Carshalton Fight Back Against Cray Wanderers
Carshalton Athletic roared back from two goals down to earn a 2–2 draw with Cray Wanderers on a rainy afternoon at Colston Avenue.
After a tough few weeks for the Robins, manager Peter Adeniyi made one change to the side that narrowly lost at Brentwood last weekend. Fikayo Atewologun made his first start since the win over Billericay, with Aziz Sankoh dropping to the bench. With only two Isthmian Premier League games scheduled due to the FA Cup, this was a valuable opportunity for both sides to climb the table.
The game began with the visitors creating the first chance. Luke Allen’s free-kick from the left was pushed away by Matt Kerbey. At the other end, Bryan Ifeanyi made a strong run down the right and delivered an early low cross to Kola Salami, but the forward couldn’t quite connect properly, and the ball looped over the bar.
Ifeanyi continued to threaten on the right, delivering another dangerous ball into the box on 14 minutes. This time, his high cross struck the top of the crossbar and bounced out for a goal kick.
After a relatively quiet opening, the match sprang into life on 27 minutes. Tommy Bradford played in Salami, whose shot was saved by Cray goalkeeper Harry Seaden.
Moments later, Carshalton had a free-kick just outside the area, but it was cleared and Cray quickly launched a counterattack. With no Robins player covering the halfway line, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera drove forward from deep inside his own half. He eventually laid it off to Kareem Isiaka, whose shot was deflected wide for a corner.
That was a warning sign for Carshalton, but just minutes later Cray were awarded a penalty. Josh Williams and Ricky Korboa tangled in the box, and the referee pointed to the spot. Alex Hernandez stepped up and slotted the ball low to Kerbey’s left.
Although the keeper got a touch, he couldn’t keep it out. Cray had the lead.
On 40 minutes, it was 2–0. After Hernandez saw a shot deflected wide, Williams curled in an inswinging corner from the right that evaded everyone, including Kerbey, and went straight in. Despite protests from the Carshalton goalkeeper, the goal stood. The Robins now had a mountain to climb.Just before the break, Carshalton nearly pulled one back. Ifeanyi laid the ball off to Bradford, whose powerful strike crashed against the crossbar and went behind.
Carshalton needed a strong second-half response, but it was Cray who created the first opportunity after the restart. Isiaka was played through but fired over first time.
At the other end, the Robins felt they should have had a penalty when Luke Read appeared to be brought down in the box. To the frustration of the 415-strong crowd, the referee waved away the appeals.
Just three minutes later, however, Carshalton got their breakthrough. Bradford’s corner from the right was initially cleared, but only as far as Luke Read, whose glancing header found the corner of the net.
The Robins were back in the game and pushing forward. They thought they had equalised soon after through Olly Hamstead, but his goal was ruled out.
Midway through the half, Adeniyi made a triple substitution: Shonibare, Hamstead, and Salami made way for Smith, Muirhead, and debutant Tolu Ladapo. Ladapo, a former Lewes forward, had impressed in pre-season but had been sidelined with injury. He almost made an immediate impact, forcing a save from Seaden with his first effort.
Carshalton were in the ascendancy. With 15 minutes to go, Ifeanyi had a shot saved, and the rebound fell to Mason Saunders-Henry, who fired over. Just three minutes later, the Robins got their deserved equaliser. Bradford whipped in a free-kick, and it fell kindly to Ladapo, who poked the ball home.
Carshalton weren’t content with just a point and continued to press for a winner. Korboa broke down the left and cut the ball back to Ifeanyi, whose shot was once again saved by Seaden. Moments later, Read whipped in a cross to Ladapo, but his header was also stopped by the Cray keeper. Korboa then had a deflected effort that went out for a corner.
Adeniyi made his final changes, bringing on Aziz Sankoh and Lucas Dyer to inject fresh energy. Despite their pressure, the Robins couldn’t find a winner, and the referee blew for full-time.
While the three points eluded them, Adeniyi will be pleased with his side’s resilience to fight back from two goals down. The improved performance will give the squad confidence ahead of a tough trip to Chatham Town next weekend.
Up Next
Date: Saturday 20th September 2025
Opponents: Chatham Town FC
Competition: Isthmian Premier League
KO: 3pm
Venue: The Bauvill Stadium, ME4 6LR
Admissions: Get Tickets Here – Adults £15, Conc (60+ /Students) £10, U16 £5
