Match report - Lewes (h)

We beat the league leaders as a rollercoaster game against Lewes finished 3-2 in our favour, writes James Barrett-Sterling.

Team news
Peter Adeniyi and Tommy Bradford came in for Mohammed Idris-Oshilaja and Paris Hamilton-Downes from Friday's draw at Molesey.

Kick-off
It was clear from the off that the slick top surface would play merry havoc with attempted through balls, so the first real chance of the game fell to our visitors on 11 minutes.

Ronnie Conlon's angled cross was nodded down by Jonte Smith for Ghassimu Sow to seemingly knock on target, but Kalvin Morath-Gibbs threw himself in bravely to block.

Our first effort on their goal came three minutes later as Bobby Price stride forward from halfway. Raheem Sterling-Parker and Mickel Miller created space with their runs but Chris Winterton was equal to our captain's 20 yard drive.

But it got us going and Miller then forced Winterton into parrying an angled shot over his crossbar, but the resultant corner was cleared.

The game began to heat up in the freezing conditions with Danny Dudley making a superb tackle to deny Lewes inside our area and Alex Kozakis getting behind a 20 yarder by Ghassimu Sow.

But our next real chance of the match came on 38 minutes as we won a free kick 25 yards from goal and Jordan Cheadle forced Winterton into a sprawling low save.

And a fine move just before the break saw Bradford, Michael Aziaya and Miller work the ball neatly out to Price on the right. His deep cross was nodded down by Adeniyi but Ricky Korboa didn't catch the ball with a first-time strike and it was cleared.

HALF-TIME: 0 - 0

We made a flying start to the second-half as Miller got Sterling-Parker away and, as our forward careered into the Lewes box, he was barged over by Frankie Chappel. Our number nine picked himself up to take the spot-kick but Winterton guessed right and pushed the effort onto a post.

That was disappointing but our heads didn't drop because, on 52 minutes, Korboa took a pass 20 yards from goal. He took a couple of touches, got it out of his feet and beat Winterton with a superb left-footed drive for his fourth of the season.

Bradford almost doubled our lead shortly after as he thrashed a shot just off target from a tight angle, but we didn't have to wait long before we went two-up.

Sterling-Parker neatly turned on halfway and was clattered as he shifted the ball forward. The referee waved play on as Bradford took it on and eventually got it out wide to Miller whom strode into the box before beating the dive of Winterton with a firm shot inside the far post.

Colston Avenue was now rocking and Cheadle whipped in a delicious cross that was desperately swiped away by a blue boot as our boys queued up to connect, but then the pendulum swung in favour of our visitors.

A 63rd minute free kick awarded 20 yards from our goal was curled on target by Sow and Kozakis failed to keep it out at the far post.

Lewes manager Darren Freeman then put Jamie Brotherton on and the forward made a mark on the game just three minutes later - we didn't deal with a corner into our box and he stabbed the loose ball home from close range despite vehement protests by some of our players that he was offside.

So we were back to square one and had to roll up our sleeves - Kalvin Morath-Gibbs made a rare foray forward on 72 minutes and he burst into their box via a one-two with Sterling-Parker. Our defender was crowded out but he got a pass to the unmarked Bradford at the back post, but he rushed a shot woefully off target.

But we broke on 75 minutes as Cheadle won a tackle in our half and Bradford found the advanced Adeniyi. Our player/boss had Sterling-Parker on his left but he weighted a through ball down the middle which Miller burst onto. He was free of his marker and rifled a low shot from an even tighter angle which beat Winterton and rattled in off the far post.

We held firm as Lewes tried to turn the screw late on but, aside from efforts by Smith and Chappel that had Kozakis on his toes to cover, we took all three points to narrow the gap between the two clubs to three points.

Match highlights and interviews to come via robins.tv

Next up: We host Herne Bay on Saturday 16th December before we visit Shoreham on Saturday 23rd December.

Carshalton Athletic: Kozakis; Price (c), Dudley, Morath-Gibbs, Cheadle; Bradford, Adeniyi, Aziaya; Miller, Sterling-Parker (Hamilton-Downes - 83), Korboa (Healy - 90)
Unused subs: J Phillips, Elsom

Goals: Korboa (52), Miller (57 and 75)

Assists: Bradford, Adeniyi

Booked: Bradford

Lewes: Winterton, Brinkhurst (Hurley - 90), George (Landais - 80), Hammond, Chappel, Cotton, Smith, Sow, Medlock (Brotherton - 62), Conlon, Coppola
Unused subs: Reid, Barclay

Goals: Sow (62), Brotherton (67)

Booked: Brinkhurst

Attendance: 378
Current league position: 2nd (45 points)