Carshalton Athletic match report
There are certain pieces in football’s jigsaw that hold more mystique than others. Newcastle’s number 9 shirt. The Manchester United manager’s blazer. The voice of the classified football results. It’s no small deal when these items are passed over to the next incumbent, they’re not handed over lightly.
Something amazing happened as Kingstonian’s 3-1 win at home to Carshalton Athletic was drawing to a close. As Eddie Dsane trotted off the field to be replaced late on a familiar chant sounded out from the Kingstonian fans: “Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie”. Such was Dsane’s performance, on an afternoon in which he’d played a crucial part in all three Kingstonian goals, that the front man was serenaded with a song previously withheld for Ks’ legend and FA Trophy hero Eddie Akuamoah. This was an accolade and rendition not to be given out lightly.
It’s fair to say that when Dsane was revealed as Ks’ plan to replace Louie Theophanous, there was some worry about the striker’s potential to fill those impressive shoes. But in our two games against The Robins this season, we’ve seen the ability and differences between the two frontmen. At Colston Avenue, Louie created something out of nothing to put Ks ahead, firing home from almost 40 yards to catch everyone by surprise. Here, Dsane ran his socks off all afternoon, playing the role of creator as Ks saw off fourth-place Carshalton. For the first, he picked up on a loose ball in the area, knocked the ball past the keeper before picking out a perfect cross to find Dan Bennett who swept the ball into the empty net. Minutes later it was two, with Eddie once again the key architect. A fine run down the right saw another fine cross find Bennett, who laid the ball off for Gus Sow to smack home his first Kingstonian goal. For the third, Dsane was again instrumental, intelligently sidefooting a deeper corner into the path of Tommy Kavanagh. The midfielder’s shot was blocked, but Simon Cooper was on hand to fire the rebound into the net and secure a three goal lead.
At the other end, it was a current Kingstonian legend who proved crucial as Rob Tolfrey posted one of his best Ks performances in a career full of them. He blocked Pattisson’s early effort, tipped Korboa’s header over the bar, used his legs to deny Ottaway, flung himself across goal to claw away Read’s header, got a fingertip on Koroma drive to send it around the post and denied Koroma again when he burst through one-on-one. It took a goal of the season contender from Lewis White to finally beat Tolfrey, as the winger fired into the definition of the postage stamp from the corner of the penalty area to reduce Carshalton’s arrears from three to two with 10 minutes remaining. But it was too little, too late, the afternoon belonged to two men at different ends of their Ks’ careers.
Kingstonian: Rob Tolfrey, Sean Clohessy, Fabio Saraiva, Simon Cooper, Harry Osborne, Kenny Beaney, Dan Bennett, Tom Kavanagh, Eddie Dsane, Gus Sow, Dan Hector.
Subs: Aaron Lamont (for Dan Bennett, 65m), Calum Davies (for Eddie Dsane, 87m), Ben Harrison, Jerry Puemo, Sam Oguntayo.
Carshalton Athletic: 1 - Kleton Perntreou, 5 - Danny Dudley, 4 - Daniel Pappoe, 3 - Paris Hamilton-Downes, 2 - Luke Read, 15 - Kershaney Samuels, 10 - Tommy Bradford, 12 - Lewis White, 14 - Christie Pattisson, 9 - Harry Ottaway, 11 - Ricky Korboa.
Subs: 6 - Jordan Cheadle, 7 - Peter Adeniyi, 8 - Ola Sogbanmu (for Daniel Pappoe, HT), 19 - Ernold Haxhiu (for Tommy Bradford, 75m), 20 - Omar Koroma (for Christie Pattisson, 58m).
Goal scorers: Dan Bennett (16m, 1-0), Gus Sow (30m, 2-0), Simon Cooper (70m, 3-0), Lewis White (77m, 3-1)
Attendance: 356
