CAFC vs Cheshunt FC – Report
Luke Read’s first half goal secured the Robins a hard-fought 1-0 victory against a difficult Cheshunt side in the Isthmian Premier Division on Saturday.
Peter Adeniyi made three changes to his side following the thrilling 4-4 draw with Bognor Regis Town last week. Dion Henry, having recovered from injury, replaced Mackenzie Foley in goal. Azez Sankoh made way for captain Paris Hamilton-Downes at full-back, while new signing Josh Babajide was handed a starting spot on the wing ahead of Nabeel Ghannam.
David Smith found the back of the net inside the first two minutes after bundling home an outside-the-boot Fabio Saraiva cross from close range. However, the goal was ruled out for offside. Despite Carshalton’s fast start, momentum quickly shifted in favour of the hosts, and the Ambers nearly took the lead in the fifth minute. Dion Henry appeared to pull up while playing out from the back, and his stray pass fell directly to Kenny Coker. The striker controlled the ball but somehow fired high over the empty net, sparing the goalkeeper’s blushes. Moments later, Bryan Ifeanyi surged down the left wing and forced a save from R’avan Constable, his strike attempting to find the bottom left corner, but instead stinging the No. 1 palms.
Ten minutes in, a Saraiva outswinging corner found Luke Read at the back post, and his powerful header was directed towards the far corner, with Smith nearly turning it in on the way through. But in the 14th minute, the Reds were rewarded when Saraiva’s corner was cleverly backheeled across the face of goal at the far post and Read was in the right place to apply the simplest of finishes,
side-footing the ball past Constable.
Despite Cheshunt conceding, it was the Ambers who started to gain the upper hand as the 20-minute mark approached. Henry spilled a dipping lofted ball into the penalty area, gifting a prime chance to the hosts’ attackers. However, some heroic defending from Fikayo Atewologun and Hamilton-Downes denied a series of attempts on goal. Soon after, Donell Thomas lashed a half-volley from a tight angle at the right side of the six-yard box, but it sailed harmlessly over the bar. Other than a tame header that drifted wide, the remainder of the first half passed without further opportunities. Cheshunt enjoyed more possession and applied some pressure, but they failed to create any real chances to test Henry in goal.
In the opening stages of the second half, Smith did well to maintain possession in the penalty area and laid the ball off for Saraiva, though the midfielder miscued the effort and sent the shot wide. Despite the strong start, the rest of the half saw Cheshunt dominate. The Ambers’ first real chance came from a header off an inswinging corner that sailed over the bar. Midway through the half, Ifeanyi showed brilliant skill to beat his full-back for pace as he proceeded to arrow the ball into the path of Smith.
The striker, however, scuffed his attempted volley wide, wasting a golden opportunity to double the Robins’ lead. Shortly after, the hosts continued to pose an aerial threat from corners, but the header was poorly connected, and the follow-up forced Henry into a diving save to his right that saw him gather the ball with ease.
As the game entered its final third, Coker had a golden opportunity when he was one-on-one with Henry but fired a low-driven shot narrowly wide of the goalkeeper’s bottom left corner. Heading into this game with five goals in his last five matches and having been named the club’s player of the month, Coker had already missed two excellent chances to equalize. Carshalton then endured a flurry of shots and crosses into their penalty area, which tested their defensive resolve. A brief stoppage occurred when the referee intervened to settle an altercation between Henry and a Cheshunt player, but the match quickly resumed. Moments later, Smith’s sliding effort from a few yards out trickled into the side netting.
In the dying moments of regular time, Cheshunt had a flicked header at the front post from a corner that left Henry rooted to the spot. The ball grazed the crossbar, and the Robins breathed a sigh of relief. The most controversial moment of the match came just before the six minutes of added time when a Cheshunt defender volleyed the ball back toward Constable. Despite strong appeals for a backpass, the referee waved play on, much to the frustration of the Robins.
Adeniyi’s side held firm to secure a crucial victory and return to winning ways. The Reds now sit seventh in the Isthmian Premier Division with 55 points, level with Hashtag United and Chichester City, and five points behind Dover Athletic, who currently occupy the final play-off spot. With just eight games remaining in the 2024-25 season, there is optimism that Carshalton can build on this momentum as they head into next weekend’s league fixture against Cray Wanderers.
Up Next
Date: Saturday, March 15, 2025
Venue: Colston Avenue
Kick-off: 03:00 PM
Admission: Admission: £11, £8, £5 (online prices) on the gate is a pound dearer.
Tickets: https://form.123formbuilder.com/566
