NPL First Division East – 23 March 2024
Nat Watson – yes Nat Watson – scored in the last minute as Carlton Town twice came from behind to stun title-chasing Dunston with a 3-2 win in the North East.
There are days when you are reminded just why people travel half the length of the country to watch step 4 non-league football and this was one of them. This game had it all – both teams scored an own goal, both teams were awarded and scored the softest of penalties and both teams hit the woodwork. Both teams also created late chances to win the game but in the end the difference between the sides was the Dunston missed theirs and Carlton took theirs to make it three wins out of three against these opponents. Dunston don’t have to wait long for the chance of revenge as they visit Stoke Lane next month.
Carlton made one change to the side which drew with Pontefract last time out but it was a big one, with Nat Watson re-signed on dual registration 10 months after leaving the club following the Notts Senior Cup Final defeat to Newark & Sherwood. He went straight back into the team with Lawrence Gorman dropping to the bench.
Watson’s last NPL game was the final day win against Dunston last season when he scored in the last minute. Little did the Millers faithful know at the start of the game what an omen that would be.
Dunston have had even worse issues with the NPL over their home postponements than Carlton and this was the fourth time they were playing a home game at an alternative ground. The venue was Morpeth Town’s Craic Park which Carlton had visited on just one previous occasion, a 4-0 defeat in 2018-19.
The Millers began on the front foot and an early Lamin Manneh run saw him beat two defenders before drawing a decent save from Dan Staples in the Dunston goal. Some neat football then led to a lovely Alex Howes pass which split the defence and sent Niall Hylton clean through on goal. Staples held his ground was able to save from the wide man.
Dunston’s first attack saw David Robinson hit a fierce drive which drew a superb save from Felix Annan, tipping the ball over the bar.
Back came Carlton and Alex Hardwick played a one-two with Hylton before himself running through on goal, but again Staples saved.
Dunston took the lead on 14 minutes. A long clearance from Staples was headed on by Shea-Thompson Harris into the path of Dale Pearson. His cross was gathered by Annan, but not cleanly and the keeper lost the ball under pressure from Jack Maskell. Dan Brown, in trying to clear, fired the ball into his own net. There were no complaints from Carlton at the time, save from Annan, but the highlights video seems to suggest Annan may have had the ball kicked out of his hands by Maskell.
Either way, the goal clearly gave the home side a boost and they took control of the next stage of the game. Sado Djalo fed Michael Pearson whose cross was met by a Maskell header only for Annan to make a great save. Minutes later Dunston pulled Carlton all over the place with a flowing move and Robinson had a great chance to double the lead but he fired high over the bar from a good position.
Brown made a fine block to break up an attack but still the home side came forward and they were desperately close to increasing their lead on 34 minutes. Djalo won the ball off Lewis Durow and played the ball to Dale Pearson on the left side of the area. He turned neatly and his shot beat Annan but hit the post and rebounded into Annan’s grateful arms.
Carlton regained their composure and after Hardwick was fouled just outside the area, Greg Tempest’s free kick was about to be met by Watson before he was shoved to the ground. The referee waved away the Millers penalty claims. Shortly afterwards Hylton headed just wide from a Howes cross.
Carlton did level the scores on 44 minutes with an own goal of their own when Jude Swailes headed a Durow throw into his own net under pressure from Dean Freeman. That left just two minutes of added time to see out but Dunston regained the lead from the penalty spot in controversial circumstances. A long throw into the area was headed away by Freeman before the referee blew his whistle to award a penalty, presumably for a push or shirt-pulling albeit there was nothing obvious at the time or indeed now on the video. Dale Pearson didn’t care and he put the spot-kick away into the corner of the net to give Dunston a half time lead.
Watson fired wide early in the second half before the Millers levelled on 54 minutes with their own soft penalty. Freeman met a Manneh corner at the near post and as he tried to play the ball back to Manneh he went down under a clumsy challenge from Djalo. The referee had no hesitation in awarding the penalty and Hardwick’s strike had enough power to beat Staples, who did get a hand to the ball.
It was now all square again and both sides went for the win. Tempest headed just over after a lovely move whilst at the other end Annan made a fine save from Djalo. Just before that Hardwick had to go off after being injured in a challenge with Djalo, being replaced by Niall Davie and Carlton also brought on Micah Jebbison plus Mamadoh Sylla-Diallo with the latter making his debut.
Jordan Lamb headed over the bar for the home side before Carlton were inches away from taking the lead when a Hylton shot hit the post with Staples beaten.
Maskell missed his kick from close range after Annan had saved from Robinson and Pearson saw a goalbound effort cleared off the line by Thompson-Harris. Then, with just four minutes to go, substitute Luke Carr danced into the Carlton penalty area and looked certain to score only to be denied by a superb save from Annan.
That set the scene for Watson’s late, late winner. A Tempest corner failed to beat the first man but the ball was played back to Tempest by Manneh. Tempest launched it high to the far post where it was headed back into the danger area by Freeman and met with a sumptuous first-time volleyed thunderbolt from Watson which flew like a missile into the roof of the net to spark ecstatic scenes from the travelling Carlton fans behind the goal and around the ground.
The Millers had to endure 10 minutes of added time but the defence held firm and the players were able to celebrate an impressive win with their jubilant supporters.
Carlton Town: F Annan, S Thompson-Harris, L Durow, D Brown, D Freeman, G Tempest, N Watson, A Howes (M Sylla-Diallo 65), A Hardwick (N Davie 70), L Manneh, N Hylton (M Jebbison 79). Unused Subs: N Liburd-Hynes, L Gorman
Goals: Jude Swailes 44 og, A Hardwick 54 pen, N Watson 90; D Brown 14 og, Dale Pearson 45 pen
Carlton Town Supporters Club MOTM: Nat Watson
Att: 141
