Pre-season friendly
July 29 2023
Carlton Town completed their pre-season programme with a 100% record following a 3-1 win at home to Shepshed Dynamo.
The victory saw the Millers awarded the inaugural Jackie North Memorial Trophy in recognition of the contribution made to both football clubs by the recently deceased “Duchess”.
On an emotional occasion the sides came out to the Last Post played excellently by Alastair Weir followed by a minute’s applause from the fine crowd of 110.
Once the game got underway Shepshed, featuring ex-Millers Kyle Dixon and Massiah McDonald, started sharply but failed to create anything of note.
Lammin Manneh was causing problems for the visitors and he had a shout for a penalty turned down when he turned Callum Rai after a fine run and cross from Shea Thompson-Harris. Rai seemed to pull Manneh’s shirt but when the striker shot wide the referee wasn’t interested.
Five minutes later it was a different story when Manneh was brought down by Niall Prenderville and the referee did award a penalty. Khyle Sargent stepped up and fired home to give the Millers the lead.
Carlton pushed forward and Alex Howes then fed Lewis Durow who took a second touch with the result that his shot was blocked.
Dynamo should have equalised just before half time when they appeared to have the goal at their mercy but the ball was prodded wide of target after a goalmouth scramble.
The Millers increased the pressure in the second half and a lovely ball from Greg Tempest sent Mussa Jawara clean through on goal, only to be denied by Brandon Ganley. Within a minute though Jawara jinked into the area and was brought down by Rai for Carlton’s second penalty. This time Lawrence Gorman did the honours, rifling home despite the efforts of Dixon to put him off.
From then on it was pretty much all Carlton and late on Prenderville was inches away from a spectacular own goal when his attempted clearance from a Niall Hylton cross sliced just over his own crossbar.
With just two minutes remaining Hylton made it 3-0 with a superb goal, cutting in from the left, beating four Shepshed defenders and steering a right-footed shot into the corner of the net.
With the game in added time Durow was sent off for a second yellow card after committing a foul. Carlton failed to clear the resulting free kick and James Shaw fired home a consolation for Shepshed with the last kick of the game.
The win made it six out of six for Carlton in pre-season, with only two goals conceded, but the real tests begin with next week’s trip to Quorn in the FA Cup.
Carlton Town: Felix Annan (Nykah Liburd-Hinesi 56), Shea Thompson-Harris (David Agdebola 46), Lewis Durow, Dan Brown (Lamin Seasow 11), Dean Freeman, Khyle Sargent (Lawrence Gorman 46), Lamin Manneh (Ollie Gee 82), Greg Tempest, Mussa Jawara (Shea Thompson-Harris 56), Alex Howes, Niall Hylton.. Unused sub: Zac Hill
Goals: K Sargent 37 (pen), L Gorman 55 (pen), N Hylton 88; James Shaw 90
Att: 110