We suffered late heartbreak as our hosts nicked all three points with an added-time winner, writes James Barrett.
Team news: Sekou Kaba came in for Sean O'Toole in the only
change for our draw last weekend.
We took an early advantage in this one as, in the fifth
minute, Dorking's Ben Dyett prevented a corner by inexplicably clearing
the ball across his own area. Ricky Korboa collected and teed up Mickel Miller who saw his
shot palmed onto the post by Slavomir Huk, but the lurking Tommy Bradford
rammed home the loose ball.
Wanderers almost equalised two minutes later but, with everyone expecting the net to bulge, Alex
Kozakis managed to get something on Jake Beecroft's free shot from 12 yards.
The game continued with a high energy shown by both teams, although
each were guilty of mis-placed passes at times.
Paris Hamilton-Downes picked out Bradford with a raking 40
yard pass on 11 minutes but Huk was equal to his left-footed curler
from distance.
We thought we'd doubled our lead three minutes later as Kaba
slipped Korboa in on goal, but his fine finish across Huk was ruled out by the
linesman's flag.
Dorking then enjoyed a spell of possession but James McShane
put a header over our bar, while Jahmahl King and Kalvin Morath-Gibbs both made
good interceptions to stop attacks.
Huk got behind a Bradford free kick on 20 minutes, while
Kozakis got down to deny Beecroft from 18 yards as the game continued to swing
back-and-forth.
We needed good blocks by King, Morath-Gibbs and
Hamilton-Downes as Dorking tried to get balls over the top, but Chris Boulter also slid in well to block a shot from Miller at the other end.
We won the ball in the centre circle on 37 minutes and Sean
O'Toole bombed on beyond Miller whom fed him a pass, but he dragged an eventual
shot across Huk's six yard area.
And there was plenty of action as the half went into added
time; Miller unleashed a rocket from 20 yards that, via a nick off Huk, rattled
the crossbar, then Kozakis had to be alert to save from both Matthew Briggs and
Dyett as the home side forced two late corners.
HALF-TIME: 0 - 1
We created the first good chance after the break as O'Toole,
Korboa and Miller linked up to get Korboa into the box but Boulter did well to
deny Bradford a tap-in as Hux was busy narrowing the winger's options.
Kozakis and O'Toole then both slid in to deny Evans as the
forward threatened to latch onto a through ball into our area.
But Dorking hauled themselves level on 54 minutes as a high
free kick towards our back stick and Dyett squeezed a header in between Kozakis’
hand and the post.
We almost wrestled the lead back a couple of minutes later
as Miller slipped a pass into a Korboa run but our top scorer blasted high into
the near side-netting.
The game continued to be end-to-end with Beecroft and
Korboa both curling shots at the goalkeepers, before Beecroft read an
under-hit back pass by Hamilton-Downes and began to round Kozakis but our
keeper fortunately just managed to get a firm hand on the ball.
Briggs thought he’d given his side the lead on 75 minutes
but his shot across Kozakis cannoned back off the far post and we broke forward
with Miller eventually fizzing a ball in front of Hux that the unmarked Korboa somehow scooped over the bar from close range.
The game settled down a bit as both sides seemed to be wary
about making any mistakes, but Dorking began to display a late burst of energy
and we were grateful to Kozakis for twice denying them in the 83rd
minute.
We began to look a bit heavy-legged and the home side hit
Kozakis’ right-hand post again on 87 minutes and the linesman’s flag rose to
curtail the home celebrations as McShane finished from an offside position on
the rebound.
Bradford and Brendan Murphy-McVey did combine to get Miller in
on goal a minute later but our striker was given offside as he blasted a low
shot past Hux for which he was booked, presumably for ‘time
wasting’.
And we had a fair shout for a penalty as the game drifted into
added time; Bradford played Kaba into the box and the midfielder’s run was only
halted by the third incoming challenge and, as the ball pinged around the area,
it appeared to be controlled by the arm of the prone Dyett but the officials
didn’t see it.
And Dorking’s winner came after Briggs saw an effort blocked
in front of Kozakis and Kevin Terry collected the loose ball in a central position before driving a left-footed shot over the line from 15 yards.
More photos from the game can be seen here.
More photos from the game can be seen here.
Next up: We travel to Herne Bay for a league game on Tuesday
4th October before heading to Cray Wanderers for an FA Trophy tie on
Sunday 9th October.
Carshalton Athletic: Kozakis; Price, King, Morath-Gibbs
(O'Toole - 30), Hamilton-Downes; Bradford, Kaba, Murphy-McVey, Adeniyi, Korboa;
Miller
Unused subs: Males, Ismail
Goal: Bradford (5)
Booked: Hamilton-Downes, Miller
Dorking Wanderers: Huk, Sheridan, Boulter, Dyett, Beckles,
Oakes (Tolfrey - 67), Beecroft, Briggs, Medlock (Gunner - 90), Evans (Terry -
58), McShane
Unused subs: Hill, Mahoney
Goals: Dyett (54), Terry (90)
Booked: Boulter, Dyett
Attendance: 182
Man of the Match: Alex Kozakis