March 2019
UP The Millers !!!
Carlton Town 3 – 1 Lincoln United
As the day started on a bright setting so would it end in the same way. Here was an opportunity for the millers to start the month well and thus they would. Ollie Clark after nine minutes gave the home side the lead and encourage the team at times to play some neat and bright football. Lincoln however would keep plugging away after conceding early in the game and would be rewarded with an equaliser just after the half hour mark. Two goals in a five minute spell not long after by the sprightly Blake would give Carlton a two goal cushion going into the break and set up for a potentionally entertaining second half. Both teams came out and would not fail to impress as the second period was pretty much end to end without any addition to the scoreline giving Carlton three well earned points.
Carlton Town 2 – 6 Pontefract Collieries
Here was an opportunity for the millers to gain revenge on their opponents early season victory on a day where the conditions were dull & blustery with a soft footing. And so it looked like it would happen as Blake was to continue his fortune in front of goal by scoring the opener with only three minutes on the clock with a simple tap in at the far post. However, this only spurred the visitors on and they slowly started to take a grip of the game not long after. Within ten minutes they would equalise after a mis-understanding in the millers defence. Two minutes later an effort from distance would put the away side in front and this was followed by two more strikes before half time. With the wind behind Carlton in the second half there was still hope of a resurrection but this was to disappear when the visitors further increased the lead from a penalty on the hour mark. Hutchinson would reduce the arrears seven minutes later with a deft free-kick from range before the visitors would score again at the whistle to make it an all round miserable day for the home team.
Carlton Town 2 – 1 Kimberley MW
And so onto the long awaited cup semi-final and what more incentive could the team have to book a place in the final round with a game at Field Mill the home of Mansfield Town. Carlton started brightly and pressed the opposition with good integrity and will. They worked with a purpose and some desire but would still find the opposition to be hard working and awkward to break through. It would take a penalty from Hutchinson half-way through the first period to break the deadlock and give the millers a slender lead at the interval, but despite this Kimberley would still have the better of the exchanges for most of the half and would rue missing chances that they had to take from distance. The second period started brightly for the away side and they were also awarded a penalty three minutes into the half. Steggles made a fine save diving to his right , but soon after the visitors were rewarded for their endeavour with the equaliser. The visitors worked tirelessly and caused many issues for Carlton to deal with ,but this was all to no avail as the ever reliable Bartram would show up to score at the far post with fifteen minutes left. A nervy final fifteen minutes left the millers defending stoutly and keep the away side at bay to ensure their passage to the final.
Cleethorpes Town 4 – 2 Carlton Town
Three days on from the cup success brought an away day at the coast and the hope that the win in mid-week would revitalise the team’s confidence. It did exactly this. With the home team looking to impact on their play-off hopes they would start with a sharp work-rate and press Carlton early on, but the millers were resilient and were to produce probably some of their best football all season hence turning the tide as to say. A nice little interchange of paases after only ten minutes would see Blake hit the net low in the corner to give the visitors the lead. Carlton pressed and pursued the home side all the way through the remainder of the half and Blake again was to score with a similar strike to his first to put the millers two-up just before half-time. The home side came out after the break and within seven minutes of the restart score twice to bring the game level. Carlton never really came out of the dressing room in the second half and would succumb to a deflected effort by Lowe nine minutes from the end after a long period of intense pressure. The home side would score again with three minutes left and send the millers home with an empty bucket.
Sheffield F.C. 4 – 2 Carlton Town
This encounter at the world’s oldest football club was being attempted after two previous postponements due to weather and it nearly didn’t occur as a floodlight failure threatened to halt the proceedings. Twenty five minutes late the game started and a minute on from this the home side would take the lead from the very first attack. Sheffield, another team high up the division would produce the better work in the first half and leave the millers looking less than comfortable and lacking ideas. Stovell was introduced after the break and the transition was invigorating as his application increased Carlton’s presence on the game giving them a different dimension to their play. The substitution already proving to be effective was rewarded after only seven minutes of it’s introduction when Stovell rose just inside the box to head over the keeper and into the net. This spurred the away side on and a few minutes later Stovell had a glorious chance to give the visitors the lead but fired his effort over the bar. Sheffield gradually started to recover and would regain the lead possibly against the run of play with just over twenty minutes left. Another two goals in the final six minutes doubled the scoreline before a consolation goal on the whistle from Austin pulled one back.
And so to the final month of the season and a period of many fixtures including a cup final. The team now has to put all its energies into amassing as many points as possible and April is expected to be a very demanding month. It’s imperative that the team get a good start, stay as fresh as they can and everybody that is involved will need to go the extra mile to achieve the targets.
Good Luck Lads !!!
