CAFC vs Dartford FC – Preview
Carshalton Athletic hit the road for one final time this season, travelling to Princes Park on Saturday to take on title-chasing Dartford FC in a high-stakes finale to their 2024–25 Isthmian Premier Division campaign.
Robins Review
Carshalton Athletic stormed to a commanding 5–1 win over Dulwich Hamlet in the Isthmian Premier Division on Easter Monday at Colston Avenue, capped by a sensational 25-yard rocket from Dylan Pepe. The result marks back-to-back victories for the Robins and lifts them to seventh in the table on 67 points, leapfrogging Hashtag United ahead of the final game of the 2024–25 season.
With momentum on their side, Carshalton will look to close out their campaign in style with a statement performance against title-chasing Dartford FC, before turning their focus to a crucial Surrey Senior Cup semi-final against Dorking Wanderers.
Dartford, meanwhile, face mounting pressure. Owing to their inferior goal difference, the Kent side have no choice but to win at Princes Park—and even then, promotion is out of their hands. Both Billericay Town and Horsham not only sit level on points, but also boast significantly stronger goal differences, meaning the Darts must rely on one or both of their rivals dropping points on the final day.
In terms of form, Carshalton have been formidable in front of goal, topping the division for goals scored over the last six matches with 14. However, their attacking flair has come with defensive frailties, having conceded 11 goals in that same span, more than all but four clubs: Dulwich Hamlet, Hendon, Bognor Regis Town, and Bowers & Pitsea.
Dartford FC
Dartford missed the chance to go top of the Isthmian Premier Division heading into the final day of the 2024–25 campaign, after being held to a hard-fought 2–2 draw by Cray Wanderers on Easter Monday. Denzelle Olapade’s goal early in the second half looked to have set the Darts on course, but it was not enough to secure all three points.
The result leaves Ade Pinnock’s side level on 84 points with both Billericay Town and Horsham; however, their inferior goal difference puts them at a disadvantage in the title race. As it stands, the Kent-based club must beat Carshalton in their final match and hope that either Billericay slip up against Cheshunt or Horsham drop points against Hashtag United. On current form and goal difference, their best hope appears to lie in Billericay faltering on the final day.
Following their relegation from the National League South, the club’s return to Step 3 began promisingly. Four wins from five in August marked a confident start, with Potters Bar Town handing them their only defeat of the month. But the optimism quickly faded as September and October brought a disastrous run of form.
A heavy 5–1 defeat to Dover Athletic sparked a seven-match winless streak in the Isthmian Premier Division, stretching into mid-November. During that time, the Darts suffered defeats to relegated Bowers & Pitsea, Wingate & Finchley, and Billericay, while being held to goalless draws by Cray Valley and Hendon.
The rut was finally broken with a 2–1 home win over Cheshunt — their first league victory at home since August. That result kick-started a revival. A thrilling 3–3 draw with Hashtag United followed, before back-to-back wins over Lewes (2–0) and Hastings (3–0), along with a 2–2 draw with Chichester, rounded out November. This strong finish to the month saw the Darts stretch their unbeaten run to eight games in all competitions, climbing to ninth in the table.
Despite being knocked out of the Velocity Cup with a 3–0 fourth-round defeat to Horsham, December proved to be a turning point. The Darts went unbeaten in the league with one draw and five wins, including a vital 1–0 away victory over Canvey Island — their fourth consecutive win on the road — extending their overall unbeaten streak to 13.
That momentum carried into the new year. A six-match winning run through January and into early February included standout victories over Chatham, Billericay, and Hashtag United. A goalless draw with Chichester and a narrow 3–2 win over Hendon kept the streak alive, but it was eventually snapped by Cheshunt at the end of February — ending a remarkable 21-game unbeaten run, a new club record.
From sitting ninth before the festive period, the Darts’ resurgence catapulted them into title contention. However, the loss to Cheshunt allowed Horsham to close the gap to just a single point, with the top three — including Billericay — separated by only three points as the title race began to heat up.
That said, Dartford bounced back in style with a crucial 3–1 win over promotion rivals Horsham — a result that closed the gap to league leaders Billericay Town to just two points and opened up a four-point cushion over the Hornets in third.
