Match report - Phoenix Sports (a)

A feisty encounter ended honours even as we left Mayplace Road with a 1-1 draw, writes James Barrett-Sterling.

Team news
Ryan Healy came in for the departing Mickel Miller in the only change from the 5-1 win against East Grinstead Town.

Kick-off
The game was played in terrible conditions - the wind was so strong it was holding up goal-kicks or carrying through balls away from their intended targets; for the football purist, it was not.

Jordan Cheadle fired in a shot from 30 yards that had keeper Steve Phillips scrambling early doors, but clear cut chances were hard to come by until the 20th minute.

The home side should've really opened the scoring as Ashley Probets delivered an inswinging free kick that was met by Jack Barry, but the centre back put a free header wide from six yards.

It seemed inevitable that the deadlock would be broken via a set-piece and we won a corner in the 37th minute. Tommy Bradford sent over an inviting ball which Kalvin Morath-Gibbs powerfully headed home from around six yards.

The home side wanted a penalty in added time as Barry and Ola Sogbanmu tumbled while contesting a free kick into our area, but Carvalho blasted the loose ball way over from close range and the goal would've counted.

The referee had to deal with a melee as the players began to troop off the pitch at half-time, with Sports' Zak Byron allegedly sparking off an incident with Healy - tellingly the home midfielder didn't re-appear for the second-half.

HALF-TIME: 0 - 1

Our hosts came out on the front foot after the break and, after we failed to clear our lines properly from a throw-in deep inside our half, a loose ball was turned goalwards by Christie Pattison from 20 yards and it beat the dive of Bishop into the top corner.

We had to weather some more attacking play by our hosts before Ricky Korboa made a purposeful run on the left on 56 minutes. He finally fizzed a low ball across the six yard box and Bradford was just too slow sliding in to divert it on target.

Neither side really created much more going into the last 10 minutes but we did have a big opportunity to nick all three points on 86 minutes.

Bradford threaded a neat forward pass into a run by sub Raheem Sterling-Parker whom had beaten Barry for pace but, as the angle got tighter inside the area, his angled shot flew wide of the far post.

Match highlights and post-game interviews are available via robins.tv

Next up: We host Hythe Town on Saturday 3rd February before heading down to Lewes on Saturday 10th February.

Carshalton Athletic: Bishop; Price (c), Morath-Gibbs, Dudley, Cheadle; Bradford, Healy (Adeniyi - 67), Aziaya, Korboa (Sterling-Parker - 75); Koroma (L Phillips - 67), Sogbanmu
Unused subs: J Phillips, Murphy-McVey
Goal: Morath-Gibbs (37)
Assist: Bradford
Booked: Dudley, Price

Phoenix Sports: Phillips, Andrews, Probets, Bryon (Miller - 46), Young, Barry (c), Carvalho, Robinson, Kessie, Ansah, Pattison
Unused subs: Adeyemo, Flynn, Kemp
Goal: Pattison (48)
Booked: Robinson, Carvalho

Our 'Man of the Match': Kalvin Morath-Gibbs

Attendance: 104

Current league position: 3rd with 62 points (Lewes lead the way on 67)