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Grantham Town lose to Carlton Town in the Northern Premier League




The Gingerbreads' hunt for their first Northern Premier League East Division win since September continues as Carlton Town made the most of their dominant periods in the Boxing Day game to maintain their play-off push.

Grantham had periods of the game when they more than matched their higher placed opponents but conceded goals at crucial times of the game in a 3-2 home reversal, writes Graham Cowell.

Head coach Louis Bland said: "We were behind for long periods of time in the game but were better going forward than on Saturday.

Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts

"We defended better on Saturday and, if we can combine the two, we will start picking up points.

"We didn't start well, but once we got our game going we played some good stuff and deserved our goals."

Grantham went into the game without striker Gregg Smith who has joined Sleaford Town where he will play and also be part of their management team.

Tiago Nassunculo and Brad Munns both featured on dual registration from Stamford and it was the Gingerbreads who had the first clear chance of the game.

They forced two corners in a minute and, from the second, Harry Olivant had a shot blocked that fell to Nassunculo but his snapshot was at Carlton goalkeeper Felix Annan.

Carlton's early threat came from long throws from Dean Freeman and Greg Tempest, but it was a different direct route that opened the scoring after 10 minutes.

Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts

Lamin Manneh picked up the ball 25 yards from the Grantham goal and his run saw him come inside the home defence on the right-hand side and fire a low shot inside Curtis Hall's near post.

Tempest's long throws caused some panic in the Grantham defence, but the Gingerbreads survived a couple of scares before getting themselves back into the game.

Olivant played in Rodrigo Goncalves who crossed deep to Elliott Walker and he returned the ball into the penalty area but couldn't find a Grantham shirt.

Two minutes later, with 19 minutes on the clock, Grantham did get an equaliser.

Goncalves turned the Carlton defence on the left wing and won a corner. A short corner routine from Grantham was only cleared to Matthew Doyle and he fired high into the Carlton net to level scores.

It was Grantham who dominated the game after the equaliser.

Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts

Curtis Morrison had a great chance on 22 minutes when Olivant and Nassunculo combined to send him through on goal. A good recovering challenge put Morrison under pressure and he fired across goal but just wide of the post.

There were only half chances for both sides as the first half settled into an even game.

Alex Hardwick volleyed over the bar from a good position for Carlton and Hall was well placed to save from Khyle Sargent after he exchanged passes with Manneh before hitting a strong shot.

Morrison and Goncalves tried their luck for the Gingerbreads, but Morrison shot wide from 30 yards out while Goncalves was beaten by a rescuing challenge from David Adgegbola.

The visitors flew out of the blocks after the break and seemed to put the game to bed with two goals in the first 18 minutes of the second period as Grantham were firmly on the back foot.

Niall Davie had the first effort of the half for Carlton, firing wide from distance.

Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts

It only took three minutes of the period for Carlton to restore their lead. They ran at the Grantham defence on the right-hand side and a good cross fell to Tempest who first past Hall.

Freeman was disappointed his free header on 52 minutes was straight at Hall, but a further ten minutes had elapsed with Carlton pressing without breaking Grantham down before the third goal came.

A free kick was delivered to the far post where Hardwick headed down to the foot of the post and the ball bounced up and over Hall's dive.

For the next ten minutes, Grantham looked out of the game as Carlton won the loose ball easily and seemed first to every challenge.

A snapshot from Goncalves after 72 minutes that was at Annan seemed to spark the Gingerbreads back into life.

Five minutes later, with Grantham pressing around the Carlton penalty area, Munns got a shot away on the edge of the 18-yard box that took a deflection on its way past Annan to put the Gingerbreads back in the game.

Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts

The last quarter of an hour saw both sides have chances to change the direction of the game.

Luke Horne and Nassunculo both had glimpses of a shooting chance before they had the ball nicked away from them inside the Carlton penalty area.

Doyle was in the right place almost straight after to clear off the line from a far post header as Carlton tried to settle the game.

Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts
Grantham Town went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Carlton. Photo: Toby Roberts

A spirited end to the match saw Grantham create chances for Munns and Goncalves, but neither could get their shots past a resolute Carlton defence.

In the last minute of injury time, when a long throw into the Carlton penalty area caused the visiting defence problems, they were relieved to hear the referee's whistle for a foul and see out time.

The defeat leaves Grantham a point adrift at the foot of the table ahead of Saturday's trip to play-off chasing Belper Town.



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