CAFC vs Wingate & Finchley – Preview
After back-to-back defeats against St Albans and Cray Valley PM, the Robins will be looking to return to winning ways on Saturday as they travel to face Wingate & Finchley.
Carshalton Athletic
After their six-game unbeaten league run came to an end, the Robins have now suffered two narrow defeats – first to St Albans in stoppage time, then 1–0 to Cray Valley PM. Despite the results, there were encouraging signs in both performances. Manager Peter Adeniyi will hope his side can turn their fortunes around against a Wingate & Finchley team who have significantly improved following a slow start to the season.
Wingate & Finchley
Wingate & Finchley endured a difficult opening to the campaign, collecting just one point from their first six matches. Since then, however, they have been transformed, earning 24 points from their next 12 fixtures. Their resurgence has moved them up to 12th in the league after 18 games.
Head to Head
The sides have already met twice this season in the FA Cup. In the first qualifying round at Colston Avenue back in August, the original tie ended goalless on a wet and windy afternoon. Tommy Bradford came closest for Carshalton when his header struck the bar, while Wingate also had opportunities to win it, forcing a replay three days later at the Maurice Rebak Stadium.
In the replay, Wingate raced into a 2–0 lead with two first-half goals from Camilo Restrepo. The Robins responded quickly in the second half with an own goal and a strike from Kola Salami to level the tie, but Wingate clinched the win late on thanks to an 89th-minute finish from Ryan Lowe.
The teams also met twice in the league last season. At Colston Avenue, Carshalton surged into a 2–0 lead through a Dominic Vose brace, only for Wingate to hit back with excellent goals from Luke Deslandes and Ben Frempah. With the match level at 2–2, club legend Paris Hamilton-Downes bundled in a dramatic late winner to secure a 3–2 victory – a result that briefly sent the Robins top of the Isthmian League.
In the reverse fixture at the Maurice Rebak Stadium, Wingate struck early through Frempah and Andronicos Georgiou. David Smith pulled one back before the break, but despite sustained second-half pressure from the Robins, Wingate held firm to claim a 2–1 win, leaving last season’s head-to-head evenly split.
Pre-Match Analysis
Wingate & Finchley have won their last four home matches against Carshalton and will feel confident heading into Saturday’s clash, especially after eliminating the Robins from the FA Cup earlier this season.
While Carshalton have a free midweek to prepare, Wingate face Cheshunt in the Velocity Cup fourth round on Tuesday. Given that the League Cup match gives them only 4 days to prepare, it could be the Robins that are the fresher of the two sides on Saturday.
The Gaffer
Ahmet Rifat took charge of Wingate & Finchley in October 2022, guiding them to safety with a 16th-place finish. In 2023/24, he oversaw a remarkable 4th-place finish – the highest in the club’s history – followed by a solid 11th-place campaign with 60 points last season.
A true Wingate stalwart, Rifat made over 400 appearances for the club as a player and is now in his 18th season across various roles. Deeply connected to the club, he will be eager to continue building his legacy. After a slow start this year, his side have found their rhythm and now sit comfortably in mid-table, with recent form suggesting they could push even higher in the coming weeks.
Match Details
Date: Saturday 6th December 2025
Opponents: Wingate & Finchley
Competition: Isthmian Premier League
Venue: Maurice Rebak Stadium, Summers Ln, London N12 0PD
Kick-off: 3pm
Admission: Adult: £14, Concession: £9, 10-16yrs: £5, U10: Free, NHS Staff & Carer of Disabled: Free
Tickets: buy tickets here
