NPL First Division East
7 March 2023
Alex Howes and Niall Davie were on target as Carlton Town stunned high-flying Hebburn Town with a 2-0 win in the North East.
The Millers came into the game deep in relegation trouble with just one win in almost four months but they produced their best display of the season to breathe life back into their battle against the drop and give the small but vocal travelling support a joyous evening on Tyneside.
Tommy Brookbanks and Mark Harvey had made it clear following Saturday’s defeat against North Shields that they weren’t going to allow Carlton to surrender their step 4 status without a fight. To that end they re-signed popular former captain Alex Troke prior to the game and he started up front in a 4-5-1 formation as one of five changes from the defeat against Shields.
Also back in the side were Jared Holmes, Kyle Tomlin and Howes with Oliver Wilson and Kyle Dixon dropping to the bench and Danny Elliott and Aaron O’Connor absent injured. Also on the bench was Zac Hill who impressed in the recent friendly win against AFC Mansfield.
The Hornets, in the splendid surroundings of their impressive home ground, came into the game second in the table and on the back of a 5-1 win against Consett, having beaten Carlton comfortably in the reverse fixture just 10 days earlier. But it was clear from the opening exchanges that the Millers were a different side to that which the Carlton faithful have seen all to often at home games. Indeed, the players could be seen reacting to the Carlton supporters’ cheers as the teams came out, almost as if they were surprised that any of the fans had made the trip.
Troke clearly made a difference with his hold up play, his pressing, his work-rate and his physicality, but the improvements were all over the pitch. You could just see that the players really were up for the challenge of a midweek game 155 miles from home against serious promotion contenders and they never let the intensity drop for the whole of the 97 minutes that were played. Dan Brown and Dean Freeman were first to virtually every ball into the area. Lewis Durow and Lawrence Gorman worked the entire game to keep the flanks secure and there was monumental effort from the midfield five.
Troke fed Howes on the left for Carlton’s first attack on five minutes, but after a good run his cross was blocked. Shortly afterwards Troke held the ball up then ran at the Hebburn defence before finding Durow who sent over a great cross to Davie. His header into the danger area found Nat Watson whose header at goal drew a decent save from home goalkeeper Shaun Newbrook.
Homes and Watson were controlling the centre of midfield alongside Tomlin, with Howes and Davie having outstanding games on the flanks, pushing forward in possession and constantly harrying Hebburn when they had the ball.
Hebburn’s best chance of the first half came just before the half hour when a cross into the area was met by a spectacular overhead kick from player-manager Dan Moore, only for Mikey Emery to pull off a superb save, tipping the shot onto the crossbar.
Back came Carlton, roared on by the 12 or so away supporters and Howes and Davie combined down the left again only for Joe Walton to clear the danger.
The Millers took a deserved lead on 37 minutes from a set piece. A Gorman corner was headed towards goal by Watson. Hebburn only half cleared and Howes fired into the corner of the net through a crowd of players.
A minute later Carlton were desperately close to doubling their lead. Watson sent Troke down the right hand side and he hit a fantastic shot from the right corner of the penalty area only for Newbrook to make a wonderful save diving to his right. The loose ball was just out of Watson’s reach with the goal gaping.
Hebburn responded with a quick counter attack and Liam Henderson’s header drew a fine save from Emery.
The Millers had closed down the space available to Hebburn players really well in the first half, but they sat a little deeper at the start of the second half but Dan Brown and Dean Freeman dealt with everything thrown their way in the middle of defence.
Carlton needed to re-assert their grip on the game and they did so in the most spectacular way on 57 minutes with a goal that wouldn’t look out of place in the Premier League. Davie picked up the ball just outside the Carlton penalty area on the right. He then sprinted away, running virtually the entire length of the pitch, beating three of four Hebburn players, drawing Newbrook and then from inside the area steering the ball into the corner of the net to spark ecstatic scenes amongst the supporters behind the goal. It was a truly astonishing goal and one worthy to win any game.
10 minutes later he almost scored again as he ran onto a lovely first-time pass from Troke, took the ball past Moore and rounded Newbrook but slightly lost his footing in the area which was enough time for Moore to recover and block the goal-bound shot.
Forward went Hebburn and Emery made another spectacular save with his face from a fierce Olly Martin drive that saw the goalkeeper need about five minutes of treatment.
The home side then claimed a penalty following a goalmouth scramble but the referee wasn’t interested.
The Millers brought on Niall Hylton and Wilson and Hylton and Howes combined down the right with Hylton playing the ball into the area. Wilson had his back to goal but he controlled the pass beautifully and swivelled to shoot. He delayed his shot a fraction of a second and that was enough time for Moore to block what would otherwise have been a lovely goal.
With time running out Carlton brought on Hill and he and Wilson showed some lovely touches of the ball as the game entered seven minutes of added time. Any fears that Carlton would be hanging on were misplaced. Indeed, they kept their composure, kept looking to open up the Hebburn defence and Wilson, Hylton and Davie almost did so with another lovely move.
Emery had one more save to make deep into added time but the final chance fell to the Millers when Howes found Wilson whose shot drew another fine save from Newbrook.
Shortly afterwards the referee ended proceedings and the entire Carlton squad came across to than the boisterous travelling faithful for their 310-mile round trip Tuesday night backing. The Millers still have a massive mountain to climb if they are to get out of trouble, but this was the start they’ve been seeking for a number of weeks.
Carlton Town: M Emery, L Gorman, L Durow, D Brown, D Freeman, J Holmes (N Hylton 80), K Tomlin, N Davie, A Troke, N Watson (Z Hill 88), A Howes (O Wilson 83). Unused substitutes: R Stainsby, K Dixon
Goals: A Howes 37, N Davie 57
Carlton Town Supporters Club MOTM – Alex Howes
Att: 205
