CAFC vs Horsham FC – Preview
Carshalton Athletic take on Horsham FC in the Isthmian Premier on Saturday at The Fusion Aviation Community Stadium.
Carshalton Athletic FC
Peter Adeniyi’s side suffered their third loss on the bounce on New Year’s Day when Cray Valley PM edged the Robins 2-1. Currently, Carshalton sit ninth on 32 points; however, tenth position Lewes have a game in hand after their match versus Whitehawk was postponed. Meanwhile, there is a growing gap between us, Chichester, and Folkestone, respectively. There will be hopes that the lads can get back to winning ways on Saturday against Horsham.
Horsham FC
Horsham FC secured a stellar 2-1 victory on New Year’s Day over runaway league leaders and favourites to go up Dover Athletic.
The Hornets currently reside just inside the play-off places in fifth in the Isthmian Premier Division on 38 points. At the time of writing, they have 12 wins, two draws, and eight losses so far in the 2024-25 campaign.
Horsham lost their curtain raiser 2-1 to Hastings United; that said, the Hornets would then win three matches on the bounce 9-4 on aggregate against Chichester City, Potters Bar Town, and Hashtag United respectively. The club’s run was ended by league favourites Dover Athletic, inflicting a 3-1 defeat on August Bank Holiday. Between progressing through the FA Cup First and Second Qualifying Rounds with wins over Virginia Water and National League South’s (NLS) Dorking Wanderers, there was also a goalless Cray Wanderers draw.
Following a 5-2 defeat to Dulwich Hamlet in the league, the Hornets started October by beating Margate 2-0 in the FA Cup Third Qualifying Round. Horsham continued to have more success in the cups registering victories in the FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round (vs Leiston 4-3 on penalties), the Sussex Cup Second Round (vs Chichester 2-0), and the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round (vs Gorleston 1-0) – all in the space of a week!
High in confidence, the West Sussex-based side thumped Whitehawk 5-0 and Lewes 2-0 to earn consecutive league wins. Capitalising on the momentum garnered, the Hornets overcame Canvey Island in the FA Trophy First Round Proper. However, Chesterfield would prove a step too far as the Football League side knocked them out of the FA Cup First Round Proper 3-1. A three-match winless streak in the league ensued, grinding out a stalemate with Chichester and narrowly falling to defeat to Cray Valley PM and Chatham Town respectively at the start of November.
However, the cups carried on being a welcomed break for the Hornets as they secured a shock 2-1 FA Trophy Second Round Proper victory over NLS Maidstone United, before sending fellow NLS outfit Eastbourne out in the Sussex Cup Third Round. A 1-0 win against Wingate & Finchley in the Isthmian Premier extended the unbeaten run. Momentum was briefly disrupted by Folkestone Invicta before a strong attacking performance from the Hornets thumped Bowers & Pitsea 5-0.
It was a difficult beginning to December for Horsham with a 2-1 loss to Billericay Town and National League Torquay United ending their FA Trophy journey in the Third Round. That said, apart from the 1-0 defeat to Dartford, the rest of December has been really positive, claiming three points against Cheshunt, Canvey Island, Bognor, and Potters Bar, the latter finished 6-0 to the Hornets.
The club were promoted to the Isthmian Premier Division in the 2018-19 season just three seasons after languishing in the County Leagues. Last year saw Horsham record a best-ever league finish of fifth and qualify for the play-offs, but ultimately suffer defeat on penalties to Chatham Town in the semi-finals.
Likely line-ups
Carshalton Athletic FC
Foley, Sankoh, Udoka, Atewologun, Read, Saraiva, Saunders-Henry, Bradford, Ifeanyi, Smith, Frimpong
Horsham FC
Carey, Elliot, Sparks, Barker, Strange, Hester-Cook, Ogunwamide, Taylor, Daly, Dickson, Harding
Team news
Carshalton Athletic
Striker Luke Cook has left the Robins and joined Hendon, while Dom Vose has been released by the club. Michael Dada and Paris Hamilton-Downes remain sidelined with injury.
Horsham FC
There were four changes for the Hornets’ 6-0 victory over Potters Bar Town. Jack Strange, Ola Ogunwamide, Joel Daly, and Lee Harding replaced Isaac Philpot, Jack Brivio, Reece Meekums, and Chris Dickson.
Pre-Match Analysis
At the Fusion Aviation Community Stadium, Horsham boast a very good record with seven wins and only three loses. Despite just a respectable Goals For of 40, the West Sussex-based outfit have conceded the third least number of goals in the league with only 26, just Billericay (23) and Dover Athletic (19) better them.
Key Player
Experienced striker Chris Dickson tops Horsham’s goalscoring charts so far in the 2024-25 season having netted 16 times. The former Chatham Town forward Dickson became the Hornet’s sixth summer signing after impressing in four pre-season friendlies as a trialist. The 39-year-old career includes football league appearances for Charlton Athletic, Gillingham, Bristol Rovers, and Dagenham & Redbridge. He also lifted the Cypriot First Division with AEL Limassol, where he scored against Marseille in the Europa League. The attacker assisted twice to help Hornchurch win the FA Trophy at Wembley in 2021 and recently converted in the penalty shoot-out for Chatham Town in last season’s play-off semi-final defeat. Dickson has even represented Ghana in two internationals.
Horsham Manager Dominic Paola paid tribute to Dickson.
Di Paola said: “We’ve had good loyalty from a number of players over a long period of time, and that’s allowed us to do good things, and Dan’s one of them.
“When he’s on song, he averages a goal every other game. He finishes chances, so we need to get him back on the pitch as soon as.
“I think he’s played something like 110 games and scored 49 goals, which isn’t a bad record for a player that’s sometimes played out wide for us.
“Dicko [Dickson] has played his part, and some of the others have got to do their bit really.
“When we signed him, we probably didn’t expect him to play as many minutes as he is playing.
“In general, in lots of games, he’s played well and scored goals. I think he could be close to 20 [goals] now to be honest with the chances he’s had.
“But I’m pretty pleased with what he’s brought to the table, and he’s very good around the group. I have no complaints with Dicko! He’s done a lot of good stuff for us.”
The Gaffer
Dominic Da Paola applied his trade as a player at both Worthing and Worthing United before Da Paola took stewardship at Clymping and guided the club from the West Sussex League to County League Division Two in just three seasons. He returned to Worthing United and led them to promotion. Da Paola’s most successful stint as a manager came at East Preston where he won two County League titles and reached the final of five Sussex Cup competitions as well as reaching the last sixteen of the FA Vase.
A brief period managing Step 4 Hastings United ensued before rebuilding a Horsham side recently relegated to the County League for the first time since 1956. Winning the 2015/16 Southern Combination League by eleven points, he secured the club’s first league title in twenty years. In 2018/19 he took the club back to the Isthmian Premier Division via the play-offs after finishing second in the table and recorded a best-ever league finish of fifth in 2023/24, qualifying for the play-offs but suffering defeat to Chatham Town on penalties in the semi-finals.
Under Dom, the Hornets have triumphed in the Isthmian League Cup (Velocity Trophy) and ended a 48-year wait to lift the Sussex Senior Cup, completing a clean sweep of the Sussex trophies for the manager. Twenty-twenty-four saw him lead Horsham to their best-ever run in the FA Trophy, an FA Cup first-round appearance in 2021, and a record-equalling second-round qualification.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, January 4, 2024
Venue: Fusion Aviation Community Stadium
Kick-off: 03:00 pm
Admission: £13 (Adult), £8 (Concessions), £3 (U16), Free (U6) – online prices – on the gate is a pound dearer except for U6s.
Tickets: Buy online tickets here
