CAFC vs Wingate & Finchley – Preview
After Saturday’s opening-day victory over AFC Whyteleafe, it is a quick turnaround for the Robins as they play their first home game of the 2026/27 season against Wingate & Finchley on Monday evening.
Carshalton Athletic
Following a busy summer of preparation, attention now turns fully to the competitive action of the 2026/27 Isthmian League Premier Division campaign.
Carshalton’s pre-season got off to the perfect start with an emphatic 4–0 victory over a Bromley XI, before the Robins faced tougher tests against National League South opposition. Hampton & Richmond Borough edged a 1–0 victory at Colston Avenue, while Farnborough recorded a 3–1 win, with Tope Fadahunsi scoring Carshalton’s consolation.
The Robins then travelled to Hanworth Villa, where Fadahunsi gave them an early lead before two second-half goals turned the game around. Carshalton responded in style against Step Five opposition, recording a 6–0 victory over Sutton Common Rovers, before beating Sheerwater 5–3 in an entertaining encounter featuring several trialists and academy players.
A further attacking statement followed with a remarkable 9–4 win over an AFC Wimbledon XI, with Nathan Young-Coombes scoring four times.
Carshalton rounded off their preparations with a 1–1 draw against Dover Athletic, before beginning their league campaign with a 2–0 away victory over AFC Whyteleafe on Saturday. Prince Kandolo and Jack Jebb both found the net to secure three points for the Robins and provide the perfect start to the new season.
After opening the campaign with an away victory, Carshalton now return to Colston Avenue for their first home league fixture, with Wingate & Finchley the visitors on Monday evening. The Robins will then host Cray Wanderers on Saturday 15th August.
Wingate & Finchley
Wingate & Finchley have a long history within the North London footballing community, with their roots stretching back well beyond the formation of the current club. Finchley FC was founded in 1874, while Wingate FC was established in 1946. The two clubs merged in 1991 to form Wingate & Finchley, with the newly formed side continuing to play at Summers Lane, now known as the Maurice Rebak Stadium.
The club has enjoyed a number of notable periods of success since the merger, progressing through the non-league pyramid before establishing itself in the Isthmian League Premier Division. One of the club’s best modern achievements came in 2016/17, when the Blues finished fifth in the Ryman Premier League and reached the play-offs.
More recently, Wingate have enjoyed another strong spell under manager Ahmet Rifat. The 2023/24 campaign was particularly impressive, as they finished fourth with a club-record 76 points and 78 goals, securing a place in the play-offs before narrowly losing 1–0 to Enfield Town in the semi-final.
The Blues followed that up with an 11th-place finish and 60 points in 2024/25, before finishing 16th in 2025/26 with 46 points. While their league form was less consistent last season, Wingate ended the campaign with silverware, beating Ramsgate 1–0 after extra time in the Velocity Cup final. Afi Adebayo scored the decisive goal in the 109th minute, securing the club’s second League Cup triumph, 15 years after their first.
Head To Head
The sides met four times last season, twice in the FA Cup and twice in the league.
In the first qualifying round of the FA Cup 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 the match, 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 after the break, with an own goal and a strike from Kola Salami bringing Carshalton level. However, Wingate clinched the victory late on thanks to an 89th-minute finish from Ryan Lowe.
The league fixture took place in December at the Maurice Rebak Stadium. Wingate took an early lead through Ayyuba Jambang in the eighth minute, but the Robins turned the game around before half time. Ifeanyi levelled the scores by tapping home from a free kick before Nzuzi’s cross was turned into his own net by a Wingate defender. Carshalton looked set to hold on for all three points, but Alfie Cue equalised in the 93rd minute to make it 2–2, meaning both sides had to settle for a point.
The final meeting came in March at Colston Avenue. The Robins raced into a two-goal lead through Nathan Young-Coombes and Denzel Akyeampong, with the score remaining 2–0 at half time. Carshalton extended their advantage shortly after the restart through a stunning strike from Fabio Saraiva. Wingate pulled a goal back through Romeo Akinola, but Tolu Ladapo’s late penalty sealed a 4–1 victory — a crucial result that helped the Robins secure their place in the division last season.
Team News
Carshalton Athletic
With the new season now underway, Steven Bates’ focus has shifted from building his squad to managing it through the opening weeks of the campaign.
Prince Kandolo and Jack Jebb both scored their first goals for the club in Saturday’s 2–0 victory over AFC Whyteleafe, and both will be looking to add to their tallies as the season progresses.
The short turnaround from Saturday’s opening-day fixture could also lead to some rotation, with Bates potentially making changes to keep the squad fresh and manage the physical demands of playing twice in three days.
The Robins have strengthened across the squad during the summer, with new arrivals including forwards Charles Hagan and Tope Fadahunsi, defender Ethan Kaiser and goalkeepers Ben Dudzinski and John Ross. Leo Young has also returned to the club on a permanent basis after impressing during his loan spell from AFC Wimbledon last season.
