Aveley 2-0 Carshalton Athletic

Aveley 2 – 0 Carshalton Athletic
Location	Parkside, Park Lane, Aveley, Essex RM15 4UA
Kickoff	16/12/2019 19:45

AVELEY  2-0  CARSHALTON ATHLETIC
The Buildbase FA Trophy First Round Replay
Monday 16 December 2019
Stephen McCartney reports from Parkside

AVELEY reached The Buildbase FA Trophy Second Round for the first time in their history after beating a disappointing Carshalton Athletic at Parkside.
 

Keith Rowland’s side threw away a 3-0 lead at Colston Avenue at the weekend but they comfortably finished off the job on a wet night courtesy of two first-half headed goals from striker George Sykes and centre-half Harry Gibbs.

Their reward is an Essex derby at Isthmian League Premier Division side Hornchurch in the Last 32 on Saturday 11 January 2020.

This was Aveley’s seventh game in The FA Trophy this season, having beaten East Grinstead Town (5-0) and Bowers & Pitsea (3-0), before coming home from Taunton Town with a 3-3 draw before winning the replay here 2-1.

The Millers won 4-1 at Biggleswade Town in the final qualifying round before throwing away a three-goal lead at the weekend.

Aveley have now banked £15,950 in prize money, while Carshalton Athletic – who lost to National League side Barnet in a Third Round Replay last season – have banked £10,700.

The Robins won three ties at home, against Merstham (3-1), Frome Town (5-3) and Tooting & Mitcham United (2-1), to reach this stage.

Carshalton Athletic went into the game sitting in the top-five in the Isthmian League Premier Division with 35 points from 19 games - a place lower than Hornchurch - while Aveley are one level lower and are in second-place in the Isthmian League North Division with 27 points from 13 games, four points adrift of unbeaten leaders Maldon & Tipree, who have two games in hand owing to their FA Cup exploits of reaching the Second Round.

Both teams went into this game on a four-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Aveley set the tone right from the off, as they competed all over the pitch against their higher-league opponents, creating their first opening after only 24 seconds.

Winger Alex Akrofi cut into the box from the left and his first shot was blocked at the near post and his second attempt was drilled high and wide from a tight angle.

Aveley’s early dominance paid off as they deservedly took the lead with seven minutes and 19 seconds on the clock.

Winger Wyan Reid whipped in an excellent cross from the bottom right-channel which was put on a plate for physically strong central striker Sykes at the near post, burying his free header into the bottom right-hand corner from 10-yards to score his tenth goal of the season.

Carshalton Athletic played out from the back and left-back Paris Hamilton-Downes – who held his nerve with a late penalty in the first game - often hit long diagonals out of defence as the away side were a threat down the right channel during the first half.

Carshalton Athletic were to be denied an equaliser in the 20^th minute with their best chance of the night.

Winger Ernold Haxhiu released towering striker Jesse Sentamu down the right channel, he cut back from where he came on before playing the ball back inside to Haxhiu, who fed the ball inside to right-back Bobby Price.  Space opened up and he unleashed a left-footed drive towards the top left-hand corner from 25-yards, which was pushed over the bar by Aveley keeper David Hughes, high to his right.

Aveley’s best player on the night was eight-goal Jason Raad, who was their driving force from the middle of the park and he swung in their third corner of the night which was met by Sykes’ near post header, which was plucked out of the air by visiting keeper Kleton Perntreou at his near post.

Aveley were clearly winning their individual battles all over the park.

Carshalton Athletic created an opening in the 28^th minute, following their third of six corners.

Tommy Bradford swung the ball in from the left and towering combative centre-half Daniel Pappoe found a pocket of space at the near post to steer his header over the top of the near post.

Aveley sealed their deserved victory with 34 minutes and 14 seconds on the clock, following their sixth of nine corners.

Raad swung in a deep right-footed corner from the left towards the far post for Gibbs to ghost in to bury his header across the keeper and into the far corner from six-yards, scoring his fourth goal of the season in the process.

Despite being 2-0 down, Carshalton Athletic continued to play out from the back and Aveley missed a chance to kill the game off in the last six minutes of the half.

Connor Witherspoon’s hooked pass from inside the Carshalton half was chased by Sykes and Akrofi, who teed up the impressive Raad, who had time to maintain his composure inside the D but chose to hit a first-time left-footed shot straight at Perntreou, who caught the stinging drive at the second attempt.

Carshalton Athletic made a change at the interval by bringing on target-man Harry Ottaway and their play started to turn more direct during the second half.

Carshalton Athletic called Aveley keeper Hughes into making a low save inside the opening 10 minutes of the second half.

Hamilton-Paris pinged another long diagonal pass out of defence, which skimmed off the head of their player-manager Peter Adeniyi, who mainly operated in front of the back four and sometimes down each wing, and this set-up a chance for Price, whose left-footed half-volley from 25-yards was saved comfortably by Hughes down on his knees.

Raad rolled the ball out to Aveley right-back John Nzengo, who whipped in a first time cross into Akrofi, who skipped past Pappoe on the edge of the box before threading the ball through for Sykes but the angle was too tight and the Carshalton keeper narrowed the angle and made the block.

Perntreou made a comfortable save just past the hour-mark when Raad swung in another corner from the left towards the far post, the ball bounced in front of Sykes, who swept the ball towards the bottom right-hand corner from three-yards, which forced the keeper to get down low to his left to grab hold of the ball before it crossed the line.

With 25 minutes remaining, Perntreou decided to ditch playing out from the back as his goal-kicks started to go long but they lacked width down the right despite Price pushing up in a wing-back role, and  substitute Jordan Cheadle operating down the left flank.

Aveley weathered the initial storm and were to be denied a third goal in the 28^th minute.

Raad’s sublime pass from 35-yards from goal split open Hamilton-Downes and centre-half Pappoe to put Reid through on goal in an one-on-one situation but goalkeeper Perntreou came out to narrow the angle and palmed the ball behind for a corner.

Price was swiftly substituted following a bad foul on Aveley keeper Hughes, who was later substituted for under 23 goalkeeper Daniel Brockley, but he wasn’t threatened during the eight minutes and 45 seconds of time added on by referee Jason Richardson as Aveley ran out deserved winners and can now look forward to a trip to Hornchurch in the New Year.

Aveley: David Hughes (Daniel Brockley 90), John Nzengo, Sam Mvemba, Connor Witherspoon, Harry Gibbs, Jack Mochalski, Wyan Reid, Shad Ngandu, George Sykes, Jason Raad, Alex Akrofi.
Subs: Tony Martin, Alex Bragg, Bailey Hossack, David Sertvietis, Jack Chawner

Goals: George Sykes 8, Harry Gibbs 35

Booked: George Sykes 90

Carshalton Athletic: Kleton Perntreou, Bobby Price (Jermemiah Amoo 77), Paris Hamilton-Downes, Peter Adeniyi, Danny Dudley, Daniel Pappoe, Sinatra Antwi (Jordan Cheadle 57), Lennart Hein (Harry Ottaway 46), Jesse Sentamu, Tommy Bradford, Ernold Haxhiu.
Subs: Ricky Korboa, Christie Pattisson

Booked: Jesse Sentamu 29, Daniel Pappoe 42, Bobby Price 76, Kleton Perntreou 90, Paris Hamilton-Downes 90

Attendance: 186
Referee: Mr Jason Richardson
Assistants: Mr Tom Fell & Mr Stuart Smith
Fourth Official: Mr Lukas Wood