Catch-up

A thousand apologies to my legion of loyal readers in blogland who I have severely neglected over the last two months. When I tell you that I can no longer recommend BT as a provider of internet services, I think you will start to understand.

Anyway, you didn't come here to read about my petty problems, you came to hear about the mighty Robins. My last update was after a rather fluky win at Margate put us in 13th spot in the Ryman Premier and an undefeated November has seen us scream up the table to 12th, 15 points behind leaders Billericay and 16 points ahead of sad-sacks losers Horsham and Leatherhead.

The football is still not too pretty although the match at Kingstonian was as exciting a game as I've seen all season with the result in doubt until the final kick and both teams slugging it out like a couple of desperate Russian prize fighters.

So for the record:

Saturday 29th October
Concord Rangers 0 - 0 Carshalton Athletic

I know several of my fellow Robins fans are religious and begging their pardons, but Jesus.
I mean Jesus. Two trips to Canvey Island in the space of six weeks and this time we had the added joy of Benfleet station being closed so we cycled from Rayleigh, a distance of seven million miles, all uphill and into the wind. Both ways. And the game was shit. Really, really shit. 

Looking back on the match from the distance of a month and a half I can't remember anything about a dull nil nil draw except for an appalling smell from the sewage works behind one goal. This is not a good sign. 

I think this picture captures the beauty of the scene rather well. And yes, those are caravans, holiday chalets possibly, overlooking one side of the ground; in fact the side of the ground that I had to vacate as the nauseating sewage-smell descended. 

The high point of the trip was the chance to visit the Labworth Cafe again and it didn't disappoint. Lunch mark 9/10 but the match gets a 1/10 for a shitty smell and there wasn't even a club shop to ask if they stocked a pen so I can award our first minus score of the season;
-10/10

Total trip score a new low of 0/30. Impressive and we hope their present poor form continues into relegation. Bah.


Saturday 26th November
Maldon & Tiptree 0 - 1 Carshalton Athletic

A bumper crowd of 72 were drawn to Essex for this FA Trophy 3rd qualifying round game, including, as always, the Robins Cycle Crew. We travelled by train to Witham and had an enjoyable ride through pleasant countryside to Maldon. The slightly twee tearooms we lunched in were honest enough and the overall impression of Maldon was of a decent place going about its business in a pleasant enough way. Well done everyone. Lunch mark 7/10.

The ground, however, was not particularly nice. The biting wind came whistling through the stand which was not equipped with sides and there wasn't any other elevation in the ground. The game, of course, was pretty dire. I don't recall so many Carshalton fans being so negative about a performance as they were at half time of this match. It was nil nil at the time but Maldon are a league below us, had conceded nine goals in their last two games and had just sacked their manager who took several players with him. We were poor and it was only a bullet header from a typically fired-up David Ray that saved us from embarrassment. One bright point has been the emergence of Luke Nolan who has turned in committed and consistent performances in a number of positions over the last couple of months - an excellent prospect.

Mark for the match; 2/10, just because we won, but the lack of a club shop again means no club pen and another minus 10/10.

Total score; a new low of -1/30!

Incidentally if you are so inclined, I would recommend signing up to Twitter, not least to follow me (@carshaltonath), but also to follow our leader himself @pauldipre. As you would expect there have been some 'incidents' already.
Full story here:
http://suttonunited.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=4203
(warning: contains Sutton United)

Several Carshalton players are also on twitter and they sometimes provide interesting insights into the club. For instance this tweet from Francis Quarm @fquarm:
"Neva thought I'd be getting paid to sit at home in my non league career! 1st for everything!"

Which may be explained by an earlier Tweet:

"Ephesians 6:12"

I'll leave you to reach for your bibles and work out what all that's about. See ya.