Saturday 10 March 2018

Match report - Molesey (h)

We gave our goal difference a boost as we saw off Molesey 5-0, writes James Barrett-Sterling.

Team news
Danny Dudley, Ryan Healy and Ricky Korboa replaced Kalvin Morath-Gibbs, Ola Sogbanmu and Raheem Sterling-Parker, while Mohammed Idris-Olishaja and Brendan Murphy-McVey were back among the substitutes. Ex-Robin Ronald Sobowale was named on the Molesey bench.

Kick-off
The game remained a stalemate until just after the quarter of an hour mark - a slightly scrappy opening goal, as Molesey failed to clear the ball inside their box, and Omar Koroma poked home from close range.

And, less than 10 minutes later, the returning Korboa looked up and picked out Christie Pattisson whom blasted his second goal in Robins red from just outside the visitors' area.

We stretched our lead further on 36 minutes as Jordan Cheadle got beyond the Molesey defence before dinking a cross which the unmarked Tommy Bradford nodded in for his first goal since January.

HALF-TIME: 3 - 0

Much like the opening 45, the game was even for the first 15 minutes but two quick-fire goals on the hour put this game to bed as a contest.

Firstly, Bradford steamed into the Molesey area and met Korboa's centre to score his second header of the match.

Then, on 61 minutes, the unfortunate Ato Okai turned the ball past his own keeper with Bobby Price breathing down his back at the far post.

Billy Bishop was a virtual spectator for most of the game as our defence kept things tight and we added a rare clean sheet to an enjoyable days work.

Match highlights and interviews available via robins.tv
Next up: We travel to South Park on Tuesday 13th March before visiting Ramsgate on Saturday 17th March.

Carshalton Athletic: Bishop; Price, Dudley, Hamilton-Downes (c), Cheadle (Sterling-Parker - 64); Bradford (Murphy-McVey - 64), Aziaya, Healy; Korboa, Koroma, Pattisson (O'Sullivan - 54)
Unused subs: Olishaja, Sogbanmu
Goals: Koroma (16), Pattisson (24), Bradford (36 and 59), Okai (61 own goal)
Assists: Korboa (2), Cheadle
Booked: Healy

Molesey: Allen, David, Kamara, Lewington, Yeates (Sobowale - 19), Roles, Pratley-Jones, Chalke, Hervi, Oyebola (Camara - 73), Okai (Grobler - 73)
Unused subs: N/A
Booked: David

Our 'Man of the Match': Ricky Korboa
Attendance: 283
Current league position: 3rd with 74 points (Lewes top with 80)

Friday 2 March 2018

Match postponed

Sadly, due to the adverse weather conditions, our trip to Herne Bay tomorrow (Saturday 3rd March) has been postponed. Please do not travel and a revised date will be made known in due course.

The next game for the first-team is now at home against Molesey on Saturday 10th March.

Post-match - Paris Hamilton-Downes

Our fine run of form continued at the weekend as an eighth win in 10 games kept us firmly in the Bostik South promotion hunt, writes James Barrett-Sterling.

Two goals by striker Omar Koroma gave us a 2-1 win over mid-table Thamesmead Town last Saturday and now means we sit only three points behind league leaders Lewes.

And club captain Paris Hamilton-Downes, despite describing that recent victory as "scrappy", believes its vitally important he and his teammates keep up their high standards.

"We've spoken about needing to go into every game putting in the same effort, regardless of where our opponents are in the league," Hamilton-Downes said.

"We did that against Thamesmead but I think our tempo dropped a little and the game became scrappy.  They made it hard for us but we've managed to get over the line."

We started brightly against Town but had to wait 22 minutes before breaking the deadlock - Tommy Bradford was felled inside our opponent's box and Koroma coolly converted the spot-kick.

Cleans sheets have proven elusive during our impressive run however and we conceded just after half-time as Laurent Mendy nodded Town level from close range. 

But Koroma was found by a Jordan Cheadle cross on 58 minutes and he headed home his 10th of the season in Robins red.

"Everyone's been digging in every week and we stick to our philosophy too," added Hamilton-Downes when asked about our fine run of form.

"Pete (Adeniyi, manger) and Keith (Boanas, coach) have tweaked things here and there but, as the results show, there's been no real need for us to change much whether that's at training or on matchday."

Our next match is a trip to Herne Bay on Saturday and our opponents are the only club to take three points off us since the start of November.

"We'll be really up for the game but it's always tough to go to Herne Bay and it'll probably still be freezing cold weather, so we'll prepare well and stick to our game plan."