CAFC vs Bromley XI – Report
Kola Salami’s hat-trick inspired Carshalton Athletic to a commanding 5–1 comeback victory over a Bromley XI in Saturday’s pre-season friendly at Colston Avenue.
It was a strong start from Carshalton, who applied considerable attacking pressure on the Bromley backline through a series of shots and Michael Dada’s crosses. The Robins almost received their just deserts in the seventh minute when the trialist won a free kick a few yards outside the penalty area, and Dada drove low and hard towards the bottom left-hand corner for the keeper to parry away. An alert Fikayo Atewologun saw his follow-up cleared off the line by the defender.
As the game ticked past the 10-minute mark, momentum began to swing in favour of the Ravens. The young Bromley side grew in confidence, moving the ball with greater composure and attacking intent. Their high press began to pay dividends, forcing Carshalton into a few nervy defensive errors while trying to play out from the back. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the visitors snatched the lead through a moment of brilliance from their No. 10 — the midfielder turned his marker sharply before rifling a shot beyond the outstretched Foley.
Galvanised by the setback, the Reds pressed for an equaliser, driven forward by a lively Nabeel Ghannam. He carried the ball purposefully into the final third and released the trialist winger, who floated a teasing cross to the back post. Another trialist attempted an ambitious acrobatic volley but misfired, allowing the keeper to collect under pressure from Smith. Moments later, Ghannam weaved past several Bromley defenders down the left channel, glided into the box, and side-footed a low effort through the goalkeeper’s legs — only to see it graze the outside of the post.
Following a brief drinks break around the 20-minute mark, the tempo of the match surged, transforming it into a thrilling end-to-end contest. Bromley looked poised to double their lead when their forward broke through one-on-one with Foley, but the Carshalton keeper produced a heroic save, bravely taking the powerful strike square in the face as he stood his ground. At the other end, Carshalton continued to look dangerous on the counter, frequently catching the Ravens out of shape. Ghannam and the trialist operating on the right wing emerged as the Robins’ most potent attacking threats, consistently driving the team forward with pace and intent. Atewologun produced a superb challenge as the play entered the final third, stretching out a boot to deny the attacker cutting in dangerously from the right.
Following another drinks break, Bromley continued to assert themselves, maintaining the pressure on Carshalton. Despite the intensity, academy prospect Rufus Williams stood out at the heart of the Robins’ defence alongside Atewologun. Calm under pressure, Williams impressed with his composure, reading of the game, and a series of well-timed challenges and interceptions. With five minutes until the break, a couple of teasing crosses from both flanks narrowly missed Smith in the penalty area. On the stroke of half-time, the Ravens’ goalkeeper was nearly made to pay for a loose pass inside the box, which almost fell invitingly for Smith. Moments later, Dada twisted and turned in search of an opening but couldn’t quite get his shot away.
Adeniyi made sweeping changes at the break, introducing several first-team regulars for the second half, including Bryan Ifeanyi, Tommy Bradford, and Kola Salami. The reshuffle also saw a mix of fresh faces, with trialists and promising academy talents given the chance to impress.
Just five minutes after the restart, Salami issued an early warning to the Ravens, forcing the goalkeeper into a sharp close-range save. Bradford followed up on the rebound, but his effort was also denied. In the 51st minute, Carshalton’s relentless high press paid off as they induced a mistake from Bromley while trying to play out from the back. Bradford pounced on the loose ball and quickly shifted it to Salami, who teed up the trialist wearing No. 3. With composure, he slotted the ball home to level the score.
A few minutes later, Salami cut inside from the left and drilled a low shot beyond the diving goalkeeper to put Carshalton 2–1 ahead, though Bradford cheekily claimed it had taken a deflection off him on the way through.
Approaching the hour mark, the Ravens nearly drew level, only for Carshalton to produce a vital goal-line clearance to preserve their lead. At the other end, Bryan Ifeanyi came close to adding a third, rattling the crossbar with a curling strike from the left side of the penalty area. On the hour, Salami doubled his tally, showing great composure in a one-on-one situation to calmly slot home and extend the hosts’ advantage to 3–1. Sixty-eight minutes in,
Salami completed his hat-trick. Trialist No. 14 made an impressive run down the left flank, cutting inside towards the heart of Bromley’s defence before picking out Salami in the box. The forward reacted quickly, stabbing the ball into the net to make it 4–1.
As the match entered the final third, it was all Carshalton. With the majority of the first team now on the pitch, the hosts piled on the pressure, forcing the visitors to withstand wave after wave of attacks. Salami and Sankoh combined smartly from a short corner, with the latter unleashing a fizzing strike that stung the palms of the Bromley goalkeeper. Ifeanyi then proceeded to outfox his marker on the byline and pull the ball back to Salami in space. His close-range effort was somehow cleared off the line, and the follow-up was also scrambled away by the Bromley defence.
In the dying embers, Carshalton continued to press in search of a fifth, with Salami and Bradford linking up dangerously in the final third. Bradford saw a couple of efforts rise over the bar and later struck the woodwork, though the flag had gone up for offside against Atewologun. At the other end, Foley was finally called into action in the 86th minute, making a comfortable save from a long-range effort. Salami left the field in the closing minutes to a rapturous ovation from the home crowd, who warmly acknowledged his outstanding performance.
Bradford put the finishing touch on a dominant second-half display, drilling a low strike from the right side of the box into the bottom corner to make it five in stoppage time.
The referee’s final whistle confirmed a convincing 5–1 victory for Carshalton, maintaining their perfect pre-season record following last week’s win over Whyteleafe. Next up is a tougher challenge, as the Robins face National League South side Hampton & Richmond in what promises to be a much sterner test.
Up Next
Date: Tuesday, 15 July, 2025
Venue: Colston Avenue
Kickoff: 7:45 pm
Admission: Adults (£5), Concessions (£3), Children (£2)
Tickets: Buy Tickets Here
