Match report - Faversham Town (h)

We remain unbeaten this season but the scoreline should've been more comprehensive against Faversham Town, writes James Barrett-Sterling.

Team news
Tommy Bradford, Raheem Sterling-Parker and Ola Sogbanmu returned to the starting line-up, while new signing Tom Jelley came in at left back.

Kick-off

Town broke away in the third minute as Bobby Price failed to get a cleared Mickel Miller cross under control and Sam Bewick crossed the halfway line. Peter Adeniyi appealed for offside as the midfielder's pass set Liam King off in a race with Richard Ossai, but our keeper bravely dove at the forward's feet.

Our first glimpse of goal came on 10 minutes as Adeniyi showed strength and quick feet to get past three opponents before passing to Bradford, but he eventually shanked a shot off target.

But, three minutes later, we took the lead - Simon Overland turned away a Jordan Cheadle free kick at full stretch, but Miller got onto the flight of Bradford's corner delivery to head home his seventh of the season.

And things got better three minutes later as Overland pushed out a Miller cross only as far as Adeniyi. He was blocked off but the ball got out wide before eventually Bradford was played in and he squared a low cross for Sterling-Parker to smartly turn in.

There was a swagger to our play now and we kept on the front foot; Bradford thrashed a shot into the side-netting and Matthew Bourne was booked for effectively rugby-tackling a foraging Adeniyi.

But, as always within football, it only takes one chance for the opposition to get a goal and, on 34 minutes, Ossai was alert to push away a firmly struck shot from distance.

Miller's pace drew yet another foul on 40 minutes and Cheadle stepped up again, only this time he curled the ball just over the top near corner.

HALF-TIME: 2 - 0

The heavens opened just as the second-half began and, much like the thunder overhead, we continued to rumble on.

Adeniyi intelligently flicked a pass into the run of Miller on 48 minutes but a yellow shirt just did enough to deny our man a free shot on goal.

Then another attack was cleared out as far as Kalvin Morath-Gibbs but his placed effort from 20 yards was straight at Overland.

Our front three were keeping the Town defence on high alert, especially as the wet conditions gave our passes extra momentum - Sterling-Parker beat his man into the box on 56 minutes but Overland pushed out his angled drive for a corner. Sogbanmu met the delivery but his header was cleared by the far post.

Our returning midfielder had a better chance on the hour - Bradford and then Adeniyi kept a cleared free kick alive on the left before Sterling-Parker picked out Sogbanmu in the box, but he placed a diving header the wrong side of the post.

Jelley advanced on 63 minutes and got Sterling-Parker into the area before he cut inside his marker, but his shot was blocked. Bradford had no space to get a shot off so instead he teed up Adeniyi but Overland denied our player/manager.

Although Town really offered very little going forwards, they really should've scored on 67 minutes - Bewick ran from deep to meet a Jordan Casey cross but, with Ossai statuesque, he thumped his free header wide.

Both sides made substitutions but, aside from Monger testing Ossai from 30 yards on 77 minutes, we kept on the front foot but sadly failed to add to our tally.

This meant Bewick's neat finish from 18 yards in added time not only denied us a rare clean sheet, but meant the final scoreline implied a closer game than was witnessed.

Other results meant we ended the afternoon topping the table for the first time this season.

Photos from the game will be available soon.

Match highlights and interviews will be uploaded to robins.tv soon.

Next up
We visit Eastbourne Borough for our FA Cup clash on Saturday 16th September before Dorking Wanderers arrive for a Velocity League Cup tie on Monday 18th September.

Carshalton Athletic: Ossai; Price (c), Dudley, Morath-Gibbs, Cheadle, Jelley; Sogbanmu, Adeniyi; Bradford, Sterling-Parker (Phillips - 78), Miller (Campbell - 88)

Unused subs: Murphy-McVey, Healy, McLaughlin

Goals: Miller (13), Sterling-Parker (16)

Assists: Bradford (2)

Faversham Town: Overland, Carrington, Tenyue, Walder, Bourne, Rook (Cheek - 68), Bewick, Monger, King, Lovell (c), Casey (Murray - 68)

Unused subs: Lawford, Griffiths, Lightfoot

Goal: Bewick (90)

Booked: Bourne, Walder

Our 'Man of the Match: Tom Jelley

Attendance: 266

Current league position: 1st