Alongside the new arrivals, Bates has retained a strong core of the squad, including Fabio Saraiva, Fikayo Atewologun, Denzel Akyeampong, Kavalli Heywood and Charlie George.
Nathan Young-Coombes will also be hoping to build on his impressive goalscoring record since joining the Robins. The former Brentford forward scored five goals in nine appearances last season and continued his form during pre-season.
After starting the new campaign with three points on the road, Bates will now assess his squad ahead of the first home fixture of the season, with fitness and freshness likely to be important factors following the quick turnaround.
Pre-Match Analysis
Carshalton Athletic head into Monday evening’s fixture with confidence after making the perfect start to their league campaign, securing a 2–0 victory away at AFC Whyteleafe on Saturday. Goals from Prince Kandolo and Jack Jebb gave the Robins all three points, while a clean sheet provided an equally encouraging start to the campaign.
Wingate & Finchley also picked up a point on the opening day, drawing 1–1 at home against Cray Wanderers. The Blues will therefore arrive at Colston Avenue looking to turn their opening-day draw into their first victory of the season.
However, with both sides having played on Saturday, fitness and squad management could play a significant role. The short turnaround gives both managers just over 48 hours to recover their players before another competitive fixture, making changes to the starting line-ups a distinct possibility.
For Carshalton, the challenge will be maintaining the intensity and attacking threat that helped them overcome Whyteleafe while ensuring the squad remains fresh enough to perform again so soon after the opening-day victory.
Wingate will similarly need to balance their desire to claim their first three points with the physical demands of another match in quick succession.
The previous four meetings between the sides produced plenty of drama, including a cup replay and a 4–1 Carshalton victory at Colston Avenue last season. With both teams looking to build early momentum, Monday’s encounter should provide another competitive meeting between two familiar opponents.
Key Player
One of Wingate & Finchley’s new additions ahead of the 2026/27 campaign is forward John Shamalo, who has joined the Blues from Harborough Town.
The 22-year-old centre-forward has already experienced football across a number of levels during his developing career. Shamalo came through the youth system at Luton Town before moving into senior football, with spells at clubs including AFC Dunstable, Biggleswade Town and Barton Rovers. He later joined Barrow, where he spent time on loan at Eastbourne Borough and Bedford Town.
Standing at around 6ft 2in, Shamalo provides a physical presence in the attacking third and has experience playing as both a central striker and from the left side. His pace and strength give him the ability to provide a different type of threat for Wingate, particularly when the Blues look to play directly or attack space behind opposing defences.
His spell at Harborough Town during the second half of last season provided another opportunity to develop his game. Shamalo joined the club from Royston Town in March, having previously scored against Harborough while playing for Royston. In that February meeting, he showed his composure in front of goal by converting an early opportunity and also demonstrated his physical strength when leading the line for the visitors.
For Wingate, Shamalo represents an attacking option with the physical attributes to cause problems for opposing defenders. His ability to hold up the ball, compete physically and stretch a defence could prove valuable as Ahmet Rifat looks to build on last season’s campaign.
With the new season now underway, Shamalo will be hoping his move to North London provides the platform to establish himself as an important part of the Blues’ attacking options.
The Gaffer
Wingate & Finchley manager Ahmet Rifat has become one of the most influential figures in the club’s recent history, both as a player and as a manager.
Rifat spent more than a decade representing the Blues as a player, making over 400 appearances for the club before moving into management. He took charge of the first team in October 2022 and made an immediate impact, beginning his managerial tenure with a 3–0 victory away at Canvey Island.
His first full season in charge, 2022/23, saw Rifat guide Wingate to safety as they finished 16th in the Isthmian Premier Division with 48 points. However, it was the following campaign that established his reputation as one of the division’s standout managers.
In 2023/24, Rifat led the Blues to their highest-ever finish, securing fourth place with a club-record 76 points. Wingate also scored 78 league goals, earning a place in the play-offs for only the second time in their history. Their campaign eventually ended with a narrow 1–0 semi-final defeat to Enfield Town, but Rifat was recognised for his achievements by being named ‘Gaffer of the Season’.
Wingate finished 11th with 60 points in 2024/25 before a more difficult league campaign followed in 2025/26, when they ended the season in 16th place with 46 points. Despite the inconsistency, Rifat’s side finished the season on a high by winning the Velocity Cup, beating Ramsgate 1–0 after extra time.
The cup triumph was particularly significant for Rifat, who had been part of the Wingate side that won the same competition 15 years earlier. He therefore became part of a remarkable piece of club history, lifting the trophy as both a player and manager.
Now entering another season in charge, Rifat will be looking to build on that success and guide Wingate towards another competitive campaign in the Isthmian Premier Division.
Match Details
Date: Monday 10th August 2026
Opponents: Wingate & Finchley
Venue: Colston Avenue, SM5 2PW
Competition: Isthmian League
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Admission: Ticket Prices on the gate: Adult £14, Concession £10, U18 £7
Advance online bookings Adult £13, Concession £9, U18 £6
Online booking closes 3 hours before KO
Tickets: Purchase Here or at the turnstiles