However, momentum briefly stalled following a shock defeat to Lewes the following week. Since then, though, the Darts have rediscovered their rhythm, winning five of their last six matches. Back-to-back 2–0 victories over Hastings United and Bognor Regis Town were followed by wins against Dulwich Hamlet, Whitehawk, and Dover Athletic. The only blip in that run came in a draw against Folkestone Invicta.
Dartford’s promotion hopes took a hit on Easter Monday as they were held to a draw by local rivals Cray Wanderers, meaning their destiny is no longer in their own hands. A record crowd of 2,088 packed into Flamingo Park to witness the Darts’ setback in the Isthmian Premier Division, as they were denied the victory that would have kept them in pole position heading into the final weekend. As a result, Dartford head into Saturday’s decisive finale needing both Billericay Town and Horsham to drop points if they are to snatch automatic promotion.
After several seasons pushing for promotion in the National League South, Dartford FC endured a shock relegation to the Isthmian Premier Division at the end of a disappointing 2023–24 campaign. The Darts finished a turbulent season in 21st place, narrowly missing out on safety, falling just four points short of 20th-placed Hemel Hempstead.
Steven King’s appointment in 2019 had transformed Dartford into consistent play-off contenders, but ultimately, a series of near misses left supporters frustrated. In pursuit of finally achieving promotion, King stepped down in May 2022 and was succeeded by Alan Dowson. In his first full season at the helm (2022–23), Dowson led Dartford to an impressive second-place finish, albeit 20 points behind runaway champions Ebbsfleet United. However, their promotion hopes were dashed once again, this time in the play-offs, falling to St Albans City on penalties in agonising fashion.
Dowson departed midway through the 2023–24 season, leaving the club in January with the team sitting 16th in the table, on 34 points from 27 matches, seven off the play-offs and 10 clear of the drop zone. The Darts had managed just one win in their previous seven outings and had dropped 21 points from winning positions. During the interim period without a permanent manager, the team went four games without a win but secured a crucial victory against fellow strugglers Dover Athletic.
In early March, Chairman Steve Irving appointed experienced EFL and non-league coach Adrian Pinnock to steer the club through the final stretch. With the Darts sitting 18th and just four points above the relegation zone with 11 games remaining, Pinnock faced an uphill battle. Despite a determined effort, the task proved too great. Dartford ultimately slid into the Isthmian League for the first time in nearly 14 years—a sobering end to a difficult season.
Likely line-ups
Carshalton Athletic
Watkins, Sankoh, Pepe, Read, Shonibare, Saraiva, Dada, Bradford ©, Ifeanyi, Smith, Kalala
Dartford FC
Marsden, Odaudu, Hill ©, Dunne, Whitefield, Jones, Olopade, Box, Okoye, Bullas, Olarewaju
Team news
Carshalton Athletic
There is strong competition between the sticks as Aaron Watkins and Mackenzie Foley continue to battle for the No. 1 shirt. The backline appears settled, though it is unclear whether Paris Hamilton-Downes will return to the starting XI after being unavailable over the Bank Holiday.
In midfield, Michael Dada has now served his suspension and slotted straight back into the starting XI on Monday, where he is expected to remain alongside the ever-present Fabio Saraiva. That leaves just one spot up for grabs, with Tommy Bradford, Mason Saunders-Henry, and Nabeel Ghannam all pushing for selection.
Kwaku Frimpong is back training on grass and could be in contention for the squad travelling to Princes Park, while Fikayo Atewologun remains a long-term absentee, with a scan scheduled in the near future to assess his injury.
Dartford FC
Darts’ young prospect Olly Box made his return to the bench against Whitehawk after a lengthy spell on the sidelines through injury. Since then, the 19-year-old has been named in the starting XI for both the Dover Athletic, Dulwich Hamlet, and Cray Wanderers fixtures and is expected to feature again on Saturday.
Manager Adrian Pennock appears to have found stability at the back, naming an unchanged defence in three consecutive matches — a clear sign he’s settled on his preferred backline. Young centre-half Luther Williams also returned to the bench on Good Friday against Dover, having recovered from injury, but was left out of the first-team squad for the trip to the Wands. He remains available for selection once again this weekend.
