CAFC vs Lewes – Preview
Carshalton Athletic return to league action next weekend when they welcome league toppers Lewes FC to Colston Avenue with hopes of putting their bank holiday woes behind them.
Robins Review
After such a positive start to the 2024-25 season for the Robins that saw Peter Adeniyi’s side go three games unbeaten with a hard-fought draw against Folkestone and comfortable wins over Wingate and Finchley and Chichester City, the bank holiday weekend was one to forget, falling to consecutive defeats to Dartford and Cray Valley.
Frustratingly for the lads and our fiercely loyal supporters, the latest scorelines do not do justice to performances where the team have largely dominated and given it everything, but somehow come away with zero points.
What’s more, both matches panned out in much the same fashion. The Darts took the lead and instead of trying to extend their advantage, they sat deep and relied on some magnificent last ditch defending as well as the heroics of Matt Kerbey between the sticks.
Monday’s fixture was not as one sided, however Carshalton created lots of good opportunities to score, particularly during the final third following the trio of subs. They could, and possibly should have drawn if not won.
That being said, a break for cup action proved exactly what the Robins needed as they breezed past Southern Combination Premier toppers Hayward’s Heath Town 3-1 at Colston on Saturday to get back to winning ways.
Adeniyi’s side will have hopes of carrying the momentum of the victory into a tough league encounter versus Lewes.
Lewes FC
The 2024-25 season has got off to a fantastic start for Lewes FC with the Rooks currently topping the Isthmian Premier Division heading into the break for the FA Cup.
Boasting a 100% record so far, they have collected maximum points from the first five fixtures of the campaign, proving a force to be reckoned with.
The East Sussex based outfit kicked off 24/25 beating Chatham 2-0 thanks to debut goals from Matt Warren and former Robins striker and 2021-22 top scorer Danny Bassett. Between the sticks, new signing Toby Bull also impressed with a superb penalty stop.
The Rooks would then edge Bognor Regis 1-0 in the Sussex derby following a late Eddie Allsopp strike.
When Hashtag United took the lead inside eight minutes in gameweek three, it seemed Lewes’ unbeaten streak was under threat. That was until, they demonstrated the mental resolve to comeback and seal all three points, largely down to Allsopp netting late on again, to run out 2-1 winners.
The Rooks enjoyed themselves over the bank holiday weekend, putting three past Cray Wanderers, including a goal of the season contender from Marcus Sablier, who spotted the goalkeeper off his line and attempted to take advantage, succeeding. He lifted the ball over the keeper just inside the Wands half and watched it nestle in the net.
Josh Williams coming on as a sub and scoring the winner in the 2-1 derby victory over Whitehawk on Monday, capped off a perfect bank holiday weekend.
Off the back of three seasons where the Rooks were for the most part regular play off challenges and stewarded by the same management team that transformed the club and its ambitions, manager Tony Russell and assistant Joseph Vines, their departure to Ramsgate meant it was a summer of transition for Lewes.
Before the duo arrived at the Dripping Pot Stadium, consecutive campaigns of narrowly avoiding relegation had ensued with a 18th and 16th place finish in 20/21 and 19/20 respectively.
However, the pair led the Rooks to a seventh-place finish in their first season in the Isthmian Premier Division and sixth in 2022/23. Last year was equally memorable, progressing the furthest the club had been in the FA Cup in over a decade, the fourth qualifying round, and securing eighth position.
Lewes fizzled out towards the backend of last year, mustering only three wins in nine between early February and mid-April. That being said, the Rooks turned it around in the final few weeks, registering victories over Horsham, Hashtag, and Haringey.
Rather bizarrely, Lewes did not conclude their campaign in the south of England, but rather abroad in Italy. They were invited to take part in the Fenix Trophy and reached the semi-final before being knocked out by Football Club United of Manchester.
After the fervour dream of their European tour, things settled down, but not for long. Russell departed for Ramsgate and former Glebe manager Craig Nelson took the helm. Fifteen new players put pen to paper, while several existing personnel left. A dawn of a new era for Lewes had begun.
Likely lineups
Carshalton
Foley, Sankho, Hamstead, Atewologun, Read, Saraiva, Vose, Bradford, Goather-Braithwaite, Stagg, Gody
Lewes
Bull, Puemo, Enkh, Warren, Kaiser, Sablier, Bassett ©, Allen, Allsopp, Hutchinson, Muirhead
Team News
Team news
Carshalton
Kwaku Frimpong remains a long-term absentee for the Robins.
Mason Saunders-Henry did not feature Monday or Saturday likely owing to injury, it is expected that he will recover in time for Lewes.
Bryan Ifeanyi was unavailable Saturday, however like Saunders-Henry, he should be back versus Lewes.
Soloman Baugh and Sanchez Ming were a part of the first team squad for the first time this season when they were named among the substitutes at the weekend against Heath.
Menelik Nwadialor-O’Conner is registered for season 2024/2025, but his current status is unknown.
Lewes
Nelson is expected to have a fully fit squad at his disposal for the fixture.
Parish Muirhead seems to have forged a permanent starting spot for the Rocks since impressing against Hashtag United.
And the only other change is Alfie Allen now wears the No.8 as opposed to the No.15.
Pre-Match Analysis
Following the inception of Nelson, Director John Peel referred to how ‘Pitts’, as he is affectionately known, style of play had significant bearing on his appointment.
“He’s a manager who fits perfectly with our ethos of playing high intensity, possession-based football.”
Speaking himself on his footballing philosophy, Nelson said: “I’ve been managing at Step 5 with Glebe, we play possession-based football, high intensity, fluid, and make sure there’s a lot of energy to get the fans off their feet.”
Key Player
Danny Bassett, a familiar name for Robins fans, has been enjoying himself at his new club. Since leaving Carshalton to join the Rooks in the summer, the 28-year-old has netted three times in the first five league games.
Bassett had two separate spells at Colston, transferring to the Reds from Braintree for the 2021-22 campaign and finishing top scorer with 20 goals. The forward then spent the following season at Cray Wanderers, again claiming top scorer.
Nelson’s third summer signing converted 11 goals for Peter Adeniyi’s side last year including a superb strike against Lewes in October.
The Gaffer
Pitts’ playing career was spent just down the road from the Robins at Tooting and Mitcham Football Club where he established himself as a handy midfielder at the level.
Transitioning into management relatively recently, Nelson took charge at step 5 Glebe who compete in the Southern Counties East Football League.
Last season, he guided the club to third in the SCEFL Premier Division, which Lewes identified as “very positive progress” given they had sat at the top of the league for most of the season.
Commenting on Nelson’s appointment, Peel said: “Craig and his backroom staff are forward thinking people who excel at creating positive squad environments and outstanding high-performance culture. We are excited to have Craig to join us as we prepare for next season”.
Upon signing, Craig said: “It’s been unbelievable, the process has been gruelling but well worth it.”
The manager will be joined at the club by Danny Oakins (Assistant Manager), Bryan Nzinga (1st Team Coach), Frankie Sawyer (1st Team Coach), Arron Fray (S&C Coach), Sheikh Ceesay (Goalkeeper Coach).
Last Meeting
The last time the two sides met was Tuesday January 30th when Carshalton ran out 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Ibrahim Olutade (39’), Oluwabunmi Babajide (50’), and Mark Marshall (65’).
Match Details
Date: Saturday, September 7 2024
Venue: Colston Avenue
Kickoff: 03:00 PM
Admission: Admission: £11, £8, £5 (online prices) on the gate is a pound dearer.
Tickets
