CAFC vs Chatham – Preview
Following an entertaining 3–3 draw with Cheshunt on Monday night, the Robins return to Colston Avenue on Saturday to take on high-flying Chatham Town in another crucial Isthmian League encounter at both ends of the table.
Carshalton Athletic
Carshalton come into the game against Chatham without a win in their last nine matches. However, performances in recent weeks have been far more encouraging than results suggest, with five of those nine games ending in draws. In their last three home matches at Colston Avenue, the Robins have been involved in three entertaining draws.
Against Dulwich Hamlet on 27th December, Carshalton were involved in an open and absorbing contest and were unfortunate not to claim all three points. They created numerous chances and were denied a late winner by a tight offside decision in stoppage time.
Last Saturday, the Robins faced high-flying Folkestone Invicta, who were 11 points clear at the top of the table going into the game. Despite the gap in league position, Carshalton more than matched their visitors and could even have snatched victory late on, with Bryan Ifeanyi seeing his effort tipped away in stoppage time.
It was a quick turnaround for Monday’s game against Cheshunt, and the Robins fell behind early when Kurran-Browne opened the scoring for the visitors. Bryan Ifeanyi scored his 10th and 11th goals of the season either side of half-time to give Carshalton the lead, but Cheshunt responded with two goals in quick succession to make it 3–2 heading into the closing stages. The Robins were not done, however, and Josh Shonibare produced a stunning strike from outside the box to level the scores at 3–3, with both sides eventually settling for a point.
Chatham Town FC
Chatham Town have a long and storied history dating back to the 19th century. The club was originally formed in 1882 as Chatham United, following the merger of Rochester Invicta and the Royal Engineers Band football team, with the aim of creating a competitive side during English football’s early years.
In their formative seasons, Chatham made an immediate impact on the national stage. They reached the FA Cup quarter-finals in the 1888–89 season, a significant achievement at the time, and were founder members of both the Southern League and the original Kent League in 1894, winning the inaugural Kent League title. After several league changes and periods of financial instability through the early 20th century, the club merged with Shorts FC in 1947 and adopted the name Chatham Town, which it has retained ever since, aside from a brief spell as Medway FC in the 1970s.
For much of the late 20th century and early 2000s, The Chats competed in regional leagues with mixed success. They won the Kent League in 2000–01 and continued to navigate the challenging non-league system that characterises semi-professional football in England.
Recent seasons have been especially notable for on-pitch success. After relegation at the end of the 2016–17 season, Chatham rebounded strongly. In 2021–22, they secured promotion back to the Isthmian League, scoring over 120 goals in a prolific campaign. This was followed by winning the Isthmian League South East Division title in 2022–23, earning back-to-back promotions. In 2023–24, the club finished as runners-up in the Isthmian Premier League and lifted the Velocity Cup, further cementing their rapid rise through the non-league pyramid.
After finishing second in the 2023/24 campaign – only to fall short in the play-off final at home to Enfield Town – Chatham endured a disappointing follow-up season by their standards, finishing ninth in 2024/25. However, with several players now full-time professionals, a rarity at this level, expectations are high this year, and they have started strongly.
So far, the Kent side sit third in the table and in the playoff places, with 46 points from their first 23 games. They also reached the first round proper of the FA Cup this season, winning four ties against Marlow, Ashford United, Deal Town and Tonbridge Angels to set up a clash with Buxton. That tie proved a step too far as they bowed out 2–1, but the prize money earned from the run will have been a welcome boost as the club looks to progress to Step 2.
Chatham are also the only remaining Isthmian League side in the FA Trophy. They have now won five ties in the competition, including a notable 1–0 victory over Mark Hughes’ Carlisle United, setting up a last-16 clash with either Southend United or Bath City.
Head to Head
The two sides shared wins last season.
In the pre-Christmas meeting at Colston Avenue, Carshalton earned a 2–0 victory thanks to second-half goals from David Smith and Mason Saunders-Henry. That result lifted the Robins into the playoff places at Chatham’s expense.
