The Millers came into the game on the back of a club record-equalling 15 game unbeaten run but the Owls made short shrift of that and ran out comfortable winners.
Mark Harvey and Tommy Brookbanks named an unchanged side following the draw with Brighouse Town last time out but the visitors got off to the perfect start with a goal on seven minutes. A long throw from Ben Middleton wasn’t cleared and Jack Vann fired into the corner of the net from 15 yards.
Carlton responded with some decent football but Cleethorpes always kept them at arm’s length with Callum Foster organising the visitors’ defence superbly.
Felix Annan did well to save from Josh Walker midway through the half before Carlton responded with Nat Watson sending a free kick just over the top.
Lamin Manneh claimed a penalty on 28 minutes bit the referee wasn’t interested and shortly afterwards the same player was dragged to floor by Vann when advancing on goal. The Clee man was already on a yellow card and was lucky to stay on the pitch. Niall Davie sent the set piece just wide.
NPL First Division East
Davie had to be alert to clear the danger from a Clee throw and the captain was then unlucky not to get on the end of a Khyle Sargent pass after some good work by Liam Bateman.
Walker ran clear on goal in first half added time but he fired wide of the post.
Carlton brought on Greg Tempest for Ollie Clark at half time and in the early part of the second half the Millers did apply some pressure, with Liam Moran drawing a decent save from Ollie Battersby and Lawrence Gorman firing just wide from 20 yards.
Gorman then sent a lovely ball into Sargent whose turn and shot just missed the goal.
But Cleethorpes always looked dangerous and when Walker advanced down the right he looked up, squared to Nicky Walker and the wide man put his shot beyond Annan to double the Owls’ lead.
Six minutes later it was game over after Dean Freeman, impressive all afternoon, was penalised somewhat harshly for handball. Adam Haw made no mistake with the spot kick.
From then on it was damage limitation for Carlton. Lewis Durow cleared off the line from Haw while at the other end Middleton denied Moran a strike at goal after some good work by Niall Hylton and Watson.
The Millers almost pulled a goal back late on when Battersby clawed a Durow effort off the line and then saved the follow-up shot from Tempest before Bradley Dockerty then made an excellent clearance to deny Hylton after Alex Howes had played him in. But Dockerty himself ought to have scored in added time but his effort was deflected wide of target. The final whistle went soon afterwards and the Cleethorpes squad were able to celebrate their title win with their vocal travelling support.
For the Millers, the defeat is a serious blow to their play-off ambitions but the supporters recognised the achievement of 15 unbeaten games and gave the players a deserved ovation as they left the pitch.
Carlton Town: F Annan, L Bateman (M Ford 59), L Durow, L Gorman, D Freeman, N Watson, N Davie (N Hylton 65), K Sargent, L Moran, O Clark (G Tempest 46), L Manneh (A Howes 88). Unused subs: D Edwards
Goals: Jack Vann 7, Nicky Walker 58, Adam Haw 64 (pen)
Carlton Town Supporters Club MOTM: N Watson
Att: 230
