CAFC vs Horsham FC – Preview
Carshalton Athletic welcome Horsham FC to Colston Avenue on Saturday for an Isthmian Premier Division clash!
Robins Review
The Robins endured a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Chatham Town in the Isthmian Premier on Saturday. The result saw Carshalton slip to ninth place, with the Chats moving ahead on goal difference. With the play-offs now looking increasingly out of reach, Dover Athletic’s 2-1 victory over Cheshunt has widened the gap to eight points. There will be hopes that Peter Adeniyi’s side can return to winning ways next weekend against in-form Horsham FC.
Horsham
Horsham ran out slender 1-0 winners over Canvey Island in the Isthmian Premier Division on Saturday following a Reece Myles-Meekums goal on the stroke of halftime. With four games remaining in the league and having already played the maximum up to this stage, 38, the club can be pleased with their third-place position as the season reaches its climax. Boasting 75 points, a play-off spot is virtually secured, but their focus will now shift to closing the gap on Dartford, who sit four points ahead at the top of the table. The Sussex-based side 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. Folkestone Invicta briefly disrupted momentum 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 was extremely positive, claiming three points against Cheshunt, Canvey Island, Bognor, and Potters Bar, the latter finished 6-0 to the Hornets.
The club carried their scintillating form into the new year as they edged Dover Athletic 2-1. Following a 3-0 drumming of the Robins, the Hornets extended their unbeaten streak to eight games with victories over Billericay Town, Hendon, and Lewes. However, a 3-0 defeat to Folkestone at the backend of January ended the winning streak. February saw a return to business as usual for the Hornets, claiming the maximum 15 points across the five matches that month: Dulwich Hamlet (3-0), Hastings United (1-0), Whitehawk (2-1), Chatham Town (1-1), and Cray Valley PM (2-1).
Horsham’s form curtailed somewhat at the start of March, with the club suffering back-to-back defeats in the Isthmian Premier for the first time since the 9th of November. Dartford and Wingate & Finchley both dispatched them 2-1. That said, the club did not dwell on it for long as a trio of 1-0 victories ensued albeit against weaker opposition, rock-bottom Bowers and Pitsea and struggling Hendon in the league as well as Brighton and Hove Albion U21’s in the Sussex Cup. More recently, the Hornets beat Cheshunt 2-1. Lee Harding chose the perfect moment to score his second goal of the season with a brilliant piece of improvisation in the third minute of stoppage time as the Hornets secured all three points at Cheshunt. It was the first goal they had conceded in three league games.
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
Watkins, Sankoh, Read, Horsley-McKay, Shonibare, Saraiva, Bradford, Ghannam, Ifeanyi, Smith, Kalala
Horsham
Carey, Sparks, Philpot, Strange, Hammond, Ajakaiye, Barker, Agyemang, Rodrigues, Meekums, Harding
Team news
Carshalton Athletic
Michael Dada will be unavailable for Saturday’s match after his red card against Chatham Town over the weekend. Kwaku Frimpong and Fikeyo Atewologun remain sidelined due to injury. Although Atewologun trained last week, he is not yet considered fit enough to play. However, there is hope that Mason Saunders-Henry will be available after missing the game against the Chats.
Horsham FC
Having missed the 2-1 victory over Cheshunt owing to illness, midfielder Danny Barker returned to the Hornets starting XI replacing Ola Ogunwamide. Chris Dickson was the only other change against the Ambers, with Montel Agyemang coming in. It remains to be seen which of the pair starts at Colston Avenue on Saturday.
Pre-Match Analysis
Horsham are currently tied with Billericay Town for the best defensive record in the Isthmian Premier. The Hornets have conceded just 38 goals in the 2024-25 season, securing an impressive 16 clean sheets. Despite a shaky start to the campaign, where they leaked 14 goals in their first seven league matches, the team found their defensive stability after the flurry of cup ties. Since the turn of the year, Horsham has been particularly solid at the back, keeping eight clean sheets—an impressive feat.
In attack, the Hornets have scored a respectable 68 goals, just two fewer than Dartford in fifth. Additionally, Horsham are ranked fourth in the form guide over the last six games, with four wins and two losses—back-to-back 2-1 defeats to Dartford and Wingate. However, this statistic is slightly misleading. If you look at their last ten games, they rank third, with the two consecutive defeats being a brief disruption to what has otherwise been a strong run of form. Heading into Saturday, the club are on a four-match winning streak and are therefore high in confidence.
Key Player
Forward Chris Dickson has had quite the career, with football league appearances for Charlton Athletic, Gillingham, Bristol Rovers and Dagenham & Redbridge. Dickson also lifted the Cypriot First Division title while at AEL Limassol, scoring against Marseille in the Europa League. He enjoyed a brief spell in the Chinese Super League, before assisting two goals to help Hornchurch win the FA Trophy in 2021. Interestingly enough, it was Dickson’s penalty for Chatham that knocked the Hornets out in last season’s play-off semi-final. And, as if that was not impressive enough, Dickson has even represented his country, Ghana, in two internationals. At the not-so-tender age of 40, Dickson still has a hunger for goals, netting 16 times so far this season for Horsham, topping their charts.
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, April 12, 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
