CAFC Women vs Walton & Hersham – Preview
After five straight wins, Carshalton will be aiming to make it six in a row as they travel to face Walton & Hersham in a crucial league fixture.
Carshalton Athletic – The Season So Far
Following a second-place finish last season and the first piece of silverware in the club’s history – lifting the Surrey Divisional Cup – Carshalton Athletic began their second campaign in women’s football with Aaron Lamont continuing as manager for the 2025/26 season.
Pre-season proved to be something of a mixed bag, with five wins and three defeats from eight fixtures. However, three of those victories came at the end of the schedule, as the Robins recorded impressive 6–1, 6–0 and 11–1 wins over Chessington & Hook, Tooting Bec and Tonbridge Angels respectively, heading into the new season in excellent 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 at the first hurdle. Their league campaign, however, began in emphatic fashion 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 with a 4–1 victory over Merstham, taking their tally to 12 points from four games.
Carshalton then produced a spirited display in the Isthmian League Cup but 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, a narrow 1–0 loss away to Dorking Wanderers U23s.
A response was required, and Carshalton delivered with three consecutive league wins 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 well in their final match before Christmas, securing a 2–0 win away at Croydon FC. The Robins started 2026 strongly with a 3–1 home victory against Merstham, before continuing their Surrey Divisional Cup defence with a 13–0 quarter-final win over South Park Reigate. That result set up a challenging semi-final tie against Dorking Wanderers U23s.
Although they had no competitive fixture the following weekend, Carshalton faced higher-tier opposition in a friendly against Richmond & Kew and produced an impressive performance, running out 5–1 winners.
Three weeks ago, the Robins hosted Chessington & Hook at Colston Avenue and claimed a 6–0 victory. Dee Badley scored four goals – including a hat-trick in a devastating 10-minute spell – while Honey Dulley and Nadia Sabania were also on target.
Last time out, Carshalton welcomed Croydon FC to Colston Avenue and raced into a 6–0 half-time lead thanks to goals from Leanne Bell (2), Honey Dulley (2), Taylor McCrea and Kenza Gueriani. However, Croydon’s goalkeeper sustained an injury early in the second half and required lengthy treatment on the pitch, after which the referee made the decision to abandon the match.
The Title Race
Last season, Farnham Town won the Surrey Premier Division title with 15 wins and just one defeat. Carshalton mounted a strong challenge, winning 13, drawing one and losing two of their 16 matches, but that proved insufficient for either the title or promotion. An average of 2.5 points per game would typically be enough to win a league, yet that may not be the case this season either.
This time, three teams are firmly in contention as the campaign approaches its decisive stages. Dorking currently lead the way with 33 points from 12 games and a goal difference of +45. Sutton United Reserves sit three points behind on 30 points with a goal difference of +41 and boast a 100% record so far, including a 5–4 victory at Colston Avenue. Carshalton are also three points behind Dorking, having recorded ten wins and two defeats, with a goal difference of +54.
The stage is therefore set for a dramatic conclusion, with several pivotal fixtures still to come. Dorking and Sutton face each other twice – in March at Dorking and in April at Sutton – while Carshalton will seek revenge when they travel to the David Weir Leisure Centre to face Sutton at the end of March. With a three-way title race unfolding, further twists and turns seem inevitable, and all three sides will hope to be crowned champions in the spring.
This weekend, all three contenders are away from home. While the Robins travel to sixth-placed Walton & Hersham, Dorking visit fifth-placed Croydon FC and Sutton head to Master Park to face Oxted & District as they aim to preserve their perfect record.
Walton & Hersham
After finishing third in the Surrey Division 1 North last season, Walton & Hersham earned promotion to the Surrey Premier Division. Walton & Hersham Women were formed in 2024 – the same year as Carshalton Athletic Women – underlining the continued growth of the women’s game at two well-established non-league clubs.
Their season began with consecutive home defeats to Chessington & Hook (2–0) and Sutton United Reserves (6–2). They then secured their first win with a 3–0 victory over Croydon FC, before following that with a 3–3 draw at Manorcroft United.
The Swans then endured a difficult afternoon at Colston Avenue, losing 14–0, but responded impressively with back-to-back league wins over Epsom & Ewell (3–2) and Merstham (7–1). However, those remain their most recent league victories, as defeats to Croydon FC (3–1), Manorcroft United (4–0) and Dorking Wanderers U23s (7–1) followed.
Walton & Hersham currently sit sixth in the ten-team division with a record of three wins, one draw and six defeats. With eight matches remaining, they will be determined to finish the season strongly and collect as many points as possible.
Team News
Carshalton had just 12 players available for the abandoned fixture against Croydon. However, with the full 90 minutes not completed, they emerged without injury concerns, and Aaron Lamont will hope to have a full squad to select from on Sunday.
Dee Badley currently leads the league’s Golden Boot race with 18 league goals, followed by Heather Eade on 15. Close behind are Sutton’s Tess Ciccardini on 13 and Dorking’s Holly Crane on 12. Badley will be eager to extend her tally, having scored three in the reverse fixture at Colston Avenue.
Head To Head
The sides met for the first time in October at Colston Avenue, where Carshalton enjoyed a comfortable 14–0 victory. Dee Badley, Heather Eade, Rebecca Sargent and Taylor McCrea each scored hat-tricks, while Georgie Edwards and Amelia Kimble also found the net.
Pre-Match Analysis
Carshalton arrive in strong form, having won their last five matches, including the 6–0 victory over Chessington & Hook at Colston Avenue. Walton & Hersham made a promising start to the season but have struggled in recent weeks, losing five consecutive matches in all competitions. They will be eager to halt that run and secure a positive result against the Robins.
In a title race this tight, Carshalton can ill afford any slip-ups. Dorking’s victory two weeks ago moved them three points clear at the summit, while Sutton’s win kept them level on points with the Robins and three behind the leaders. With both Dorking and Sutton facing away trips this weekend, there is potential for dropped points – something Carshalton will hope to capitalise on with a win of their own.
Elsewhere, the remainder of the league is tightly clustered, with Croydon in fifth and Chessington & Hook in ninth separated by just two points. A victory for Walton & Hersham could lift them as high as fifth, depending on other results, while defeat could see them slip to eighth.
Although several recent fixtures have been postponed due to the weather, there are no such concerns this weekend, with Sunday’s match set to be played on Walton & Hersham’s artificial pitch.
Match Details
Date: Sunday 22nd February 2026
Opposition: Walton & Hersham
Competition: League
Venue: Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub, KT12 2JP
Kickoff: 3pm
Admission: FREE
