CAFC vs Hashtag United – Preview
After Monday’s 2–1 home defeat to Burgess Hill Town, the Robins will be looking to deliver a swift response as they welcome Hashtag United to Colston Avenue on Saturday.
Carshalton Athletic
Following a previous win over Burgess Hill and a solid 2–1 victory against Welling United, the Robins appeared to be turning a corner. However, that promise has faded with four consecutive defeats: a 2–1 loss at home to Cheshunt in the FA Trophy, a penalty shootout exit to AFC Whyteleafe in the Surrey Senior Cup, and two league defeats – 2–0 away at Whitehawk and 2–1 at home to Burgess Hill.
With two fixtures in just three days – Saturday’s visit from Hashtag United followed by Monday’s Velocity Cup tie at home to Binfield – Carshalton have a crucial opportunity to reset and regain momentum.
Hashtag United
After winning the Isthmian North in 2022/23, Hashtag United have firmly established themselves at Step 3 with back-to-back mid-table finishes: 13th in 2023/24 and 8th in 2024/25, just one place behind the Robins on both occasions.
The Tags have progressed steadily since joining the football pyramid in 2018, but their start to the current season has been underwhelming. At the time of writing, they’ve taken 11 points from their opening 11 games (3 wins, 2 draws, 6 defeats). They do, however, have a game in hand on the Robins – hosting struggling Wingate & Finchley on Tuesday 14th October – and will be eager to build momentum ahead of their trip to Colston Avenue.
Head to Head
Last season, Carshalton completed a league double over Hashtag United.
In the first meeting at Parkside in October, Carshalton had the chance to take an early lead from the penalty spot, but goalkeeper Jack Giddens made a superb save to deny Dominic Vose. After the break, Tommy Bradford scored with a header to give the Robins a narrow 1–0 win.
In the return fixture at Colston Avenue, the teams went in goalless at the break. However, Nabeel Ghannam linked up with David Smith, who scored his 11th goal for the club to secure another 1–0 victory.
Team News
Carshalton Athletic
Parish Muirhead returned just in time for the Burgess Hill match, having started both of Grenada’s recent international friendlies – a 4–1 win over the British Virgin Islands and a 2–0 victory against Cuba. He completed the full 90 minutes on Monday and will be looking to recover quickly from the demanding travel and schedule ahead of Saturday’s clash.
Pre-Match Analysis
After finishing 7th (Carshalton) and 8th (Hashtag) last season, both sides would have hoped for a stronger start this time around. Their head-to-head record reflects how closely matched they are – three of the four competitive meetings have ended 1–0, with the other a 2–2 draw.
Expect another tight contest, with both sides hungry for three points to kickstart their season.
The Gaffer
Jay Devereux has been at the helm since Hashtag United joined the football pyramid at Step 6 in 2018. He guided the club to promotion in their debut season, winning the Eastern Counties League Division One South.
In 2019/20 and 2020/21, their Essex Senior League campaigns were curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though Hashtag were well-placed both times. Their consistent performances led to promotion to the Isthmian North via points-per-game, following a league restructure.
In just their second season at that level, Devereux led the Tags to the title with an impressive record: 32 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses, including a 21-game league winning streak. Since moving up to Step 3, he has overseen finishes of 13th and 8th and guided the team to the Isthmian League Cup Final in 2023/24, narrowly losing 2–1 to Chatham at Parkside.
Now the longest-serving manager amongst the Isthmian Premier Division sides, Devereux enjoys a strong working relationship with club owner Spencer Brown. However, he’ll be aiming for improvement this season if he hopes to guide the Tags to a fourth promotion.
Match Details
Date: Saturday 18th October 2025
Opponents: Hashtag United
Venue: Colston Avenue, SM5 2PW
Competition: Isthmian Premier League
Kick-off: 3pm
Admission: Adults £12, Conc £9, U18 £6, Women & Girls FREE
Tickets: Here or Purchase at the turnstiles
