Chichester City vs CAFC- Preview
Carshalton Athletic take on newly promoted Chichester City for the first time away at Oaklands Park next Saturday after registering their first victory of the season earlier this week when they beat Wingate and Finchley 3-2.
Chichester City
Chichester City shocked 2022-23 play-off finalists Canvey Island after coming back from behind to secure a narrow 2-1 victory on the opening day.
Even though Canvey’s Conor Hubble put the Gulls ahead inside nine minutes, two second-half goals in quick succession would spur the league debutants onto their first-ever win in step Three.
Many Robins fans might remember the Islanders brilliant FA Cup run in 19/20, where they made it all the way to the First Round unbelievably before succumbing to League Two Tranmere Rovers.
With a new artificial pitch installed at Oaklands Park, the club enjoyed a stellar season last year and are consequently the newcomers to the Isthmian Premier.
The Lilywhites finished fifth in the Isthmian South East Division and were promoted via the play-offs. They beat second place and much fancied Ramsgate in the semi-final to advance to the final where they emphatically won 5-0 against Three Bridges.
Except for their debut season in the South East Division, Chichester had always registered middle of the road finishes; however, a strong second half of the campaign, which included a 13-match unbeaten streak between late January and mid-April, helped the Lilywhites clinch the last remaining play-off spot.
It is the first time in their relatively short history as a club, after the merger between Chichester City and Portfield in 2000, that the West Sussex side will compete in a step-three league.
At the backend of the campaign, City announced that their much-loved assistant manager, Graeme Gee, had sadly passed away. Gee had been part of the management team since 2015 and was massively influential in the club’s ascendancy through the football pyramid. Following their playoff success, the players gathered on the pitch and shouted: “That was for you Gee!”. He will undoubtedly occupy the hearts and minds of Chichester players, staff, and fans as they bid to shock the rest of the Division.
In pre-season, the Lilywhites fulfilled six fixtures with a record of three wins, one draw, and two losses. They began the summer retaining the annual Steve Bernard Trophy against neighbours Christchurch before an end-to-end extravaganza with Worthing. However, the National League South side would grab a late winner.
Up next was AFC Portchester, where Chichester scored five times in the second half to beat the ten-man outfit, and there was nothing to separate between them and Moneyfields as they drew 4-4 to share the inaugural Graeme Gee Memorial Cup. First-half goals from Jimmy Wild, Ethan Prichard, and Josh Clack secured a narrow 3-2 win over Broadbridge Heath, but they signed off in rather flat fashion with a 3-0 defeat to Winchester City last weekend.
Manager Miles Rutherford repeatedly said it would be difficult for them to compete in the Isthmian; however, they are off to a fantastic start.
Likely lineups:
Carshalton:
Foley, Sankho, Atewologun, Sankho, Read; Saraiva, Vose, Jackson; Ifeanyi, Bradford, Saunders-Henry,
Chichester City:
Magee; Dunn, Pashley, Da Costa, Hutchings; Rowlatt, Moore, Clarke, Jammeh, Bello; Wild
Team News
Carshalton
For Carshalton, Kwaku Frimpong remains the only doubt after an injury sustained in the final pre-season match against AFC Wimbledon.
Chichester City FC
Rutherford will have a fully fit squad at his disposal on Saturday. City have retained almost all the squad who won promotion and only added former Littlehampton Town man Dion Jarvis to their ranks. And the manager said no other additions were imminent.
Pre-Match Analysis
Chichester City were admired for being one of the most free-scoring sides in step 4 last season. The Lilywhites netted 83 times in 23/24 and were only topped in the goal-scoring charts by the teams that finished above them – Three Bridges, Cray Valley, and Ramsgate FC. They also had the fourth-best defence in the league, conceding just 43 goals.
Their defensive and offensive capabilities enabled the City to have a terrific season and put together a good run of form towards the latter stages of the campaign, with six wins and no losses from their last six games. Overall, they registered 20 wins, nine in their final 11 league games.
Rutherford has managed to maintain a strong core from his promotion-winning team and will be eager to see if his side can continue their stellar performances in a higher tier. The goals of Ethan Pritchard and Jimmy Wild will be even more invaluable now they are a level above.
Key Player
In Chichester’s well-deserved 2-1 victory over Canvey last Saturday, fans commended midfielder Mo Jammeh for being the best player on the park.
Following the Gambian’s free transfer to Worthing in 20/21 he never forged a first-team spot and was sent out on loan five times in four years to the likes of FC Lancing, Bognor Regis, and Burgess Hill.
Since Jammeh arrived at Chichester at the start of 2024, he has netted three times and been a regular in the middle alongside Joe Moore, Dean Cox, Prichard and Dion Jarvis almost in a supporting role for Jimmy Wild up top.
Both a keen tackler and creative spark, Carshalton will need to keep an eye on the midfielder.
The Gaffer
Miles Rutherford arrived at Oaklands Park after 12 years at Moneyfields FC. In Portsmouth, Rutherford lifted the Senior Cup in 2012-13, and four years later oversaw their promotion to Division One East of the Southern League after they finished runners-up and champions Portland United declined to go up.
When he made the move to the Lilywhites, it was straight into their unforgettable FA Cup journey, but after that whirlwind, Rutherford stabilised City in the Isthmian South East Division before achieving promotion last year.
On the season ahead, the latest manager to the Premier said: “None of us at the club are under any illusions that it’s going to be a tough season, but we will be going out to fight for every point. We’ll know a lot more about how it will pan out after the first 10 games.
“We’re lucky we’ve kept the squad together – we were always keen to give everyone a go at the higher level.”
Last Meeting
It is the first time the two teams will face off against one another.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, August 17, 2024
Venue: Oaklands Park
Kickoff: 3:00 pm
Admission £10, £5, £3
