Non-League and Academy football writer

On Tuesday evening I went to Potters Bar Town’s Lantern Stadium, to watch an Isthmian League Premier Division fixture between Potters Bar Town and Carshalton Athletic. The home side on Tuesday, Potters Bar Town, started this match in 14th place in the league, with an outside chance of making the play-offs. And the visiting side on Tuesday, Carshalton Athletic, are a team who have a real chance of making the play-off positions of the Isthmian League Premier Division, this season. They started the match in eighth place in the league, just six points off fifth place Enfield Town. This match finished 1-1, with Carshalton Athletic scoring a late equalising goal, during the second half. Played in very difficult, rainy and windy conditions, Carshalton Athletic managed to create the first real chance of the match, with Ibrahim Olutade heading wide of the Potters Bar Town goal, from a corner-kick into the penalty area. Carshalton Athletic had started the game the better of the two sides. After Potters Bar Town goalkeeper Finn Rushton had saved a decent effort on goal from the visiting side, Ibrahim Olutade hit a low effort wide of the Potters Bar goal, from the right side of their penalty area.

A powerful effort from Potters Bar midfielder Leigh Rose followed, before the home side took the lead in the match, on 31 minutes. The goal came from a corner-kick into the Carshalton penalty area by Shane Cojocarel. The ball eventually fell to Brandon Adams, whose headed effort on goal from close range, wasn’t cleared properly by a Carshalton defender, with the ball finding its way into the goal, 1-0. Just before the referee sounded his whistle for half-time, Carshalton Athletic player Kwaku Frimpong had an effort from the edge of the Potters Bar box, pushed away by Finn Rushton, following a corner-kick for the away side. Early on in the second half, a Carshalton corner-kick which was delivered into the Potters Bar penalty area by Bradley Williams, was met by Lexus Beeden, whose header was tipped over the crossbar by Finn Rushton. Shortly after that chance, Ibrahim Olutade had an effort from the right side of the Potters Bar penalty area, saved by Rushton, as Carshalton continued to improve.

After Bradley Williams had an effort from inside the Potters Bar box saved by Rushton, Paris Hamilton-Downes headed a cross into the penalty area, over the goal. Some more decent chances came the way of the away side, before Charlie Kennett had an effort from the edge of the Potters Bar box, deflected onto the top of Finn Rushton’s crossbar, with Carshalton getting ever closer to scoring an equaliser. Carshalton Athletic were much the better team at this stage of the match. And after Lexus Beeden had a headed effort from the resulting corner-kick, cleared off the line by a Potters Bar player, his following header was saved by Finn Rushton. Potters Bar were unable to hold onto their lead though, with Carshalton deservedly equalising from the penalty spot on 86 minutes, after a penalty was awarded following a trip on one of their players on the right side of the penalty area. Bradley Williams confidently and clinically found the bottom right hand corner of the goal, from the penalty spot, 1-1. In second half additional time, Kwaku Frimpong hit an effort wide from the edge of the Potters Bar box, with the referee then sounding his whistle for full-time, shortly afterwards.

This was a game that Peter Adeniyi’s Carshalton Athletic side deserved to win, and were unlucky not to win, in my opinion. They were the better team for the majority of the game, and although the rainy and windy conditions didn’t help their game, they showed some really good team spirit at 1-0 down, to get the draw. This was a very competitive game of football.