Finally, the only change for the Darts on Easter Monday was Louis Dunne replacing veteran Samir Carruthers.
Pre-Match Analysis
Dartford currently boast one of the strongest defences in the Isthmian Premier Division, ranking third for goals conceded with just 45, only five more than second-placed Billericay Town and six more than league leaders Horsham.
Offensively, the Darts have also impressed, scoring 76 goals this season — the sixth-highest tally in the league and just five behind toppers Hashtag United. At home, they have been particularly formidable, recording 12 wins, five draws, and only three losses, making them the fourth-best home side in the division. Notably, they have conceded just 16 goals at Princes Park — the joint-lowest in the league, alongside Horsham — and have not lost on home turf since October.
Heading into Monday’s draw with Cray Wanderers, Dartford had been in impressive form, ranking as the second most in-form side over the previous six matches. They had collected 16 points from five wins and one defeat, scoring 13 goals and conceding just three. Only Horsham had fared better in that stretch, amassing a perfect 18 points with a remarkable goal difference of +10, scoring 11 and conceding just once.
That strong run had kept Dartford at the summit of the table since matchday 36. However, the 2–2 stalemate earlier this week saw them slip to fourth in the current form table over the last six games, with 14 points from four wins and two draws. They’ve still found the net 13 times, second only to Carshalton during that span, and conceded five.
Key Player
Dartford winger Olly Box is widely regarded as one of the brightest talents to emerge from the Darts Academy in recent years. He first caught attention during the 2022–23 season with two impactful substitute appearances in the Kent Senior Cup, but it was in February last year that he truly burst onto the scene.
At just 17, Box scored on his full debut in a 2–1 win over Dover Athletic, before netting a superb brace three days later in a narrow 3–2 defeat to Slough Town. He went on to make 19 appearances that season, including 12 starts — an impressive breakthrough campaign. Such was his impact that the winger reportedly attracted attention from Premier League sides West Ham United and Crystal Palace, with both clubs scouting the youngster and vying for his signature last summer.
This season began more slowly, with just two goals in his first nine appearances, as injury disrupted his rhythm through October and part of November. After a brief resurgence, further setbacks required surgery, sidelining him for portions of March and April.
Since returning, however, Box has been electric. He sealed a 1–0 win over Whitehawk with a brilliant solo goal and followed it up with an inch-perfect assist for captain Josh Hill’s header in the 3–1 victory over Dover.
With his pace, intelligent movement, eye for goal, and deadly delivery, Box is once again showing why he’s one to watch — and the Robins will need to keep a close eye on him.
The Gaffer
Adrian Pennock enjoyed an extensive career as a player, representing clubs such as Norwich City, Molde FK, AFC Bournemouth, Gillingham, and Gravesend & Northfleet. He began his managerial journey with a two-year spell at Welling United before transitioning into a coaching role as first-team coach at Stoke City during their Premier League tenure.
The departure of Tony Pulis at the end of the 2012–13 season to newly promoted Crystal Palace marked the end of Pennock’s time at the Potters. Soon after, he was appointed manager of Forest Green Rovers on November 12, 2013. During his time there, he led the club to their highest-ever league finishes on two occasions before departing in 2016.
Following that success, Pennock took charge of League One side Gillingham as head coach, a role he held until stepping down in September 2017. A return to the National League followed when he took over at Barrow the following month. Although he narrowly avoided relegation, he left the club at the end of the 2017–18 campaign.
In an unexpected move, Pennock headed abroad to take charge of DPMM FC in the Singapore Premier League for the 2019 season. He made an immediate impact, guiding the Brunei-based club to their second league title in his first year. He remained in charge for four seasons before returning to England.
On December 31, 2023, Pennock returned home, and by March 2024, he was back in the dugout — this time at Dartford in the National League South.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025
Venue: Princes Park Stadium
Kickoff: 3:00 pm
Admission: Adults (£15), Concessions (£10), Youth (£5), U12 (Free)
Tickets: Buy Tickets Online Here
