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Carshalton Athletic couldn’t manage to upset the form book as they fell 2-0 to Havant and Waterlooville in the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup at Colston Avenue on Saturday.
In the early going, the Robins took the game to their high-flying opponents, who are currently second and unbeaten in the National League South. Ollie Cook’s header just cleared the bar as the visitors struggled to settle under pressure from Carshalton.
But as the Hawks gradually came into the game, with winger James Roberts at the centre of much of their most incisive play, they showed the clinical touch missing so far from Carshalton’s season. Centre forward Danny Wright made a clever run off the shoulder of his marker and finished expertly into the far corner.
Carshalton responded well and continued to make chances of their own. The home fans were left scratching their heads at how a Brad Pearce shot and ensuing goalmouth scramble didn’t result in an equalizer shortly before half time while Tommy Bradford just failed to connect with a Calvin Ekpiteta cross.
The Robins started the second half on the front foot once more and Cook’s header from a corner forced a save from former Sutton man, Ross Worner. Despite Carshalton being in the ascendancy for much of the half, the Hawks always looked dangerous on the break. And after Danny Bracken had twice made good saves from Roberts, and moments after Aaron Smith-Joseph had fired just wide for Carshalton, the visitors claimed a second goal to seal the game in the last 10 minutes. Substitute, Tomas Kalinauskas latched onto a loose ball in midfield and drove forward to wrong foot Bracken with a shot that squeezed between two Robins’ defenders.
Carshalton’s heads didn’t go down, however, and Femi Akinwande twice forced saves from Worner in the closing minutes.
Despite missing out on bragging rights with Hawks manager Paul Doswell, his old boss from his days as a coach at Sutton United, Robins manager Steve McKimm said he was proud of his players. “Today, and over the season in general, we’ve paid for not taking our chances. If we weren’t making chances, I’d be worried, but we did today against a very good side, as we did against Hastings last week and in previous games.”
Carshalton Athletic: Bracken, Lema, Mvemba, Pearce, Cook, Sow, Williams, Bradford, Ekpiteta, Figueira, Akinwande.
Substitutes: Hamblin (for Pearce 45’), Smith-Joseph (for Figueira 63’), Allen (for Ekpiteta 69’), Bola, Lee, Vigor, Parker.
Havant & Waterlooville: Worner, Newton, Oastler, Nembhard, McCarthy, Crichlow, Read, Gobern, Wright, Roberts, Faal.
Substitutes: Kalinauskas (for Wright 42’), Burnett (for Crichlow 69’), Collins (for Faal 84’), Searle, Passley.
Goals: Wright 26’, Kalinauskas 82’.
Up Next
The Robins are back in cup action again on Saturday 8th October when they take on Cray Valley PM in the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy at Colston Avenue (3pm kick off).
Tickets: https://www.carshaltonathletic.co.uk/tickets
Online Ticket prices; Adult (over 17) – £11; Senior (over 65) – £8; Child (under 18) – £3. Tickets are £1 more expensive if bought at the turnstiles.
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