Chatham gained their revenge in April at the Bauvill Stadium. After a competitive opening half-hour, Carshalton were reduced to ten men when Michael Dada received a second yellow card. Chatham took full advantage, securing a dominant 3–0 victory with goals from Jamie Yila, Freddie Sears, and John Ufuah.
This season, the sides met at the Bauvill Stadium in September. The match could hardly have started worse for the Robins, with Sam Sene-Richardson opening the scoring inside the first minute. Carshalton grew into the game and equalised on 63 minutes when Tommy Bradford converted a penalty won by David Smith. The Robins looked set to leave with a point, but Chatham were awarded a stoppage-time penalty, which Stanley Oldfield converted to give the hosts a 2–1 win.
Team News
Carshalton Athletic
After making a substitute appearance against Folkestone, defender Ben Mundele made his first start in red and white against Cheshunt on Monday following his switch from Ramsgate.
There was also a debut from the bench against Cheshunt for defender Nikolai Krokhin, who recently joined the club after a year with Hendon. Manager Peter Adeniyi has strengthened his defensive options in recent weeks and will be hoping his new signings continue to gel with the existing squad, as Carshalton have managed just four league clean sheets so far this season.
Elsewhere, midfielder Fabio Saraiva made another substitute appearance against Cheshunt, having also been introduced late on against Folkestone. The 32-year-old is working his way back to fitness following injury, with his last start coming in the 1–1 draw with Aveley in November.
Pre-Match Analysis
Saturday’s clash at Colston Avenue promises to be an intriguing encounter. The Robins have a strong home record against The Chats, winning their last three meetings at Colston Avenue by scores of 2–0 (24/25), 2–0 (23/24) and 6–1 (16/17). Carshalton have also been difficult to beat at home in recent league fixtures, losing just one of their last seven. That lone defeat came in a 1–0 loss to Cray Valley PM, a match in which Carshalton were without a recognised goalkeeper, with Luke Read deputising between the sticks.
Chatham, however, arrive in excellent form, having beaten Mark Hughes’ Carlisle United 1–0 in the FA Trophy. They also recorded an impressive 2–1 victory away at league leaders Folkestone Invicta in their first game of 2026 and look well placed to secure at least a playoff spot by the end of the season.
Key Player
Tope Fadahunsi has made an excellent start to life at Chatham, scoring 13 goals in all competitions. Five of those came in the FA Cup, where he played a key role in helping his side reach the first round proper before their eventual exit to Buxton. Fadahunsi has also scored eight league goals, including the winner in a 1–0 victory at Welling United in November. As Chatham’s top scorer, he remains a central figure in their promotion push, despite not having found the net since equalising against St Albans at the end of November.
Well known for his time at Sutton United, where he scored three times in League Two and once in the EFL Trophy, Fadahunsi was released following Sutton’s relegation in 2024. He spent part of last season at Hendon, scoring six goals in nine games despite their eventual relegation. His goal in a 3–3 draw against Chatham last season caught the eye of manager Kevin Hake, who moved to bring him to the club over the summer.
The Gaffer
Kevin Hake has managed Chatham Town since 2021, making him the third-longest-serving manager in the Isthmian Premier League, behind Jay Devereux (Hashtag United) and Miles Rutherford (Chichester City).
Now in his fifth season at the club, Hake’s tenure has been eventful and successful: two promotions, two Isthmian League Cup finals (winners in 2023/24 and runners-up in 2024/25), a Kent Senior Cup final appearance, and the heartbreak of a play-off final defeat. He guided Chatham to back-to-back promotions from Step 5 and Step 4, narrowly missing out on a third successive promotion in 2023/24.
Last season, his side again demonstrated strong cup form by reaching the Isthmian League Cup final, although they were beaten by Billericay, with former Carshalton midfielder Bradley Williams scoring the winning goal.
Known for his free-flowing, attacking style, Hake will be looking to maintain that momentum as Chatham push for promotion to Step 2.
Match Details
Date: Saturday 17th January 2026
Opponents: Chatham Town
Venue: Colston Avenue
Competition: Isthmian League
Kick-off: 3pm
Admission: Adults £12, Conc £9, U18 £6, Women & Girls FREE
Tickets: Here or purchase at the turnstiles
