The Cannons were unlucky to come away from high flying Carshalton Athletic with nothing after a performance full of heart as they went down 2-1 on Saturday afternoon.
It was the hosts who started the brighter and had the majority of the early chances. Their first effort came on seven minutes as Jordan Cheadle got the ball over to the far post where Danny Dudley headed wide. Peter Adeniyi then threaded the ball through to Raheem Sterling-Parker who planted his shot wide of the target. Hythe had to wait until the 16th minute for their first attempt as Zak Ansah who also placed the ball wide.
However, at this stage of the game the hosts continued to look the more dangerous as Paris Hamilton-Downes hit a speculative shot over the bar. As the half progressed, Hythe began to come more into the game as Kieron Campbell rifled an attempt that took two deflections before going out for a corner. On 32 minutes Carshalton were ahead as Sterling-Parker broke in from the right and slammed the ball into the far corner of the net giving Hythe keeper Will Godmon no chance. A dangerous in swinging corner from Cheadle was then palmed away under pressure by Godmon.
Hythe were level on 36 minutes with a classic goal as Ryan Palmer pulled the ball in from the right finding Jerson Dos Santos whose powerful header found the net from close range giving the Carshalton defence no chance to clear the ball away. The Cannons continued to press and with five minutes until the interval Chris Kinnear unleashed a drive that took a deflection and rattled against the top of the cross bar and out for a corner. Two more chances for the Cannons before the break saw a Palmer cross find Kinnear but his header was deflected wide and then a Palmer free-kick drifted over the bar.
Hythe were first to threaten in the second period and on 49 minutes Dos Santos broke into the penalty area from the right but he shot into the side netting. The Cannons proved resilient in defence as they withstood a period of pressure from the hosts who created a couple of chances during that period. Firstly, a cross from Tommy Bradford found Ola Sogbanmu who stumbled before he could get a shot away and then Sterling-Parker found himself free but Godmon came off his line to block. Hythe were still causing some problems in the Carshalton defence as Palmer pulled a shot just wide.
A controversial moment that decided the game came in the 74th minute as the referee saw an infringement by Godmon in the penalty area and awarded a spot kick. Up stepped Omar Kamora who sent Godmon the wrong way to give the Robins the lead. The Cannons pressed for an equaliser but could create the vital opportunity and really Carshalton should have sown up the win right on full-time as Kormora found himself completely free but could only send his final shot wide.
The Cannons had put everything into their game and were unfortunate not to come away with something. They now face Herne Bay in a League fixture at Reachfields on Tuesday evening with a 7:45pm kick-off.
Team: Will Godmon, Michael Turner, Charlie Webster, Chris Kinnear, Ryan Johnson, Mitchell Dickenson, Keiron Campbell, Mitchell Chapman (Callum Phillip 83 mins), Zak Ansah, Jerson Dos Santos, Ryan Palmer.
Scorers: Carshalton Athletic – Raheem Sterling-Parker 32 mins, Omar Kormora 73 mins (pen). Hythe Town Jerson Dos Santos 36 mins.
Attendance 335.