South London derby could be playoff sink or swim
Sixth meets seventh at Colston Avenue on Monday (3pm kick off) in the Isthmian League Premier Division when Carshalton Athletic entertain Dulwich Hamlet in a South London derby that could be key to keeping both teams’ hopes of a playoff place afloat.
The two sides enter the game each on 58 points from 37 games, with the Robins holding a slight edge thanks to a two-goal superior goal difference. But with a three-point gap to fifth place Horsham, who have three games in hand, and Enfield Town and Wingate and Finchley having claimed impressive away wins on Saturday to create some daylight between them and the chasers, maximum points look increasingly vital for the Robins and Hamlet if they are to take advantage of slip ups from the teams above them.
Hamlet missed a chance to move above Horsham, at least temporarily, when they lost 2-1 at home to Billericay Town on Saturday. That win also brought Billericay back into the playoff picture after they had looked like shoo-ins a month or so ago.
The Robins kept their playoff ambitions alive with a 2-1 win at bottom side Concord Rangers on Friday night, Bunmi Babajide returning to goalscoring form with a brace to take his total to 19 for the season. If maintaining hopes of that playoff berth aren’t enough, they have the added incentive on Monday of reversing the 2-1 defeat they suffered at Dulwich on Boxing Day when they conceded twice in the first quarter of an hour in front of a crowd of over 2,700.
Another big crowd is expected on Monday, so the advice is to buy tickets online (see below) and arrive at the turnstiles early.
Tickets
Available at:Â https://www.carshaltonathletic.co.uk/matchday/tickets/
Adult – £11; Senior (over 65) – £8; Child (under 18) – £5; Under 5s – Free (online prices are £1 cheaper than at turnstiles).
