With one game to go, City wrapped up second place in the Nationwide South and completed a league double over their relegation haunted hosts into the bargain.

With Rob Miller and Gary Fisken added to the already extensive injury list following the midweek Cambs Invitation Cup defeat by Histon, City were forced to use centre-half Brady Stone in an unfamiliar midfield role. Jon Stevenson came in for his first start since the 8th of February at the expense of Michael Gash who dropped to the bench. Carshalton were unchanged from the side that had drawn 1-1 at home the Weston-super-Mare the previous week.

Matt Robinson has Carshalton's Sam Saunders complaining

With the threat of the drop very much in their minds, Carshalton had to win this game and showed that desire with an up-tempo start to the match that saw Sam Saunders, who was the subject of much barracking from the travelling City fans following his horror tackle on Lee Chaffey earlier in the season, fired a rising shot over the City bar after only five minutes. Two minutes later, Mark Peters tried his luck but never got hold of his shot and it only provided Duncan Roberts in the City goal with a bit of fielding practice.

Home stopper, Stuart Searle, could count himself a lucky man when he was put under pressure by a Mark Costello’s ill conceived backpass. Matt Robinson closed him down quickly and the keeper’s attempted clearance cannoned off the strikers shin and just wide of the goal.

With around a quarter of an hour gone, Carshalton should have taken the lead when they were provided with a golden chance. A quick throw gave Peters time to clip the ball into Nic McDonnell who had slipped in behind Glen Fuff, but with the goal at his mercy the former Crawley hitman slid his effort past the far post.

Carshalton continued to force the pace with City’s counter attacks failing to trouble the home defence but they never really looked like breaking the deadlock as chances were wasted. Peters produced a twisting and turning run that ended with a shot that was always clearing the goal. Saunders free-kick caused confusion in the City area where Matt York hooked over and McDonnell saw Roberts easily gather his tame 20 yarder.

Chances continued to flow for the home side and they continued to waste them. On the half hour mark, Saunders picked out Romauld Bouadji with a left sided corner but, under pressure from Robinson, the big defender headed off target. Soon after, Richard Scott received a yellow card for a pullback on Des Boateng. From the free-kick, Saunders again found Bouadji, this time unmarked, but his powerful downward header bounced the wrong side of the post.

Jon Stevenson makes himself known to Stuart Booth

City’s had threatened little and had been forced to play pretty much second fiddle, but as the game neared the interval they punished Carshalton for their failure to convert chances. Dale Binns served warning when he gave Stuart Booth the slip before delivering a low cross that saw the ball spin up off a defenders desperate lunge but fortunately for the home side it went straight to Searle, but they weren’t so lucky two minutes later. Binns from an almost identical position fed the ball to the near-post where Stevenson nipped in ahead of a statuesque Robins defence to blast the ball high into the roof of the net with the Lilywhites only shot on goal of the half.

The second period continued much in the same vein as the first with Carshalton applying all the pressure but seemingly unable to get the goal they so desperately needed. With four minutes gone, Bradley Pritchard looked odds on to level the scores as he strode into the City area following a pass from Boateng but Matt Langston came to City’s rescue with a superb and timely block. Then a mix-up between Lee Summerscales and Robinson gifted the ball to Pritchard whose cross was taken off the forehead of Peter Wood by Craig Pope’s interception. The Robins didn’t let up and Booth’s stinging cross grazed the head of Peters with a City defender nowhere in sight. City hit back when Stevenson showed quality to keep a long clearance in play on the right hand side before slipping the ball inside to Binns who smashed a shot wide of the target.

Both sides made changes just after the hour, City bringing on Academy youngsters James Bulman and Michael Gash in place of Carl Williams and Stevenson, while the home side replaced the injured Peters with Del Marvel.

Carshalton wasted another wonderful chance to open their account when Stone failed to cut out Saunders cross following a mazy run on the right and Pritchard, who seemed to be taken by surprise, placed a stooping header over the bar

Costello was lucky to escape a booking when he cynically blocked Robinson after the forward had latched onto a short backpass. However, City were to inflict a greater punishment upon the defender and his side as from the subsequent free-kick, Robinson’s glancing header won a corner. From the flag kick, the Robins failed to clear their lines effectively and Gash thumped a drive through a crowd of players and beyond Searle to put the game effectively out of reach.

Craig Pope looks determined as James Bulman is felled

With no other choice than to throw bodies forward in the search for a lifeline, Carshalton left space for City to exploit. Gash’s breakaway after a Robins attack broke down should have paid better dividends but he failed to find Pope who was completely on his own, bursting through the centre. Moments later and Gash played in Robinson after a clearly tiring home side gave the ball away in centre field. Wood got back well to track the striker and block his near-post shot. City weren’t finished there as Binns collected a Robinson pass and smacked a low drive onto the foot of the post with Searle beaten.

With City finishing strongly, the impressive Bulman, who had caused a number of problems for Carshalton since coming on, made good ground down the left before whipping in a cross to the back post that only just evaded Gash. City followed this with Binns leading a breakaway that ended with Searle producing a fine save to repel Robinson’s full-blooded drive.

As the game entered injury time, Roberts was forced to come smartly off his line to smother the ball as Saunders pinpoint pass picked out McDonnell’s run, the first time the big keeper had been called upon to extend himself due to the home sides wayward finishing.

The final whistle brought cheers and celebration for City but left Carshalton, following results elsewhere, needing a win at in their final game away to Eastbourne next Saturday to avoid playing their football in the Ryman league next season.