NPL First Division East
18 March 2023
Carlton Town made it three away wins in succession with a dramatic 3-2 win at Cleethorpes Town.
The win, Carlton’s first ever at Clee, saw Carlton move out of the automatic relegation positions and in touching distance of safety after an enthralling afternoon on the east coast.
The only sour note of the day came with an injury time red card for Nat Watson for picking up a second booking. It was his third sending off of the season and the Millers await to see if the usual one match ban will be extended.
Tommy Brookbanks and Mark Harvey made two changes to the side which had won at Grantham Town in midweek. Lawrence Gorman came in for the absent Khyle Sargent while Alex Howes replaced Charlie Marzano who started on the bench.
The Millers, backed by a vociferous 40 or so away supporters, started well, with Niall Davie and Howes causing problems for the Owls. But the home side too had some good moments and showed why they are still in the battle to make the playoffs.
Mikey Emery, outstanding all afternoon, did well to deal with a couple of dangerous deep crosses early on. He then had to be alert to dive at the feet of the threatening Will Annan as the striker looked set to score.
Carlton responded and a Watson corner was heading directly into goal until Leon Dawson cleared it off the line at the back post, with Kyle Tomlin claiming he had been pushed over in the area.
Gorman then played a lovely ball into the path of Davie who cut inside Paul Walker but his effort went out for a corner.
The Owls pushed forward in what was becoming an end-to-end encounter and the impressive Harvey Tomlinson fed Annan who was only denied by a superb block from Dan Brown.
Brown was alert again moments later to deny Curtis Bateson before Carlton then pushed forward with Watson, Tomlin and Howes combining only for Alex Flett to clear ahead of the onrushing Tomlin.
Carlton opened the scoring on 37 minutes from the penalty spot. Tomlin flicked a lovely pass into the path of Davie and he was brought down by Dawson. Alex Troke made no mistake from the spot, sending James McKeown the wrong way to the delight of the Millers fans behind the goal.
Troke was desperately close to extending Carlton’s lead five minutes later. Emery played a long ball forward which Tomlin flicked on into the path of Troke. He spotted McKeown off his line and lifted a delicious lob which beat the keeper but just cleared the crossbar.
Cleethorpes had a chance to level just before the break but a scramble in the penalty area saw Carlton eventually clear.
The home side came out on the front foot at the start of the second period and Carlton were lucky not to concede straight away when Emery miscued an attempted clearance and was grateful to see the ricochet go out for a goal kick.
However Clee did level on 49 minutes when a ball from the left found Annan in all sorts of space and he took one touch before cooly firing into the corner of the net.
The Owls had their tails up and only another splendid Brown clearance denied Annan a second goal moments later.
But Carlton have showed in the last two games that they are made of sterner stuff these days and by 54 minutes they were ahead again. Kyle Dixon, on as a half time substitute, did well to win the ball in midfield. He advanced forward before the ball ended up with Davie. Davie slipped it left to Howes who hit a superb shot from outside the area over McKeown and into the top corner.
Now it was Carlton’s turn to push forward and when Dixon again won the ball in midfield Tomlin and Howes combined to send Davie away, only for the Carlton man to be downed by a crude challenge from Jordon Cooke.
Cleethorpes weren’t giving up and on 66 minutes they equalised for a second time. Watson gave away a soft free kick near the left corner flag. The free kick was sent to the back post when Cooke headed it back into the danger area and Walker fired home.
Carlton reacted by bringing on Marzano and Niall Hylton and Marzano was involved straight away as he attacked down the right after some fine play from Brown, Howes and Watson.
Howes then sent Watson away on the left. McKeown was off his line again but Watson elected not to chip but instead set up Davie who fired wide of the post.
With 15 minutes remaining Carlton scored what turned out to be the winning goal. Marzano once again ran into the area on the right hand side. His ball into the box took a heavy deflection off Cooke and looped over McKeown and into the net sparking pandemonium amongst the travelling support.
Still both sides attacked. Howes won the ball on the left, combined cleverly with Troke whose cross to the back post was just beyond Marzano.
Clee kept pushing forward but Hylton and Gorman stood firm on the flanks and Dean Freeman and Brown dealt with the threat down the middle.
The referee signalled six minutes of added time and in the third of those minutes Watson became in an altercation with a Cleethorpes player. He had already been booked for handling the ball when he thought it had gone out of play and the referee showed him a second yellow card for a push.
The ten men held on for the further five minutes that were played and once again the entire squad and staff came across to celebrate with the joyous away fans at the end.
Carlton Town: M Emery, L Gorman, L Durow (N Hylton 67), D Brown, D Freeman, J Holmes (K Dixon 46), K Tomlin (C Marzano 67), N Davie, A Troke, N Watson, A Howes. Unused substitutes: R Stainsby, O Wilson
Goals: A Troke 37 (pen), A Howes 54, C Marzano 75; Will Annan 49, Paul Walker 66
Carlton Town Supporters Club MOTM – Dan Brown
Att: 401
