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CAFC Women vs Wycombe Wanderers – Report

Carshalton Athletic Women were edged 2-1 by Step 5 Wycombe Wanderers in a friendly match at the Burnham Football Ground on a soggy Sunday afternoon.

While Step 5 side Wycombe opted for a youthful, heavily rotated lineup, Aaron Lamont named a strong starting XI for what promised to be a stern test. With regulars Abbey Measures and Kanita Throp rested, opportunities opened up for Honey Dulley and Anna Tilley to make rare starts, having mostly featured from the bench in recent weeks. The matchday squad also included two academy talents—Ray and Scarlett—among the substitutes, alongside a trialist looking to make an impression.

The game got off to an open and lively start, with both sides looking to break in behind early. Five minutes in, it was the Robins who looked the more threatening. Sarah Chapman came inches away from slipping Maria Andrade through on goal, while Heather Eade saw a driven effort cannon off a teammate. Chapman was the first to test the Wycombe keeper, though her curling effort lacked venom and was comfortably gathered. At the other end, Honey Dulley made a vital intervention—sticking out a boot to block a close-range half-volley and keep the scores level.

With rain lashing down, Lamont’s trademark high press had some early success. But as the clock ticked toward the 10-minute mark, the hosts began to grow into the game, finding ways to bypass the press and mount sustained pressure of their own. On the quarter of an hour mark, the hosts came close following a curling free kick that narrowly eluded both the post and the head of the blue shirt at the far post. It had Georgina Solly momentarily worried. By the 20-minute mark, Carshalton were enjoying the lion’s share of possession and circulating the ball confidently. However, it was the hosts who looked more dangerous on the break, particularly when exploiting space down Lamont’s flank.

With the Reds committing so many bodies forward and maintaining a high defensive line, they naturally left themselves exposed to counterattacks. Even so, their recovery defending was commendable—most notably through Edu Andrade, whose last-ditch tackles proved crucial in denying the hosts clear chances. Moments later, Josie Alderman found herself one-on-one with the onrushing goalkeeper but couldn’t quite apply the finish, miscuing her attempt to lift the ball over. Midway through the half, Eade came close when she hooked a low, inswinging corner from Tilley towards the near post, but her effort drifted just wide. Wycombe looked poised to take the lead when the ball was swiftly switched to the opposite flank, where the Chairgirls’ winger found herself in acres of space. But with the goal at her mercy, she sliced her shot well wide, letting Carshalton off the hook. Lamont was not best pleased, appealing for offside.

Entering the final third, it was now Carshalton who were in the ascendancy and pushing to draw first blood. There were a couple of threatening Georgie Edwards set pieces and an audacious effort from Tilley that was powered wide. What was really impressive was the pace at which the ladies were forcing the turnover of possession. A shift in momentum followed, and Wycombe fired a warning shot when a corner delivery fell kindly to an attacker at the byline. She carved out a shooting chance and drove a low effort just inches wide of the far post. As the half drew to a close, the Reds carved out their best chance. The ball fell to Tilley just outside the box; she took a touch to settle before unleashing a strike that looked destined to dip under the bar—but instead,

it grazed the woodwork on its way over. On the stroke of halftime, disaster struck as Wycombe took the lead. The winger surged down the right and whipped in a pinpoint ball across the box, where the attacker took a touch to set herself before volleying home—a cruel blow just before the break.

Lamont made one change at the break, with Dulley making way for Rae. Wycombe came close to doubling their lead early in the second half, nearly capitalising on a defensive mix-up. Edwards’ clearance ricocheted off the onrushing attacker and fell kindly to the striker, who struck it first-time—only to see her effort crash against the crossbar. It was a massive let-off for the Reds. After a lively start, the intensity began to fade as the match settled into a more cautious, cagey contest. Fifty-seven minutes in, Lamont’s trademark high press paid dividends, forcing the Chairgirls’ goalkeeper into a loose pass. An alert Alderman was quick to intercept, but her effort flew high over the bar.

On the hour mark, the Robins drew level through Riley. The full-back showed great composure to hold onto possession on the left side of the box, before shifting it onto her stronger left foot and curling a superb strike beyond the outstretched arm of the diving goalkeeper and into the far corner.

She wheeled away in celebration, running straight to embrace manager Lamont. The match then erupted into an intense, end-to-end battle. Solly came to the Robins’ rescue with two outstanding saves in quick succession—first tipping over a fierce strike destined for the roof of the net, then reacting brilliantly to deny a close-range shot from a Chairgirls corner with a stunning diving stop.

At the other end, Eade nearly forced an error from the goalkeeper, charging down her clearance and sending the deflection looping just over the bar.

Midway through the half, Solly was called into action once again—springing off her line to make a sharp diving save and parry the ball clear. The follow-up effort drifted wide. A few minutes later, the ball fell kindly to Alderman, but she couldn’t connect cleanly, dragging her shot just wide of the post. As the match entered its final third, Lamont handed valuable minutes to academy prospect Scarlett and a trialist, with Chapman and Eade making way. With ten minutes remaining, most of the action had unfolded in Wycombe’s half, but Carshalton had failed to seriously test the Chairgirls’ goalkeeper for some time. Despite their territorial advantage, the hosts remained a threat on the break. The Robins’ performance had started to lose its spark, and frustration was creeping in—evident in a string of cynical fouls that gifted Wycombe free kicks in dangerous areas.

The ladies were punished in the 87th minute when a set piece from the left flank, just inside the Reds’ half, was whipped into the penalty area. After Solly spilled the ball, a chaotic scramble ensued, and a blue-shirted player was on hand to stab it home from close range. The final action of the game saw Trialist burst through on goal, but fire the wrong side of the post.

Although the hosts narrowly edged out Lamont’s side 2-1, the ladies put on an impressive performance against a team two divisions higher. There will be hopes that the Robins can bounce back to winning ways in their penultimate league match against Sutton United Reserves at the end of April, before facing crucial Surrey Premier and cup final ties against Farnham Town and Croydon FC respectively.

Up Next

Date: Sunday, April 27, 2025
Opposition: Sutton United Reserves
Venue: Collingwood Recreation Ground
Kick-Off: 14:00
Admission: Free