CAFC vs Chichester City FC – Preview
Carshalton Athletic welcome Chichester City to Colston Avenue on Bank Holiday Monday, with both sides aiming to bounce back from defeats on Saturday.
Carshalton Athletic
The Robins will be looking to respond after a tough 4–1 defeat away at Dartford. They currently sit 10th in the Isthmian Premier Division after four games, having picked up two wins and two losses. Despite the mixed start, Carshalton have secured notable victories against Cray Valley and Billericay – sides that finished 4th and 2nd respectively last season.
Chichester City
Chichester also come into Monday’s fixture off the back of a defeat, having lost 2–1 at home to relegated Welling United. The Lilywhites sit just one place behind Carshalton in 11th, with five points from their opening four games (1 win, 2 draws, 1 defeat). Prior to the Welling loss, Chichester earned credible draws against Folkestone (home) and Whitehawk (away), before a standout 2–1 win away at Hashtag United.
Last season, Chichester were one of the division’s surprise packages. Promoted via the play-offs in 2023/24, many had tipped them for an immediate return to Step 4. Instead, they exceeded expectations – finishing 6th with 73 points, just three points and one place off the play-off spots. On the final day, Chichester hosted Dover in what effectively became a play-off quarter-final. With both teams level on points, the winner would seal the final play-off place. In front of a season-high crowd of 1,356, it was Dover who came out on top. They went on to beat Billericay and Dartford to earn promotion, while Chichester were left to reflect on an impressive first season at Step 3.
Head to Head
Last season’s first meeting came in August, with Carshalton travelling to Chichester for the third game of the campaign. Despite an underwhelming performance, the Robins took the lead through Steve Gody. Mo Jammeh equalised for Chichester, slotting in the rebound after his penalty was saved by Mackenzie Foley. A second-half brace from Thomas Stagg secured a 3–1 win for Carshalton.
The return fixture was played over the Christmas period at Colston Avenue. Rob Hutchings gave the visitors a first-half lead, before Fabio Saraiva equalised in the 83rd minute. However, a late defensive mix-up allowed Ethan Pritchard to score into an empty net and snatch all three points for Chichester.
Likely line-ups
Carshalton Athletic
Kerbey, Shonibare, Atewologun, Pepe, Sankoh, Janneh, Saunders-Henry, Bradford, Ifeanyi, Smith, Salami
Chichester City
Magee, Davidson, Hutchings, Moore, Da Costa, Pashley, Clarke, Dunn, Vigar, Rowlatt, Bello
Team News
Carshalton Athletic
Luke Read came off with a knock during the defeat at Dartford, and it remains to be seen whether he will be fit for Monday’s match. Nabeel Ghannam made a late substitute appearance and could be pushing for a place in the starting XI.
Chichester City
Chichester will be without star striker Jimmy Wild. The 2024/25 Isthmian Premier League Golden Boot winner – with 25 goals – is expected to miss at least the first half of the season due to a knee injury.
Pre-Match Analysis
With Chichester finishing 6th and Carshalton 7th last season, both clubs have ambitions of breaking into the play-offs this time around. However, with each team having made a mixed start, neither will want to drop further off the pace. With the FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round on the horizon next weekend, both managers will be hoping for a morale-boosting win ahead of their respective cup ties.
Key Player
In the absence of Jimmy Wild, Chichester will need others to step up – and Isaac Bello could be the man to do so. He made more appearances than any other player for the Lilywhites last season (49 in all competitions), scoring nine goals. Having started all four league games so far this campaign, Bello may be tasked with leading the line in some games and could be poised for a double-digit goal tally this season.
The Gaffer
Miles Rutherford took charge of Chichester City in 2015 and has overseen a steady rise from Step 5 (Southern Combination Premier) to becoming play-off contenders in the Isthmian Premier. One of his standout achievements came in the 2019/20 season, guiding Chichester to the FA Cup Second Round. After winning six ties from the Extra Preliminary Round, Chichester were the final team drawn in the First Round Proper and received a bye – due to Bury FC’s expulsion – to the Second Round, where they faced League One Tranmere Rovers live on TV, securing a significant financial boost for the club.
In 2023/24, Rutherford’s side finished 5th in the Isthmian South East Division and gained promotion through the play-offs. They beat title-chasing Ramsgate 1–0 in the semi-final, before thrashing Three Bridges 5–0 away from home in the final—a dominant performance that secured their first-ever season at Step 3.
Rutherford has built a reputation for getting the best out of his squad and delivering on big occasions.
Match Details
Date: Monday 25th August 2025
Venue: Colston Avenue
Kick-off: 3pm
Admission: Adult £12, Concession £9, U18 £6, Women and Girls Free
Tickets: Buy Tickets Here
