CAFC vs Lewes FC – Report
Two late goals sealed an emphatic 3–1 victory for Carshalton Athletic over Lewes, marking a confident return to winning ways on Good Friday at The Dripping Pan in the Isthmian Premier Division.
Peter Adeniyi made three changes to his side following last week’s disappointing 3-0 defeat to Horsham. Mackenzie Foley returned to the starting XI in goal, replacing Aaron Watkins, who dropped to the bench. Aziz Sankoh slotted in at full-back, stepping in for captain Paris Hamilton-Downes, who was unavailable for selection. Meanwhile, Nabeel Ghannam was handed a start in midfield alongside Fabio Saraiva and Mason Saunders-Henry, facing his former club Lewes. Michael Dada returned to the squad after serving a one-match suspension following his red card against Chatham Town.
It was a patient opening from Carshalton, with Lewes seeing the lion’s share of possession, though much of it was confined to their own half. Eventually, the Robins’ high press forced a turnover, allowing former Rook Ghannam to break at pace. After a scramble on the edge of the box, the ball broke kindly for Kalvin Kalala, whose low drive lacked venom and was comfortably gathered by Toby Bull.
Moments later, Lewes began to push back, gradually working their way into Carshalton’s half. Approaching the ten-minute mark, Bobby Unwin was played through down the right and delivered a dangerous cross into the area, but fortunately for the visitors, no one in red and black was there to meet it. Carshalton hit back on the counter, and Kalala almost got the better of Lewes captain Joshua Spinks, only for the defender to clear.
Twelve minutes in, a pattern had emerged: Lewes enjoying more of the ball, while the Robins remained a threat on the break. Just before the 20-minute mark, the hosts nearly struck first. A sloppy pass from Foley left Shonibare flat-footed, and Shae Hutchinson raced through on goal. He rounded Foley, but Luke Read made a heroic recovery, sliding in to divert the shot over the bar and keep the score level.
However, signs of complacency began to creep into Carshalton’s game. A string of loose passes allowed Lewes to test Foley’s resolve. Just past the midway point of the half, a short corner routine teed up Bryan Ifeanyi, who cut inside and let fly towards the top corner — forcing Ball into a full-stretch save to tip it over the bar.
As the half progressed, the match turned into a tactical stalemate — a bit of a chess match, with both sides trying to unlock each other’s defence, much to the frustration of a restless crowd. Still, Carshalton’s discipline was clear, frustrating the hosts and winning the ball in dangerous areas through a well-timed press.
Despite growing into the game and showing more attacking intent, the Robins were dealt a sucker punch in the 37th minute. A ball in behind released Hutchinson, who somehow beat Dylan Pepe for pace and calmly slotted past Foley to put Lewes 1–0 up at the break.
Carshalton came out strong in the second half. Saraiva found Ifeanyi deep in his own half, and the winger surged forward before slipping in David Smith on the edge of the box. Smith shifted the ball onto his left foot and curled an effort goalwards, forcing Bull into action.
The Robins continued to press. Ifeanyi again caused problems down the byline, delivering a dangerous cutback that was cleared only as far as Saraiva, whose dipping volley was held by Bull.
With most of the play in Lewes’ half, the Rooks finally had a moment of danger in the second 45 through an arrowed cross that nearly found Marcus Sablier just yards out.
On the hour, Carshalton ramped up the pressure. A flurry of shots and crosses culminated in Ghannam hooking an effort just inches wide. Kalala was emerging as a constant menace, sending in repeated deliveries that forced Bull into action. Ghannam, too, was proving a handful, bursting through the centre and feeding Kalala, though his resulting effort was again tame. Moments later, Ghannam cut inside and unleashed a stinging strike that tested Bull.
And then, finally, the breakthrough. Ghannam — against his former side — danced past his marker with some slick footwork, fired a shot that took a wicked deflection, and left Bull wrong-footed as the ball nestled in the back of the net.
The Robins were level.
High on confidence, Carshalton nearly took the lead minutes later. Ghannam carried the ball across the box and unleashed a sharp, swivelled strike that flew just wide of the far corner. Pepe then joined the attack, his deflected tight-angled effort was spilt by Bull before the keeper recovered.
Lewes weren’t done yet. With ten minutes to go, full-back Izzy Jones squandered a golden opportunity, cutting inside from the left but ballooning his shot high over the bar. The Rooks threatened again, but once more it was Read to the rescue, making a superb last-ditch challenge to deny Hutchinson a second and ensure the Robins left with a hard-earned point.
In the dying embers of the match, Adeniyi’s side roared to life. Bryan Ifeanyi had already issued a warning with a surging run moments earlier, but the Rooks failed to heed it. This time, he made them pay, bursting into the box with blistering pace and rifling a thunderous strike into the roof of the net to give the Reds the lead.
There was still time for a final flourish. Substitute Kola Salami found acres of space down the right channel and delivered a perfectly weighted ball across the face of goal for Tommy Bradford, who calmly side-footed it in off the bar to seal the win in style.
The win lifts Carshalton Athletic above Hashtag United into seventh place on 64 points. Adeniyi’s side now sit six points adrift of play-off contenders Chichester City, who strengthened their position with a 4–0 victory over Cheshunt. There will be hopes that the Robins can carry this momentum into Easter Monday’s crucial clash against Dulwich Hamlet.
Up Next
Date: Monday, April 21, 2025 (Vs Dulwich Hamlet FC)
Venue: Colston Avenue
Kick-off: 03:00 PM
Admission: £11, £8, £5 (online prices), on the gate is a pound dearer.
Tickets: https://form.123formbuilder.com/566
