Match report - Whyteleafe (a)

Following a real game of conflicting halves, we eventually left Church Road with a point writes James Barrett-Sterling.

Team news
Danny Dudley, Ola Sogbanmu and Ryan Healy all returned to the starting line-up. Ex-Robins Joe Tupper, Joseph Debayo, Bentley Graham, Josh Adusei and Owen Roberts were in our host's squad.

Kick-off
It was a quiet opening 10 minutes despite both sides looking to get forward quickly - the only action for Billy Bishop was a misguided back header via Jordan Cheadle that he couldn't quite gather, but we dealt with the resultant corner.

But, in the 10th minute, we won a free kick out on the left. Cheadle trotted forward, whipped in a good delivery and Mickel Miller stole in to powerfully head the ball past Tupper.

The goal gave us confidence and we began taking the game to our hosts - Ricky Korboa was millimetres away from connecting with a Raheem Sterling-Parker cross, Cheadle hit a 25-yard free kick narrowly off target and Korboa, on 21 minutes, was denied a clear shot on goal by a last-ditch John Scarborough tackle.

Sterling-Parker foraged forward on 24 minutes and Scarborough wrestled him down to provide us with a free kick about 20 yards from goal. Tommy Bradford stepped up to this one but his former teammate tipped his shot over the bar.

Leafe's first effort on our goal came via Charlie Postance on 28 minutes - he turned on a loose pass 20 yards from our goal but his first-time effort just bent away from the top left corner.

Then they should've equalised two minutes later - Lanre Azeez got free on the right, Dudley and Postance missed the eventual cross and the unmarked Scott Day headed over from six yards.

That was a real let-off and we set about trying to extend our lead - Korboa latched onto Dudley's long pass on 36 minutes and held off Bradley Simms to work some space, but Tupper got behind his 18-yard drive.

And we had a shout for a spot-kick before the break as Miller did well to take Cheadle's early cross down inside their area. He tried to tee up Sterling-Parker whom Scarborough tangled with again, but the referee waved play on.

HALF-TIME: 0 - 1

The heavens opened during the break and the tide turned as Leafe came out and put us on the back foot from the off.

A corner was driven into our area inside three minutes of the restart but thankfully Debayo shanked a cross-shot which we cleared.

But the white shirts kept pouring forward and we struggled to build any forward momentum for a while - Sam Clayton also put a close range free kick off target during this time.

In fact, our next opportunity to score also came from a Korboa-earned free kick on the hour, but Tupper got behind Cheadle's thumped effort.

But Leafe kept pressing and Michael Aziaya, whom controlled the midfield comfortably in the first 45, made a good block inside our area on 66 minutes.

The ball was kept alive on the far side and Postance connected with a curled cross but Bishop got behind the header as it skidded up off the wet surface.

Bobby Price made a decision to keep a ball from going out for a throw on 74 minutes and his pass up the line got Miller away. He swapped passes with Bradford while going across the field before playing a neat one-two with Sterling-Parker in the far side.

Miller looked up and fizzed an inviting ball across their six yard box but, as he arrived at the back post and being confronted with a terrible angle, Bradford returned a shot agonisingly wide of the far post.

But Leafe's pressure eventually told with nine minutes to go - we dealt with yet another cross into our box but Hassan Ibrahim kept the ball alive before Clayton took aim and fired in, via Bishop's despairing fingertips, from the edge of our box.

Both sides created opportunities as the game headed towards its conclusion - Bishop got down to push away a dangerous looking hit by Vance Bola, while Sterling-Parker was a toe away from connecting with a low inswinging cross by Miller on 89 minutes.

The home fans were calling for a red card in added time as Dudley clashed with Bola, whom was galloping towards Bishop with the ball at his feet, but the referee deemed a yellow card was sufficient punishment.

Match highlights, interviews and photos to follow soon.

Next up: We visit Greenwich Borough on Tuesday 7th November, then Chipstead visit us on Monday 13th November.

Carshalton Athletic: Bishop; Price (c), Dudley, Sogbanmu, Cheadle; Korboa, Healy, Aziaya, Bradford, Miller; Sterling-Parker (Phillips - 90)
Unused subs: Quaynor, Adeniyi, Alexiou, Cave

Goal: Miller (10)

Assist: Cheadle

Booked: Miller, Dudley

Whyteleafe: Tupper, Simms, Hegarty, Oluwatimilehin, Scarborough, Debayo, Azeez, Graham (Ibrahim - 69), Postance, Day, Clayton (c)
Unused subs: Bola, Adusei, Connaris, Roberts

Goal: Clayton (81)

Booked: Simms

Attendance: 293
Our 'Man of the Match': Michael Aziaya

Current league position: 8th (25 points)