Carshalton Athletic Edge Past Billericay to Claim Vital Three Points
Carshalton Athletic pulled off a determined and gritty 1-0 victory against title contenders Billericay Town at Colston Avenue, with Kola Salami’s second-half strike proving to be the difference between the two sides. The win was made even sweeter by a heroic performance from goalkeeper Matt Kerbey, whose vital saves kept the Robins in the game throughout the contest.
With Peter Adeniyi serving a touchline ban due to suspension, and facing a series of injury concerns following Monday’s defeat to Lewes, the Carshalton manager made four changes to his starting line-up. Among those was Laurence Ernest, a new signing who made his debut in defence, having made several appearances for Met Police last season. The Robins were also without several key players due to injury, adding an extra layer of adversity to an already challenging encounter.
Billericay, one of the favourites to win the Isthmian Premier League this season, made three changes to their line-up following a 1-1 draw against Dartford in midweek. Femi Akinwande, who had scored a hat-trick in the last meeting between the sides back in February, was handed his first start of the season.
The match began with Carshalton looking to assert themselves early. In the opening minutes, Bryan Ifeanyi showed great movement on the left wing, driving towards goal and getting a shot off toward the far corner.
However, the attempt was blocked by a Billericay defender, denying the Robins a fast start.
Billericay quickly took control of the game, creating several dangerous chances in the opening quarter. In the fifth minute, a foul on Frankie Merrifield outside the Carshalton box gave Billericay a free-kick opportunity. Liam Nash stepped up and unleashed a powerful strike, but Matt Kerbey was quick to react, diving to his right to push the shot wide.
From the resulting corner, Billericay’s Matt Johnson found himself unmarked in the box, but his attempt was saved by Kerbey.
Billericay continued to press, and just minutes later, a brilliant recovery tackle from Carshalton’s Fikayo Atewologun denied Nash a clear shot on goal after the Billericay forward had broken through the defence. The visitors weren’t done yet, as Elliot Long played a ball across, finding Tyrell Miller-Rodney. His shot was strong, but again Kerbey was able to save.
In the 15th minute, a handball decision against Atewologun awarded Billericay another free-kick on the right. Nash’s effort was once again met by a strong hand from Kerbey, who saved the strike with ease, further cementing his role as the game’s standout performer.
Despite Billericay’s early dominance, Carshalton began to grow into the game as the first half wore on. Although they struggled to get a foothold early on, the Robins’ defence held firm, blocking a shot from Ryan Blackman and then watching as Akinwande’s powerful strike from 20 yards sailed straight at Kerbey.
With the game becoming more physical, tensions flared between the two sides. There was an altercation between Ifeanyi and Billericay’s Ike Orji at the touchline, which saw Billericay manager Gary McCann booked. Two minutes later, Carshalton’s Sanchez Ming, in the dugout for the Robins, was also shown a yellow card.
By the time the referee blew for halftime, the Robins had weathered a significant storm. While Billericay had been the better side in terms of chances, Carshalton had been resolute in defence, and Kerbey’s heroics meant they went into the break with the score still 0-0.
The Robins came out of the break with renewed intent. In the 47th minute, Ifeanyi was brought down in the box following a brilliant link-up with Aziz Sankoh, but the referee waved away the penalty appeal. Ifeanyi continued to be a threat down the left wing, and in the 50th minute, he was once again fouled by Orji, who picked up a yellow card for his troubles. Tommy Bradford’s resulting free-kick tested Billericay keeper Sam Donkin, but the shot went straight to him.
Then, in the 53rd minute, Carshalton made the breakthrough. Laurence Ernest, who had been solid at the back all game, showed his composure on the ball as he brought it out from defence
and played a perfect through-ball to Kola Salami. With only the goalkeeper to beat, Salami kept his cool, curling the ball into the far corner with the outside of his boot. The Colston Avenue crowd erupted in celebration as the Robins took the lead.
Billericay responded quickly, with Akinwande testing Kerbey from long range in the 57th minute, but his shot sailed high and wide. The visitors’ hopes were further dashed in the 67th minute when Ike Orji, already on a yellow card, fouled Ifeanyi once again, earning himself a second yellow and was given his marching orders. With Billericay now down to 10 men, the Robins had a numerical advantage and looked to capitalize on the situation.
Carshalton controlled possession more effectively after the red card, though Billericay still posed a threat on the counter. Carshalton’s defence remained resolute, with Atewologun and Ernest putting in key interceptions and clearances to prevent the visitors from creating any clear-cut opportunities.
As the game drew to a close, Carshalton looked to seal the win. Substitute Stanislaw Rzeznik, who had been lively since coming on,
had a late chance to double the lead but was denied by a save from Donkin. Billericay, now chasing the game, continued to press forward but struggled to break down Carshalton’s well-organized defence.
In the final five minutes of injury time, Billericay had one last push, but Kerbey and the backline held firm. After the referee blew for full-time, the home fans erupted into jubilation as their side secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory.
The Robins will now turn their attention to next weekend’s trip to Dartford, who reached the play-off final last season. With confidence growing after this solid performance, Carshalton will be hoping to carry this momentum forward into what promises to be another tough encounter.
Date: Saturday 24th August
Opponents: Dartford FC
Competition: Isthmian League
Ko: 3.00pm
Venue: Away – Princes Park
Admissions: Get Tickets Here
