NPL First Division East – 20 April 2024
Goals from Alex Hardwick and Niall Hylton saw Carlton Town to the brink of playoff qualification with a 2-1 win against Consett.
The win, Carlton’s third in eight days in their packed April schedule, moved the Millers eight points clear of rivals Belper Town and left them needing just two more points from the final two games of the season to mathematically confirm the position.
Although the team lacked some of the spark of recent displays, that was more than understandable in the circumstances. This was Carlton’s fourth game of the week and their eighth in the last three weeks. The Millers have won six of those eight games and at the final whistle managers Tommy Brookbanks and Mark Harvey were full of praise for the efforts put in by all of the players over that gruelling period.
The managers made two changes to the side which had lost at Liversedge two days earlier with Jevin Seaton making his second full debut for the Millers replacing the injured Lamin Manneh and Dean Freeman replacing the injured David Adegbola.
Consett were also depleted and arrived at Stoke Lane with just 12 players, including manager Anthony Fawcett at centre forward and goalkeeper James Anderson as their only substitute.
In front of a season best home crowd of 384, boosted by a number of the junior teams at the ground, Carlton had the first chance of the game. Dan Brown broke up an attack before playing the ball to Mamadou Sylla-Diallo. He moved it forward to Seaton who combined with Hylton before Lewis Durow hit a fierce drive that drew an excellent save from Kelechi Chibueze.
Moments later Consett thought they had scored when Arjun Purewal headed goalwards from a corner, only for Felix Annan to make a magnificent double save.
Shortly afterwards Purewal headed just wide as Consett showed they were not just here to make up the numbers.
The Millers had the ball in the net on 23 minutes when Niall Davie headed home a Durow throw in only for the effort to be disallowed for an unseen push.
But Carlton did take the lead eight minutes before the break with a lovely goal. Durow fed Hylton who darted down the left wing, beat Ben Milburn before crossing to Hardwick, who timed his run to the near post superbly and deftly flicked the ball past Chibueze.
Goalkeeper Anderson replaced manager Fawcett up front for Consett in the second half but it was Carlton in the ascendancy.
Hardwick drew a good save from Chibueze before Hylton extended Carlton’s lead on 49 minutes. Davie picked up the ball in his own half, ran at the Consett defence before spreading the ball wide to Seaton. He sped down the left before pulling the ball back to Hylton who lifted a first time shot beyond Chibueze and into the net.
Minutes later a Durow cross shot was tipped onto the bar by the visitors’ goalkeeper.
Carlton then claimed a penalty after Hylton was tripped in the area following some neat interplay involving Lawrence Gorman, Alex Howes and Seaton. The referee waved away the claims.
The Steelmen never gave up and the Millers rearguard and midfield had to continue to work hard to keep them at bay, with Howes in particular impressing in a deeper role and Brown as always clearing up dangerous through balls.
The effort of playing four games in a week was clearly visible in the final quarter of the game as Consett pushed forward. Annan made a superb double save from Wil Shaw to deny the Steelmen but on 83 minutes Shaw pulled a goal back, slotting home after Annan had made an excellent save from Kaleb Young.
Durow volleyed a Gorman cross into net in the final minute of normal time only to see a late offside flag deny him but Carlton saw out the five minutes of added time in relative comfort.
As the referee blew the final whistle at a Carlton corner, a poor challenge by Jack Gibbons led to a melee which saw Gibbons sent off and Micah Jebbison booked. It was out of keeping with the nature of the match.
The Millers players left the field to richly merited applause from the home crowd. They have really had to push themselves to the limit in the last week or two and they have delivered to a man. They have two more games to get through to earn themselves the playoff spot their efforts deserve.
Carlton Town: F Annan, K Sargent (L Gorman 67), L Durow, D Brown, D Freeman (P Dearle 75), M Sylla-Diallo, N Davie (M Jebbison 67), A Howes, A Hardwick, J Seaton, N Hylton. Unused subs: D Adegbola.
Goals: A Hardwick 37, N Hylton 49; Wil Shaw 83
Carlton Town Supporters Club MOTM: Niall Hylton
Att: 384
