Carshalton 4 Three Bridges 1 – Absolutely wonderful football game
One normally does not associate Ryman South with wonderful flowing and skilful football. Those people may be wrong. Essentially to give context this was a middle table game with nothing depending on it between two very different teams. The War Memorial ground is an excellent ground at this level and might easily host Conference South football with a few strategic amendments. The superb 3G pitch looks like a huge success and it was difficult to tell any difference from a grass version.
War Memorial Ground Carshalton
Some of the best non league terracing Carshalton
Even in the warm up it was clear to the casual observer, one of the 288 present, that the Carshalton team was young and mostly looked 10 years younger than a slightly gnarled older looking Three Bridges team.
The styles also were a huge contrast with Carshalton favouring a fluid skilful game playing the ball out of defence and using the wings, whilst Three bridges were more physical, forceful and at times presented Carshalton with some rigorous tackles.
Three Bridges also favoured the opportunity to debate regularly with the referee Chris Felton , whether his decisions were correct and give input as to which Carshalton players should be booked and for what reason.
The game was played in the first half in bright sunshine and by the second half light rain.
The crowd of 288 was a very respectable number considering the league positions and the paucity of away following from Three bridges.
The reality was that Carshalton won this game easily 4-1 and in Ricky Korboa had a winger with unreal talent and balance, who scored a goal worthy of goal of the month at any football level.
Ricky Korboa
Ricky Korboa
This current Carshalton team if kept together will be interesting to watch over the next 12 months.
Tommy Bradford
Tommy Bradford
The game was fairly end to end and both goalkeepers were kept busy.
Maybe the linesman also wanted a piece of the action? And a little maybe of Halifax rugby league also?
And finally other action shots
Where else do stewards take the word of a paying customer as to what exactly is in a bag they are carrying in? Where else do Northern football fans, well Halifax ones from Yorkshire wear shorts to football matches in the winter?
Normal covered terracing behind the other goal is matched with low level terracing along the other side of the pitch. It is almost as though no one can decide which decade the ground lives in nor which level of football it is fit for. A nice surprise was that there was no segregation with Woking and Halifax fans mixing freely. Banter was heard though it was difficult to make out easily much of what the Halifax fans were saying. This for me is good though. I prefer the lack of segregation which encourages a normal approach to football instead of treating each game like some kind of warfare.
chris1957
Arcticterntalk.org 