CAFC vs Hendon – Preview
Carshalton Athletic travel to the Silver Jubilee Park to take on Hendon in the Isthmian Premier Division on Saturday afternoon.
Carshalton Athletic
Charlie Lambert’s last-gasp 95th-minute leveller secured a point for Whitehawk at Colston Avenue on Monday evening and extended the Robins winless run to five games. Currently, the Reds sit 12th in the Isthmian Premier Division on 33 points, level with Lewes.
Hendon FC
The Greens currently sit just outside the drop zone in 18th on 26 points after 23 games. The Barnet-based side have seven wins, five draws, and 11 losses. While only one win separates Hendon with 19th position Whitehawk, they boast a game in hand over Cheshunt in 17th on 21 points.
It was a relatively positive start to the 2024-25 campaign for the Greens, winning three out of their first five league matches against Bowers and Pitsea, Cray Wanderers, and Cheshunt respectively. The outfit concluded August with a 3-0 win over Whitehawk which saw them progress through in the FA Cup First Qualifying Round and seal an impressive record of one defeat in six. Initially, Hendon carried forward the momentum garnered into September, beating Bowers and Pitsea 1-0; however, two cup defeats to lower-tier opposition ensued that saw them get knocked out of the FA Cup Second Qualifying Round (vs Herne Bay 3-0) and the London Cup Second Round (vs Woodford Town 5-3 on penalties).
That said, edging Canvey Island 1-0 would see the Greens go on a four-match unbeaten run with hard-fought draws against strong opposition in ourselves and Dartford – it also included a 5-1 thumping of Bedfont in the FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round. At the end of October, the Dons lost 11-1 on aggregate following back-to-back hammerings inflicted by Wingate and Finchley and Hanwell Town, the latter in the FA Trophy First Round Proper. The week after, it was the Barnet-based side’s turn to deal a thrashing, the unfortunate victims were Newmarket Town in the Velocity Cup Third Qualifying Round.
A slender 1-0 Bowers and Pitsea loss temporarily disrupted momentum, before the club went five undefeated which saw a landmark 9-0 victory over Hastings United along the way on November 23. While the club failed to get over the line versus Billericay Town the following week, the Velocity Cup offered a welcomed break from league action once more, securing a 2-1 round-four win against Tilbury FC. Since then, Hendon have been on a six-match losing streak where they have netted just twice and conceded 13 times. However, the run has included some difficult games, league leaders Dover, in-form Chichester Town who are unbeaten in six, and play-off-pushing Cray Wanderers.
As part of the 2024/25 Step 3 allocations, the Greens were the only team to be moved laterally from the Southern League Premier South to the Isthmian League Premier Division, rather than being promoted or relegated. Interestingly enough, the Dons are back in the Isthmian League after six years.
Last season saw the Middlesex-based side finish a comfortable 10th place and consolidate themselves in the division. However, in 2022-23 they avoided relegation, albeit by the barest of margins, after mustering just 38 points, which was one above relegated Harrow Borough. The Greens had flirted with the drop zone the year before that too, having occupied 16th. During the COVID disrupted campaigns, there were improved finishes of ninth and 14th respectively, although 2018-19, the fairer reflection, was a similar story of languishing bottom half (16th). The last six years have been far a cry from the success of the 2017-18 team that almost got promoted to the National League South but fell at the last hurdle after a dramatic 4-3 loss to Dulwich Hamlet in the Play-Off Final.
Likely line-ups
Carshalton Athletic
Foley, Sankoh, Atewologun, Read, Paul-Lavaly, Saraiva, Saunders-Henry, Bradford, Ghannam, Smith, Shonibare
Hendon
Campbell, Duru, O’Donoghue, Mfinda, Light, Abbott, Smith, Neill, Cook, Muir, Dede
Team news
Carshalton Athletic
Peter Adeniyi has welcomed a number of new additions over the past week, Forward Soul Kader and right-back Nathan Paul-Lavaly join the Robins from Bromley. Wingers Nabeel Ghannam and Joshua Shonibare, meanwhile, arrived from Lewes and Maidstone United respectively.
Captain Paris Hamilton-Downes and midfielder Michael Dada remain long term absentees.
Hendon
The Greens announced the loan signing of young QPR midfielder Fraser Neill on Friday. Neill came through the youth ranks at Rangers after joining them from Brentford. Kurtis Cumberbatch, meanwhile, has departed the club following a year and a half at Silver Jubilee Park. Robins faithful will also recognise a familiar face among Hendon’s ranks, Luke Cook now leads the line for Saturday’s hosts, sporting the No. 9 shirt.
New signing from Hythe Town Lesley Duru is a left-back by trade; however, in the 3-0 defeat to Dover Athletic, he was forced to play on the opposite side. Makai Welch is also expected to be back from suspension after he lashed out in the 4-0 loss to Potters Bar Town on Boxing Day.
Pre-Match Analysis
Unfortunately for the Reds, despite Hendon’s poor run of form of late, the club’s home record is very good in fact all of their seven wins in the 2024-25 season have come at the Silver Jubilee Park. In comparison, away, the Greens have drawn four and lost seven times. Scoring goals has been a real problem for the Dons, the Barnet-based side have not netted since Hastings United on Tuesday, December 10th.
Following the 3-0 defeat to Dover, Manager Marc Charles-Smith said: “Dover are top for a reason, they are a quality side and you saw it today. I felt we showed them too much respect in the first half and they punished us with the two goals. In the second half, we saw the improvement, we got at them, stood up to them, and battled, but one mistake in the corner and they scored their third. Dover are top because they are consistent at what they do, and that’s what we want to try and do.
“The positives are we looked more of a threat as we advance than we have in the last few games. We are trying everything to get a goal, it is coming. I think Luke Cook did well, Lewis Smith did well, it was hard for Lesley, left back playing right back, he said he would do a job for us. The positives are the second half performance.”
Key Player
After the departure of striker Kai Brosnan to Hemel Hempstead at the beginning of the festive period, Niko Muir is now the Greens key player. Muir has 14 goals for the club, scoring a brace in the 3-2 defeat to Hastings United. It is the forward’s fourth spell at Silver Jubilee Park following a 40-goal season in 2017-18 which earned him a move to Hartlepool Town before going on to play for Woking, Hampton & Richmond Borough, Billericay Town and Hungerford Town. Other previous clubs include Leiston, Northwood, Grays Athletic, Wingate & Finchley and VCD Athletic. Muir became only the 10th player in the club’s history to score 100 goals in December 2024, achieving the feat in 182 appearances.
The Gaffer
Marc Charles-Smith joined the club from Harrow Borough’s backroom staff in the summer of 2023 as Assistant Manager to Lee Allinson. Allinson stepped down as first team manager on Thursday, December 5th after more than five years in charge at Silver Jubilee Park to explore opportunities at a higher level. He left the Greens 7th in the Isthmian League Premier Division.
The club confirmed Charles-Smith on an interim basis: “We’re delighted that Marc Charles-Smith has agreed to take temporary charge for the time being, with Dave Diedhiou and Caolan South continuing to assist.”
Match Details
Date: Saturday, January 18, 2025
Venue: Silver Jubilee Park
Kickoff: 03:00 PM
Admission: Admission: £12 (adults), £8 (concessions), £1 (Students and Under 18’s)
Tickets: Buy Online Tickets Here
