CAFC vs Horsham – Report
Carshalton Athletic suffered a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Horsham FC in the Isthmian Premier Division on Saturday. The Hornets secured a play-off spot and extinguished the Robins’ play-off hopes under the scorching sun at Colston Avenue, with over 1,000 fans in attendance.
Peter Adeniyi made two changes to his starting XI following last week’s 3-0 defeat to Chatham Town. Dylan Pepe came into the heart of the Robins’ defence in place of Kyron Horsley-McKay, while the suspended Michael Dada was replaced in midfield by the returning Mason Saunders-Henry.
Horsham dominated possession in the opening stages, looking to exploit space in behind the Robins’ backline. Moving the ball with purpose and intent, the Hornets applied some early attacking pressure, with winger Ola Ogunwamide quickly establishing himself as the visitors main attacking threat. Causing problems down the right flank, he cut inside before drilling a low cross into the arms of the diving Watkins. Six minutes in, Horsham made their early dominance count, taking the lead inside through forward Lucas Rodrigues. Ogunwamide, allowed to carry the ball unchallenged towards the edge of the penalty area, slipped a perfectly weighted pass through to Rodrigues. One-on-one, the No. 11 stayed composed, slotting past the onrushing Watkins with a calm finish that deflected in off the keeper’s legs.
After a nervy start, Adeniyi’s side began to grow in confidence, and the game opened up. By the 15-minute mark, the Robins were in control, pinning Horsham back with all eleven Hornets players forced behind the ball to absorb the pressure. That said, the Reds could not fashion any opportunities of note or call Hornets keeper Lewis Carey into action. Up the other end, the visitors saw less of the ball but looked more dangerous. Seizing on a shift in momentum, Horsham doubled their lead through the ever-dangerous Ola Ogunwamide in the 22nd minute. Cutting in from the right flank, the winger squared up his defender, used a pair of sharp step-overs to create space, then curled a sublime left-footed strike beyond Watkins and into the far corner.
Despite enjoying a brief spell of attacking supremacy, Carshalton’s play in the final third became increasingly sluggish and disjointed as the tempo of the game dropped. With chances few and far between, the Robins looked to the ever-vocal Robins Choir for a lift—but it was the Lardy Army, basking in the sun at the corner of the standing terrace, who were doing all the singing. With five minutes to go until half-time, the Reds had managed to shake off their earlier struggles to get the ball out of their own half. However, Adeniyi’s side continued to lack a cutting edge in the final third, unable to carve out any meaningful chances. The frustration was beginning to show—Kalala, in particular, throwing his arms up in exasperation.
On the stroke of half-time, Hamilton-Downes and Read found themselves as the only out-and-out defenders, with Shonibare and Pepe pushing high up the flanks. The gamble nearly paid off—Kalala held the ball before releasing the overlapping Shonibare down the right channel, but his driven cross sailed over Carey and out for a goal kick. As five minutes of added time were announced, the match had descended into an aerial back-and-forth—more ping pong than football, with the ball rarely touching the ground. Yet in stoppage time, Carshalton finally sparked into life, showing more attacking intent than they had all half. Ifeanyi surged down the right and lifted a teasing ball into the box, where Smith met it with a powerful header—only for Carey to make a crucial save with his legs at point-blank range.
The Robins made a much brighter start to the second half, with Adeniyi’s side controlling possession and probing the Hornets’ backline. However, Read was fortunate to escape unscathed when a misplaced back pass meant Watkins had to react quickly to clear the danger. Minutes later, Carshalton enjoyed a flurry of corners, one of which saw Bradford pick out Saraiva. The midfielder controlled the ball well before firing a powerful shot towards goal, only for Carey to produce a sharp save, parrying it away. By the 55-minute mark, Horsham were a shadow of their first-half selves, appearing sluggish and firmly on the back foot.
On the hour mark, the visitors had their first real chance of the second half. Lee Harding found himself unmarked at the back post, volleying an inswinging Hornets corner toward goal, only for Watkins to pull off a superb save. However, disaster struck in the 63rd minute. Ogunwamide whipped in a cross, and although Watkins managed to block the initial shot, the ball fell kindly to Meekums, who made no mistake, calmly tapping into the empty net. Clearly frustrated, Adeniyi wasted no time, turning to his bench for a triple substitution. A major defensive reshuffle saw Horsley-McKay and Aziz Sankoh replace Bradford and Saunders-Henry, while Hamilton-Downes was pushed into midfield. The Carshalton manager had seen enough from his side. While Horsham hadn’t started the second half as strongly as the first, by the 70th minute, they had regained the upper hand and were back in control, comfortable.
A few minutes later, Pepe squared the ball across to Read just inside the Hornets half. The centre-back controlled, and composed himself, before striking from range;
however, the tame shot trickled past the post, failing to test Carey. As the match entered its final third, the Reds were dominating possession but struggled to add to their solitary shot on target. In a surprising twist, Adeniyi opted to withdraw Watkins, bringing on Mackenzie Foley for his first appearance since March 1st—and his 30th appearance overall—between the sticks.
The Robins continued to press forward, determined to give their supporters something to cheer about. However, the Hornets’ defenders were quick to close down Sankoh, who had latched onto a lofted pass behind the defence.
They managed to sandwich him, forcing the full-back to lose possession just yards from the visitors’ goal. Despite the scoreline, the Carshalton fans remained in full voice, unwavering in their support.
The board went up, and eight minutes of additional time was indicated. Saraiva saw his curling 25-yard free kick from the left channel denied by a diving Carey, but Horsham quickly countered with pace through Daniel Adjakaiye. The forward found himself one-on-one with Horsley-McKay but, noticing Hammond in acres of space to his right, delayed the pass just long enough to present Hammond with a golden chance to score. However, Hammond’s shot went straight at Foley, who made a straightforward close-range save. Carshalton ended the match with a whimper, as Ifeanyi cut inside and fired a low, powerful shot that stung the palms of Carey.
Unfortunately for Adeniyi’s side, a play-off spot is now mathematically out of reach. The Robins remain in ninth place, level on 61 points with Chatham Town. Meanwhile, Horsham have secured their place in the play-offs. Looking ahead, Carshalton will be hoping to return to winning ways this Good Friday at the Dripping Pan against Lewes.
Up Next
Date: Friday, April 18, 2025
Venue: The Dripping Pan
Kick-off: 03:00 PM
Admission: £13 (Adult), £9 (Concession), Free (Under 16)
Tickets: Buy Tickets Here
