Carshalton Athletic 1 v Horsham 3
Tuesday 13th February 2007
Ryman League Premier Division

reporter: Mark Wells

On loan striker Lee Farrell signed off in style after scoring twice to help his temporary team-mates to a fully deserved victory at rain swept Colston Avenue. The 23 year old forward returns to Lewes after proving himself an excellent partner for Carl Rook, helping himself to ten goals in his six game spell, and helping to keep the Hornets' play-off aspirations alive. Ironically, Farrell could be facing Horsham in a week's time when John Maggs takes his side to the Dripping Pan for a Sussex Senior Cup tie but, for now, Hornets supporters could acclaim the likeable frontman as one of their own after his clinical finishing helped turn this match in their favour after they trailed to an early goal.

Having seen the two sides manage just 36 minutes play back in January, before the torrential downpour caused an abandonment, supporters looked nervously towards the skies as the rain began falling an hour before kick-off. That the game continued for the entire ninety minutes is a credit to the Carshalton groundsman as the rain was incessant, yet this was an entertaining game with both sides carving out some good openings. The home side were first to make their mark, opening the scoring after just seven minutes. A lofted ball down the Robins' right saw Luke Fontana take on, and beat, the lunging challenge of Kevin Hemsley before sending a well placed shot across Alan Mansfield and into the far corner of the net. Gary Charman might have levelled the scores just three minutes later but he shot along the ground after being played in behind the defence and goalkeeper Aaron Howe made a comfortable save. The home side immediately began a counter-attack and Mark Marshall blazed wildly over the top when well placed. Rob Haworth and Fontana were making good progress down the right with Nigel Brake often bypassed by the long ball leaving Hemsley the unenviable task of trying to contain the powerful number nine and only a desperate challenge prevented the Robins striker from claiming his second of the night. Marshall, too was giving Stuart Myall a testing time, forcing a corner off the experienced full-back following a strong, jinking run. As Liam Harwood flighted the ball into the box, Fontana sent in a looping header that seemed destined for the back of the net but Mansfield spectacularly turned the ball over at full stretch as Horsham had to withstand some concerted pressure from their hosts.

A determined run by Charman lay the foundations for Horsham's first genuine effort on goal after twenty minutes. Showing no signs of the illness that had left him bed-ridden for almost a week, the winger was tackled by David Moore, midway inside the half, but continued his run towards the far post as the loose ball was played out wide to John Westcott. His pass inside found Lewis Taylor who clipped an inch perfect ball towards the edge of the box where Charman beat team-mate Rook to head the ball back across goal but Westcott, charging in, was unable to convert the chance, his hurried shot hitting the side netting. The match was turned on its head, seven minutes later, when the visitors not only equalised but edged themselves in front with two well taken goals inside two minutes. First, Charman won the ball down the left channel and played in Brake who had made a typical overlapping run to pick out the unmarked Farrell with a perfect pass and the striker confidently buried his chance with a well struck shot. The second, sixty seconds later, was another superbly worked goal that owed everything to the skill and awareness of Carl Rook. A quick pass from Myall was expertly turned into the path of Westcott by the former Hastings man and the winger raced into the penalty area to beat the advancing Howe with ease. The Robins were clearly shaken by this double-whammy and Farrell threatened a third shortly after but he scuffed a speculative volley and the ball bobbled harmlessly through to the goalkeeper. The Hornets had now assumed control of the match and created further chances before the break. A quick throw from Charman released Farrell down the right and his driven ball across the face of goal was hit firmly by Westcott only for Howe to come to his side's rescue, deflecting the ball away with his legs. Another throw-in, this time from the right, was flicked on at the near post but Rook, although first to the ball, couldn't direct his header and the danger was cleared. A Horsham free-kick presented the visitors with their next opportunity to extend their lead when Brake, facing a two man defensive barrier down the touchline, cut inside onto his less favoured right foot and pinged in a shot that went a couple of yards wide of the upright. The home side almost fashioned an equaliser, minutes before the interval, when they were awarded a free-kick just outside the Horsham area but Brake, defending this time, did well to avert the danger.

With no changes to either side's line-up during the break, Horsham continued where they had left off with Rook setting up Charman to curl a first time effort past the post and the same player saw a shot deflected behind for a corner. Lewis Taylor gave Carshalton's young 'goalkeeper a scare when he sent in a dipping volley just over the top before Robins boss Dave Garland decided to make his first switch, replacing Ben Ratner with Alhajie Jabbie and his side might have drawn level, soon after, when Moore turned Eddie French on the touchline and homed in on goal only for Haworth to take the ball off his team-mate's toes sending the ball well wide of Mansfield's goal. Rook had run himself into the ground on an exacting surface and was replaced by Lee Carney after seventy minutes, indicating a slight groin problem as he left the pitch, and the substitute was quickly into the action when he raced onto Westcott's cut back but his sidefoot effort lacked the power to beat the goalkeeper. The visitors extended their lead with a quarter of an hour remaining after some neat interplay down the left between Charman and Brake. As play moved into midfield, Jacob Mingle played a delightful first time ball into the path of Farrell who showed great skill to take the ball round the 'keeper before knocking the ball home to the delight of the handful of supporters sheltering from the elements behind the goal, Farrell's jubilant celebrations, and those of his team-mates, confirming just how much the popular striker had enjoyed his brief spell with the Hornets.

Farrell will be disappointed not to have said farewell with a hat-trick after the ball became caught beneath his feet in the soggy conditions when played in by Carney. Garland made the second of his substitutions, sending on former Dulwich Hamlet striker Charlie Side in place of Haworth and Charman had to produce a vital block from Fontana inside the penalty area to avoid an unnecessarily tense finale. The Robins sub had the final word, hitting a difficult bouncing shot that Mansfield claimed at the second attempt but it was a token gesture from the home team who looked a beaten side, long before the end.

Carshalton Athletic: 1.Aaron Howe 2.Simon Cooper 3.Liam Harwood 4.David Graves 5.Jon Cartledge 6.Jerome Maledon 7.Mark Marshall 8.David Moore 9.Luke Fontana 10.Robert Haworth (Side) 11.Ben Ratner (Jabbie) Substitutes: 12.Alhajie Jabbie 14.Moses Spencer 15.Charles Side 16.Ryan Watts

Horsham: 1.Alan Mansfield 2.Stuart Myall 3.Nigel Brake 4.Eddie French 5.Kevin Hemsley 6.Lewis Taylor 7.Jacob Mingle 8.John Westcott 9.Lee Farrell 10.Carl Rook (Carney) 11.Gary Charman Substitutes: 12.Lee Carney 14.Tom Graves 15.Matt Geard 17.Gareth Williams

Goalscorers:

Carshalton Athletic: Fontana (7)

Horsham: Farrell (26,75), Westcott (27)

Attendance: 261