CAFC vs St Albans City – Preview
Following Saturday’s draw with Aveley at Colston Avenue, the Robins are on the road this weekend as they travel to Hertfordshire to take on St Albans City.
Carshalton Athletic
After Saturday’s 1–1 draw with Aveley, Carshalton are now six league games unbeaten since their defeat to Whitehawk in early October. The Robins have looked much improved during this run, helped by the return of Fabio Saraiva from injury. However, four of those six unbeaten games have been draws, and Carshalton will need to start turning draws into wins if they are to continue climbing the table – especially as several sides around them have games in hand.
St Albans City
After 11 consecutive seasons in the National League South, St Albans suffered a shock relegation in 2024/25. The Saints finished on 45 points, one point from safety, and returned to the Isthmian Premier League. Their league form so far has been mixed, with five wins, four draws, and five defeats from their opening 14 games.
Despite that inconsistency, St Albans impressed in the FA Cup, navigating four qualifying rounds – beating Aylesbury Vale Dynamos, Hitchin Town, Woodford Town and Banbury United – to reach the First Round Proper. They were drawn away to Burton Albion, losing 6–0, but left the competition with their heads held high after an excellent run. The Saints will now hope to translate their strong cup performances into league points as they aim to push up the table.
Head to Head
It has been some time since the two sides last met. Their most recent encounters came in the 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons, when both clubs were in the Conference South. Unfortunately for Carshalton, St Albans won all four fixtures – both matches in 2004/05 ended 3–1 to the Saints, while in 2005/06 they won 2–0 at Colston Avenue in October and 3–0 at Clarence Park in March.
Team News
Carshalton Athletic
Peter Adeniyi handed a debut to new signing Matias Bakare on Saturday against Aveley. The midfielder impressed early on but was forced off in the first half after picking up a knock. It was cruel luck for the new Robin, who will hope for a quick recovery to be involved against St Albans.
Pre-Match Analysis
With Carshalton six league games unbeaten and Gary McCann having picked up three points in his first match in charge, Saturday’s fixture promises to be an entertaining one. It will be McCann’s first league game at Clarence Park, and the St Albans supporters are likely to turn out in good numbers to see whether he can spark a turnaround in their league form.
The Gaffer
Following relegation from the National League South, Ian Culverhouse remained in charge and led the Saints to the First Round Proper of the FA Cup. However, in the week before the tie against Burton Albion, both Culverhouse and his assistant Paul Bastock were approached by National League North side King’s Lynn Town, a club Culverhouse had previously managed.
The St Albans board were frustrated by the timing – asking King’s Lynn to delay their approach until after the cup tie – but Culverhouse and Bastock were given a deadline to accept and ultimately made the move. This left Michael Bostwick as player-interim manager for the Burton match, which the Saints lost 6–0.
The search for a permanent manager ended on Thursday, when St Albans appointed former Billericay boss Gary McCann. McCann has strong pedigree in the Isthmian League and came within a goal of winning the title with Billericay last season, only losing out to Horsham before falling in the playoff semi-final to Dover.
He made a slow start this season at Billericay, including a defeat at Colston Avenue, and departed by mutual agreement in September. Now back in the Isthmian League, McCann began his St Albans tenure with a 3–1 win at Canvey Island on Saturday. He will now look to build momentum with a Velocity Cup tie against Cheshunt on Tuesday before welcoming Carshalton to Clarence Park this weekend.
Match Details
Date: Saturday 22nd November 2025
Opponents: St Albans City
Venue: Clarence Park Stadium, AL1 4NF
Competition: Isthmian Premier League
Kick-off: 3pm
Admission: Online Prices – Adults £16.50, Conc £11.50, 18-23 £8, 12-17 £5, 5-11 £1
Tickets: Here or Purchase at the turnstiles (prices increase on the day)
