CARSHALTON 1: STAINES 0

Carshalton Athletic moved four places up the table after a nailbiting win over Staines on Tuesday night.

The Robins had goalkeeper Stuart Searle to thank for their three points with a series of fine saves particularly in the second half.

Carshalton welcomed back Mark Hynes after injury, in place of the injured Bontcheo Guentchev, but were otherwise unchanged.

They began by creating a number of chances with Stuart Massey's long range shot going narrowly wide of the target.

After six minutes a Staines defender almost sliced a corner into his own net.

Kevin Lock found himself clear of the defence on 12 minutes but Staines keeper Matthew Lovett spread himself a corner into his own net and blocked the shot.

Carshalton continued to dominate and a through ball from Hines found Danny Moore racing into the Staines half but his first time shot rocketed past the post.

Deserved

The Robins took a thoroughly deserved lead after 35 minutes. A long ball from the left hand side of the Staines goal from Massey found the head of Gary Elliott at the far post and his bullet header rocketed into the net.

Staines started to mount their first serious challenges at the end of the half and Matt York once again in outstanding form made an important last ditch tackle to clear the ball from the goal area.

In the 45th minute keeper Searle was called on for the first time in the match when he did well to turn a 20 yard shot from Mark Butler over the bar.

But if Carshalton dominated the first half, Staines were certainly in command after the break. Searle made a series of fine saves to frustrate the Staines forwards with with Butler in particular seeing a number of goalbound shots stopped.

Suspiciously

Neil Selby should have equalised in the 47th minute. When looking suspiciously offside, Selby's header saw Searle pull off a point-blank save.

Stuart Lake forced two more saves and Gary Cheeseman's 20-yard low drive through a crowd of players had Searle sprawling to his right to turn the ball round the post.

Carshalton made their first worthwhile attack of the half after 65 minutes when Lovett, racing back, tipped a Nick Hegley shot over the bar.

Hegley then attempted a lob from 35 yards which hit the top of the bar.

A defensive error let in Butler but once again Searle was equal to the shot with a one-handed save that was tipped onto and over the bar.

Massey saw a free kick dip wide of the target and then in injury time Staines broke clear but Searle made his sixth one-handed save of the half.

This was a hard fought rearguard action performance by Carshalton in the second half but Staines have so many shots on-target without scoring.

Carshalton: Searle, Akers, York, Elliott, Moore, Hollingsworth , Massey, Glasgow, Hegley, Lock, Hynes. Subs Jackson, Bassey, Mansu.

November 16, 2001 10:31