CAFC Women vs Merstham – Preview
Carshalton Athletic return to action after the Christmas break as they welcome Merstham to Colston Avenue on Sunday, in their first game of 2026.
Carshalton Athletic – The Season So Far
Following a second-place finish last season and the first piece of silverware in the club’s history with victory in the Surrey Divisional Cup, Carshalton Athletic began their second season in women’s football with Aaron Lamont continuing as manager for the 2025/26 campaign.
Pre-season proved to be a mixed bag, with Carshalton winning five and losing three of their eight fixtures. However, three of those five victories came at the end of pre-season, with the Robins recording impressive wins of 6–1, 6–0 and 11–1 over Chessington & Hook, Tooting Bec and Tonbridge Angels respectively, heading into the new season in strong form.
There were high hopes for Carshalton’s debut in the FA Cup, but the Robins were beaten 3–1 by a strong South London FC side, exiting the competition at the first hurdle. Their league campaign, however, got off to an impressive start with a 9–0 victory away at Manorcroft United, despite being reduced to ten players following the dismissal of goalkeeper Beth Yarrow.
That result was followed by a dramatic 3–2 win over Dorking Wanderers U23s, with Kenza Gueriani netting a stoppage-time winner. Carshalton were then awarded three points after Epsom & Ewell withdrew from their scheduled league fixture due to a lack of players. The Robins continued their strong start by defeating Merstham 4–1, taking their tally to 12 points from four games.
Carshalton then put in a spirited performance in the Isthmian League Cup, but ultimately fell to a 3–0 defeat against Sutton United, who compete in Tier 5, two divisions above the Robins. That was followed by their first league defeat of the season, losing a tight encounter 1–0 away to Dorking Wanderers U23s.
A response was needed, and Carshalton delivered with three consecutive league victories against Manorcroft United (16–2), Walton & Hersham (14–0) and Oxted & District (5–0).
The Robins began their defence of the Surrey Divisional Cup with an entertaining 4–3 victory over Sutton United Reserves to reach the quarter-finals. However, they exited the Capital Intermediate Cup at the first hurdle, losing 2–0 to a well-organised Tooting Bec side.
Carshalton’s 100% home league record came to an end with a narrow 5–4 defeat to Sutton United Reserves, but they responded positively in their final match before Christmas, securing a 2–0 win away at Croydon FC. That result saw the Robins head into the festive break top of the table, with eight games remaining.
Merstham
During the off-season, AFC Whyteleafe merged with Merstham, with the club now operating under the name Merstham FC. Speaking on the merger, AFC Whyteleafe chairman Kelly Waters said:
“One of our challenges was the lack of a girls’ player pathway to have enough players at the right standard. Knowing Merstham had a girls’ pathway but no senior team at that level, Sarah (Collett, Merstham Director of Football) and I wondered if a merger might be the perfect way to strengthen the women’s team and help the women to succeed. Whyteleafe’s players, staff and league place merging with Merstham’s pathway, infrastructure and director seemed like a perfect match.”
As AFC Whyteleafe last season, it is fair to say the campaign was a difficult one. They finished bottom of the London & South East Regional League Division 1 North, suffering relegation after recording zero wins, one draw and 21 defeats.
Now wearing amber and black instead of green and white, the Moatsiders appear to have found a more suitable level of competition. They began their season in September with a narrow 3–2 defeat to Tooting Bec in the FA Cup, before picking up a 2–0 home victory over Croydon FC in their league opener. That was followed by a close 4–3 defeat away to Sutton United Reserves.
October started with a 4–1 loss to the Robins, although Merstham did take an early lead in that match. They then suffered a 6–5 defeat in an end-to-end contest against Oxted & District, before impressing with a 5–2 win over Chessington & Hook. A trip to Dorking Wanderers U23s followed, with the Wanderers running out 5–0 winners.
November began with cup action. Merstham drew 2–2 with Walton & Hersham in the Surrey Divisional Cup last 16, before exiting on penalties in a tense 6–5 shootout. A 5–2 defeat followed in the Capital Intermediate Cup last 32 against a strong Sporting Duet side.
Back in league action, Merstham were beaten 7–1 by Walton & Hersham, but they ended 2025 on a positive note with a 2–1 victory over Epsom & Ewell. That result left the Moatsiders sitting sixth in the Surrey Premier Division at the end of the year.
Team News
In their last outing against Croydon FC, Aaron Lamont handed a debut to Nadia Sabania, and the young midfielder seized her opportunity, scoring both goals in a 2–0 win. She will hope that performance has firmly placed her in Lamont’s plans for the remainder of the season.
With a four-week break since that victory over Croydon, the Robins have had time to recover after a busy schedule that has seen them play 21 matches so far this season, including friendlies. The squad will have benefited from time to recover from any injuries or niggles picked up towards the end of 2025, and Lamont will be hopeful of having a full squad available for the clash with Merstham.
Head to Head
The sides met for the first time in league competition back in October. At the Hybrid Fitness Stadium, it was the hosts who took an early lead through Isata Kamara. However, the Robins responded with two quick goals before half-time, both scored by Dee Badley, to give Carshalton a 2–1 lead at the break.
Carshalton continued to push forward in the second half, extending their lead on 65 minutes through Heather Eade. Eade then turned provider on 78 minutes, picking out substitute Kenza Gueriani, who headed home to seal a 4–1 victory for the Robins.
Pre-Match Analysis
With a long break since their last competitive fixtures, both sides will be eager to get back into action, so a lively start can be expected. In the previous meeting, Merstham began strongly and took an early lead. The Moatsiders have been effective in front of goal this season, scoring 19 goals in eight league matches, so the Robins will need to remain solid defensively to prevent that tally from increasing.
Carshalton currently sit top of the league, three points ahead of Sutton United Reserves and Dorking Wanderers U23s. However, the Robins have played two more games than Dorking and three more than Sutton. With the title race shaping up to be a three-horse contest, Carshalton cannot afford to drop further points if they want to secure the title.
The rest of the division is also extremely tight, with just three points separating fourth place from ninth. Sitting sixth, Merstham know that a victory could see them climb as high as fourth, depending on other results.
Match Details
Date: Sunday 4th January 2026
Opposition: Merstham FC
Competition: League
Venue: Colston Avenue, SM5 2PW
Kickoff: 2:30 pm
Admission: FREE
