CAFC vs Canvey Island – Preview
Carshalton Athletic welcome Canvey Island to Colston Avenue on Saturday for an Isthmian Premier Division clash.
Robins Review
Carshalton secured a statement 3-1 victory over league leaders Dover Athletic following a first goal in red for Joshua Shonibare and a Mackenzie Foley penalty save. The result extends the Reds winning streak to five games in all competitions. That said, Peter Adeniyi’s side remain eighth after Hashtag United and Chichester City both picked up three points.
Canvey Island
Canvey Island inflicted a shock 1-0 defeat on Chatham Town at the weekend in the Isthmian Premier.
The result ended a seven-match winless run in the league and moved them out of the drop zone and into 17th on 31 points. That said, Dulwich Hamlet are breathing down their necks, just two points behind Canvey. Despite the win, the Islanders have been towards the bottom of the form guide for the last six league games; the club had not won since the 1-0 loss to Hendon at the start of the festive period (December 14) before beating Chatham Town.
The 2024-25 campaign began in difficult fashion for Canvey, who would lose their opening four league matches to Chichester City, Hashtag United, Dartford, and Wingate & Finchley, respectively. The club’s maiden three points came against Bowers and Pitsea over the August Bank Holiday, where they ran out 2-1 winners. The Gulls carried forward the momentum to progress through in the FA Cup after knocking out Milton Keynes Irish. That said, the following week the club fell to their second defeat in six Isthmian Premier matches, suffering a slender 3-2 defeat to Dulwich Hamlet.
Despite exiting the FA Cup to Biggleswade 1-0 not too long after, Canvey experienced an upturn in league form. A three-match unbeaten run ensued, winning 3-1 over Chatham, playing out an eight-goal thriller with Cray Valley that finished 4-4, and edging Bognor Regis Town 2-1. Folkestone Invicta briefly disrupted the momentum before the Islanders secured consecutive 1-0 victories against ourselves and Cheshunt. During that period, the club also sealed their place in the hat for the FA Trophy Fourth Qualifying Round following a 2-1 win vs. Maldon & Tiptree.
The galvanised outfit were high in confidence, and that continued into November with a series of strong results against teams in and around the club, such as Whitehawk, Hashtag, Cray Wanderers, and Hendon. The only teams to dispatch them with relative ease were the most in-form teams at that stage, which were Dover and Lewes, although the latter were beginning to tail off. The Essex-based side saw their season take a turn for the worst when the club lost to Horsham, albeit by the barest of margins. As alluded to above, it began a seven-match winless streak.
Likely line-ups
Carshalton Athletic
Foley, Sankoh, Atewologun, Read, Paul-Lavaly, Saraiva, Frimpong, Saunders-Henry, Ifeanyi, Smith, Shonibare
Canvey Island
Mason, Tinubu, Stephen, Salmon, Wallace, Ronto, Adebiyi, Hubble, Sach, Foxley, Harris
Team news
Carshalton Athletic
Nabeel Ghannam was initially included in first-team proceedings on Saturday; however, the midfielder was forced to withdraw after a hamstring issue. Nathan Paul-Lavaly, meanwhile, was replaced early on in the match against Dover by Darnell Goather-Braithwaite, but fortunately, it was just an impact injury. The pair are expected to be fit for the league clash with Canvey Island at the weekend.
Canvey Island
Tobi Tinubu’s one-match suspension, which kept him out of the league clash with Cray Valley, has been served, and he returned to Saturday’s squad for Chatham Town. Matt Yates, meanwhile, was recalled by Chelmsford City last week, with Chris Harris, Jaden Crowhurst, Ollie Parsons, and Elliott Johnson all unavailable; it is unknown when they will take back to the pitch. Darren Foxley returned to first-team proceedings in the Cray Valley fixture, and Harry Hope was named on the bench for his first league appearance of the season. Also on the bench was new signing, former Cheshunt and Carshalton Athletic midfielder Florian Kastrati.
Pre-Match Analysis
Canvey Island languish near the bottom of the form guide in the Isthmian Premier following one win and five defeats, where the club have conceded 14 times and only managed to net just four. The Gulls defensive frailties were exposed for all to see again when Cray Valley took the lead midway through the first half last week. A ball whipped in from the left managed to find its way to Aileru at the back post after a Gilbert slip gifted him the space to hit a strike past Mason from close range into the roof of the net.
Key Player
Darren Foxley joined the Gulls in December 2024 after departing Jay Deveneux’s Hashtag United. An experienced midfielder who has lifted the Isthmian Premier title and played in the National League South, Foxley’s pace in behind will cause the Robins a few problems, and he will be looking to create chances for the likes of Bradley Sach, Conor Hubble, and, if fit, top scorer with seven goals, Chris Harris.
The Gaffer
Brad Wellman joined Canvey Island in the summer of 2013 following a 16-year stint in America with Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire. In November 2013, Wellman was rewarded for the fruits of his labour when he was appointed Gulls assistant manager. After four years in the role, the boyhood Islander was bestowed stewardship of the club and defied expectations by securing immediate promotion from step 4 and flirting with the National League South in the following campaign.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, February 8, 2025
Venue: Colston Avenue
Kick-off: 03:00 pm
Admission: £11, £8, £5 (online prices) on the gate is a pound dearer.
Tickets: Buy online tickets here
For our full matchday guide please click here
