We are out of this season’s FA Trophy competition as our hosts scored three second-half goals during our replay, writes James Barrett.
Team news: Harrison Street and Jonathan Tadafe were handed
debuts, while Ryan Healy was given his first full start of the season and Paris
Hamilton-Downes returned from injury.
Cray defender Jay Leader headed a second minute free kick
over Alex Kozakis’ crossbar as the game began at full throttle.
Both sides traded attacks after that as Karl Dent and Miller
fired shots off target, before our man was this time denied by a low save by
Blue on 21 minutes.
Kozakis was relieved to see a powerful shot by Brandon Scott
whistle past his near post five minutes later, while Miller was again involved in teeing up Josh Phillips by the home penalty spot but the young striker blazed
an effort over the crossbar as the first-half finished goalless.
HALF-TIME: 0 – 0
We thought we’d taken the lead just before the hour mark as
Ricky Korboa got a shot off inside the Cray area but Jay Siva managed to divert
its trajectory into the side-netting.
And, after the referee gave the home side a seemingly soft
free kick about 25 yards from goal, Lee Prescott stepped up and saw his low
shot go in via the hands of Kozakis who couldn’t keep it out.
The home side were given the chance to double their lead on
70 minutes as Peter Adeniyi felled Danny Haynes inside our area and the striker
picked himself up to tuck the spot-kick just beyond the reach of the
unfortunate Kozakis.
We almost reduced the arrears through Tadafe with 15 minutes
to go but his cracking strike from distance, that swerved and deceived Blue,
smacked the crossbar and flew away to safety.
Blue then produced a great one-handed save to keep out
Korboa’s 25-yard free kick, meaning Haynes’ 88th minute header
sealed an eventual 3-0 win for our hosts.
Pictures from the match can be viewed here.
Next up: We travel to Chatham Town on Saturday 29th
October before Walton Casuals arrive at Colston Avenue on Monday 31st
October.
Carshalton Athletic: Kozakis; Street, King, Hamilton-Downes
(c) (Okuglini – 76), Tadafe; Miller, Adeniyi, Healy, Kaba, Korboa; Phillips
(Sey – 85)
Unused sub: O’Toole
Booked: Healy
Cray Wanderers: Blue, Mundele, Siva, Leader, Lorraine,
Dawson, Prescott, Roberts (Taiwo – 85), Haynes, Dent (Osibodu – 77), Scott
Unused subs: Osifuwa, Wood-Garness, McKinlay
Goals: Prescott (62), Haynes (70 pen, 88)
Attendance: 91
Our Man of the Match: Peter Adeniyi
Our Man of the Match: Peter Adeniyi