stages, but sub Omari Hibbert did add a fourth in added time by cutting in from the left and hitting a shot past Delo for his first goal in Robins red.
More photos from the game can be viewed here.
See the goals, plus an interview with Mickel Miller and Joe Tupper, via robins.tv
See the goals, plus an interview with Mickel Miller and Joe Tupper, via robins.tv
Next up: We travel to Guernsey on Sunday 2nd April before heading off to Sittingbourne on Saturday 8th April.
Carshalton Athletic: Tupper; Davidson-Phipps (Adeniyi - 73), Sanders, Morath-Gibbs, Panton; Bradford, Gondoh (O Hibbert - 77), J Hibbert, Price (c), Miller; Aikhionbare (Korboa - 64)
Unused subs: Kozakis, Healy
Goals: Miller (29 pen, 36, 79) O Hibbert (90)
Assists: Miller, Aikhionbare, Korboa, J Hibbert
Booked: J Hibbert
Herne Bay: Delo, M Turner, Sayer, Gorham, Quinn, Weise (Lewins - 54), Woolcott (Mansarah - 84), J Turner (Adebayo - 75), Williams, Lovell, Pulman,
Unused subs: Elliott, Wood
Goal: Lovell (64)
Booked: Woolcott
Attendance: 265
Our Man of the Match: Mickel Miller