Aaron O’Connor had put Carlton into an early lead but Aman Verma soon levelled for the home side and from then on Ilkeston controlled large passages of the match and more than merited their win. The Millers played some decent football at times but it was all a little toothless and much more will be needed if the team are to close the gap on the top five.

Carlton made six changes to the team which had won at Ollerton in the Notts Senior Cup last time out. Back into the side came Mark Rathbone, Daniel Fletcher, Martin Ball, Tom Maddison, Aaron Opoku and Aaron O’Connor. They replaced Jake Frestle, Tyler Johal, Toby Moore, Danny Elliott, Jared Holmes and Kieran Knight.

On a bright day and backed by an excellent travelling support in a fantastic crowd of 1012, the largest crowd ever to watch a Carlton Town game, Carlton in fact began on top. They zipped the ball well on Ilkeston’s new artificial pitch and took the lead on just six minutes.

Niall Davie and Nat Watson combined on the left to slip the ball to O’Connor. He darted into the area and hit a fierce shot that beat Ross Durrant at his near post and crossed the line before being cleared. The Millers supporters who had joined the large numbers of Robins fans behind that goal certainly enjoyed their celebration.

Their joy was short lived as the home side were level within five minutes when Verma headed home unmarked from a corner.

Lawrence Gorman almost put Carlton back into the lead with an effort from fully 50 yards that was tipped away by Durrant but the home side were starting to take control and popular ex-Miller Alex Troke fired high over the bar from a great position soon afterwards.

That merely delayed the inevitable and on 24 minutes Zak Goodson put Ilkeston ahead, rifling past Rathbone after some neat build-up play with Remaye Campbell.

The Millers tried to respond and a dangerous cross from Opoku flew just behind O’Connor. But Carlton’s task was made almost impossible on 32 minutes when Dan Brown inadvertently headed a Oliver Brown-Hill cross into his own net.

Indeed it could have been worse before half time as Goodson hit an effort over the bar and Charlie Wakefield drew a decent save from Rathbone.

Carlton started the second half on the front foot and Watson found Davie who played a lovely ball to the overlapping Gorman. The full back his a cross-shot which beat Durrant but struck the base of the post before being cleared.

Any hopes of a Carlton comeback were ended on 54 minutes when Troke fired a free kick past Rathbone into the net.

From then on it was very much damage-limitation from the visitors, although O’Connor should have been awarded a penalty on 65 minutes when he was bundled over by Charlie Jemson but a Carlton goal then would probably have been met with one or two more from the Robins. As it was, some fine rearguard work, particularly from Daniel Fletcher, kept the home side at bay.

As the game drifted towards its conclusion quite a number of the travelling supporters made the decision to return early to the pub leaving the team to applaud the handful of away fans left at the ground when the referee ended the match.

There was no lack of effort, but there was a lack of bite in the performance. Carlton didn’t really cause Ilkeston problems once the Robins had taken the lead. That of course could simply be because Ilkeston are a good team – they are not league leaders by accident – but Carlton will know they can do better than this. They will have to if they are to keep the season alive.

Carlton Town: M Rathbone, L Gorman, D Fletcher, M Ball, D Brown (T Moore 46), T Maddison, N Watson, K Sargent (A Howes 58), A Opoku, A O’Connor (N Towle 66), N Davie. Unused substitutes: J Holmes, T Johal

Goals: A O’Connor 6; Aman Verma 11, Zak Goodson 24, Dan Brown (og) 32, Alex Troke 54

Carlton Town Supporters Club MOTM – Niall Davie

Att: 1012