CAFC vs South Park Reigate – Preview
Carshalton Athletic welcome South Park Reigate to Colston Avenue on Saturday for the FA Cup Second Preliminary Round with hopes of avoiding a cup upset.
Robins Review
Peter Adeniyi’s side secured a hard-fought goalless draw with league toppers Lewes FC on Saturday to prevent three successive losses in the Premier Division. However, players, staff, and supporters alike were left frustrated after the flurry of chances the Robins failed to convert, as well as nearly being punished if it were not for some Mackenzie Foley heroics. Therefore, Adeniyi’s main criticism was Carshalton’s lack of a clinical edge in front of goal during the match. That being said, a break for cup action against Step Four opposition could prove exactly what the Reds need to find their shooting boots. CAFC overcame a similar type of opposition 3-1 in the first qualifying round, Haywards Heath, and they will have hopes of doing the same on Saturday.
South Park Reigate
It has already been quite the journey for Isthmian South-Central side South Park Reigate (Step Four of the Non-League pyramid), who have overcome three opponents to face off against Carshalton at Colston on Saturday afternoon in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup. At the beginning of August, the Sparks took on fellow Step Four team Sutton Common Rovers in the Extra Preliminary Round. South Park ran out comfortable 3-1 winners thanks to goals from William Grieveson (12’), Ryan Healy (31’), and Sam Remfry (50’).
Next up was the Preliminary Round against the Southern Combination Football League’s Crowborough Athletic (Step Five). An unfortunate slip that led to Finlay Johnson’s opener was all that separated the two sides as Crowborough put on a spirited display. With the introduction of Step Three clubs during the First Qualifying Round, the Sparks encountered their toughest test to date, Isthmian Premier Division’s Bracknell Town. Last year the Robins made it all the way to the first-round proper for back-to-back seasons before being knocked out at League One Cambridge United 2-1. Despite that, South Park defied the odds and Tom Smith’s goal mid-way through the first half was enough for South Park to secure a narrow 1-0 win and a one step cup set. The result has marked a first appearance in the Second Qualifying Round for the Surrey-based side in eight seasons, a brilliant achievement.
Given their FA Cup journey, there has been little time for league action and the Sparks have only fulfilled two of their five fixtures so far, which leaves them languishing 14th following two draws. The last few seasons have seen South Park record three successive ninth-place finishes in the South-Central division and while the closet they have ever got to the playoffs was eight points in 2021-22, the club has become a consolidated Step Four outfit after a rocky start to life in the league.
The Sparks also had the FA Trophy Preliminary Round to contend with; however, they fell to a 4-2 defeat on penalties to Steyning Town Community, perhaps for the best owing to their condensed fixture schedule.
A fun fact is that South Park only added “Reigate” in the 2021-22 campaign.
Likely Line-Ups
Carshalton Athletic
Foley, Sankho, Atewologun, Hamstead, Read, Saraiva, Vose, Bradford, Ifeanyi, Stagg, Goather-Braithwaite
South Park Reigate
Bracken, McElligott, Tutt, Tucker, Ando, Grieveson, Smith, McGee, Johnson, Remfry, Torpey
Team News
Carshalton Athletic
There was a much-welcomed return for Kwaku Frimpong on Saturday, featuring on the bench for Adeniyi’s side. Bryan Ifeanyi, Mason Saunders-Henry, and Andy Somo all returned to first team action for the draw with Lewes. Charlie Kennett, Soloman Baugh, and Sanchez Ming dropped out of the squad altogether for the fixture against the league toppers.
South Park Reigate
South Park are expected to have a fully fit squad at their disposal.
Pre-Match Analysis
In the match against our fellow Step Three side Bracknell, the Sparks went toe-to-toe with the Robins first half and proved a threat on the counter-attack. They were brave in possession and caused lots of problems, particularly down the right flank. Once South Park had taken the lead, they demonstrated a lot of defensive resolve to hold the lead. Obviously being bolstered by the home advantage helped them in the 1stQR; however, they will be hungry for a cup upset and Carshalton must prevent them from getting a foothold in the game.
Key Player
Striker Finlay Johnson tops the goalscoring tally alongside midfielder Sam Remfry for the 2024-25 season so far. Johnson netted in the 2-2 league draw with Ascot United and the 1-0 FA Cup victory over Crowborough Athletic. However, it was the giant killing of Bracknell where he truly shone. Even though the 20-year-old is deployed as the Sparks central attacker, he often drifts out towards the left flank, giving chase to passes in behind and utilising his sheering pace. The son of former Crystal Palace, Everton and Fulham striker Andy Johnson, whipped in a wonderful cross that lashed across the face of goal, and drove another against the defender, before latching onto a gift of a pass on the touchline, carrying the ball into the box and successfully squaring it to Tom Smith to tap into the empty net on the second attempt. Johnson followed that up by nearly grabbing a second when he fashioned the ball onto his left and grazed the bar just inside the box.
The Gaffer
Tom Cope joined the Sparks as part of former Redhill Manager Harrison Willaims’ management team when Martin Dynan resigned in January 2022 with Park sitting mid table. Despite Williams impressing, guiding the club to a 9th place finish, in November 2022 he also resigned. Cope, previously Assistant Manager was appointed, and the side matched the previous year’s ninth-place finish, but with a higher points total.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, September 14 2024
Venue: Colston Avenue
Kickoff: 03:00 PM
Admission: Admission: £11, £8, £5 (online prices) on the gate is a pound dearer.
Tickets
