LATE DRAMA AS THORNTON GOAL SEALS VICTORY

The goal, in the 10th minute of added time following injuries to Ian Brown and Daniel Fletcher, came in a frantic finale with both sides going for a winner after the visitors had equalised three minutes from the end of normal time.

The result leaves the Millers in third place in the table, ten points behind Grantham and five points behind Ilkeston.

Les McJannet made two changes from the side which drew with Kidsgrove. Reuben Wiggins-Thomas returned in place of Sam McVicar.and Adam Kimberley replaced the absent Nick Hall. Ashley Kitchen and Terry Hawkridge, both available again, had to settle for places on the bench.

Grantham, fielding former Miller Grant Brindley, but absent Martin Ball due to suspension, started the brighter and put Carlton under pressure from the kick off. They forced a series of early corners and Andrew Richmond in the Millers goal had to be alert to make a smart stop on 10 minutes.

Against the run of play it was the Millers who had a golden opportunity to score on 16 minutes. A corner found its way to Wiggins-Thomas and he turned captain Ben Saunders neatly only to be tripped. The referee immediately pointed to the spot but goalkeeper Rob Murray saved the striker’s effort. This was incredibly the seventh time Carlton have missed a penalty this season.

Murray was in action again on 26 minutes, saving well from a Kimberley free kick, and three minutes later he was equal to a drive on the right hand side from Wiggins-Thomas as the Millers gained a foothold in the match.

Back came Grantham and Paul Grimes broke well down the left, drilled in a cross which was deflected into the path of Gio Cardechi who headed over the bar from close range.

As the half drew to a close Grantham had another opportunity when Saunders fired wide on the right following a neat break.

Five minutes into the second period came the first lengthy delay. Brown was fouled and immediately went down. He was treated on the pitch for five minutes before being stretchered off with a nasty injury to his knee, likely to keep him out for some time. As a result Sam McVicar joined in the action as the Millers pushed on.

Matt Millns saw a shot deflected over the bar following a Thornton cross before Carlton opened the scoring on 61 minutes. Thornton crossed from the right, the ball found its way to Wiggins-Thomas whose attempted shot fell invitingly for McVicar who stabbed the ball past the unsighted Murray and into the corner of the net.

The Gingerbreads, roared on by an impressive and vocal visiting support, came back at Carlton and there were some feisty tackles and a number of yellow cards. The Millers defence, marshalled superbly by Rob Darkin and Matt Millns, held firm and Richmond was a commanding presence in and around the six yard box.

Nonetheless Carlton had to reorganise on 72 minutes when Dan Fletcher went down following a clash of heads, necessitating another delay and his eventual replacement by Hawkridge.

Grantham should have levelled on 82 minutes when Rhys Lewis headed over following a well delivered free kick but their chances seemed to diminish when they were reduced to 10 men with six minutes of normal time remaining. Kimberley and Paul Grimes came together and when Grimes retaliated by raising his arms, the referee brought out the red card immediately.

If anything, the dismissal seemed to spur on the visitors and Richmond made an excellent save from a free kick by Lee Potts, tipping the goalbound shot over the bar. However, from the resultant corner Carlton failed to clear the ball and Phil Watt fired home to the joy of the Grantham contingent.

With the game in the 90th minute it was Grantham in the ascendancy and Richmond made another superb save following a corner.

The referee signalled 10 minutes of added time and McJannet made his last throw of the dice, bringing on Anthony Griffith Junior for Wiggins-Thomas.

In the fourth of the added minutes Gingerbreads substitute Gary King hit an arcing half-volley from fully 30 yards that was destined for the top corner until Richmond pulled off a quite magnificent save to push the ball over the bar.

It was then Carlton’s turn to advance and after a great run Thornton saw his effort go just wide.

With a couple of stoppages for yellow cards it was clear that the referee was going to add further time onto the end of the game. And with proceedings in the 10th minute of the added time, Carlton scored their dramatic winner. Griffith Junior jinked his way forward on the left. He then spotted the overlapping McVicar and played a lovely ball into his path on the left wing.

McVicar beat the full back and, at pace, drove a low cross into the heart of the Grantham penalty area and in rushed Josh Thornton to beat the two covering defenders to the ball and fire it into the roof of the net. Cue scenes of celebration on and off the pitch and despite a further two minutes play it was too late for the visitors to respond a second time.

Carlton Town: Richmond, Asher, Fletcher (Hawkridge 72), Millns, Darkin, Naylor, Kimberley, Foster, Thornton, Wiggins-Thomas (Griffith Junior 90), Brown (McVicar 55). Unused substitutes: Kitchen, Vann.

Goals: McVicar 61, Thornton 90.

Carlton Town Supporters Club MOTM – Andrew Richmond