Robins Beaten By Dartford
Carshalton Athletic suffered their first home league defeat of the season on Saturday afternoon, losing 3–0 to Dartford at Colston Avenue.
Manager Steven Bates made three changes to the side that lost to Chertsey Town in midweek. Jack Jebb and Ethan Kaiser both missed out, while Tolu Ladapo started the game on the bench. Fikayo Atewologun was brought into the starting XI for his first start of the season, while there was also a return to the starting line-up for Renedi Masampu. There was also a debut for Jordan Maguire-Drew, who joined the club following a spell at Horsham YM.
The game got underway on a sunny afternoon at Colston Avenue, with the visitors starting the brighter of the two sides and creating a couple of opportunities in the opening 10 minutes. In the 6th minute, Max Fiddes hit an effort at goal, but saw his shot comfortably held by Ben Dudzinski. A few minutes later, Jez Pinder tried his luck for Dartford, cutting inside before shooting, but his effort was straight at Dudzinski.
Dartford were on top and made their pressure count, opening the scoring in the 21st minute. Jez Pinder unleashed a left-footed shot which gave Dudzinski no chance, flying right into the top-left corner to give the Darts a 1–0 lead.
Dartford had a couple of half chances after taking the lead. Sam Odaudu struck a low drive at goal which was routinely collected by Dudzinski. Ben Greenhalgh then attempted a lob from distance, but his effort went just over the crossbar.
The visitors doubled their lead in the 40th minute. Max Fiddes was brought down outside the penalty area, and a free kick was awarded. Player/Manager Ben Greenhalgh stood over the free kick and curled it right into the top corner to make it 2–0 to Dartford.
Carshalton continued to work hard in the first half and put balls into the box, but they were unable to create any chances of real note. The referee blew his whistle for half time, with Dartford deserving of their two-goal lead.
Dartford were looking for more in the second half and went close again. Ben Greenhalgh hit a vicious strike at goal, but Dudzinski did well to push it away for a corner. However, Dartford were then given a fantastic opportunity to extend their lead further when they were awarded a penalty. A Dartford player was brought down in the box following a corner kick, and the referee pointed to the spot.
Dan Smith stepped up to take the penalty and fired the ball low to Dudzinski’s left, with the ball hitting the back of the net to make it 3–0. Dudzinski guessed correctly, but was unable to get a touch on the effort – a goal that effectively sealed the game for the Darts.
Despite the scoreline, Carshalton were still looking to get back into the game. Two substitutes combined when Ada Okorogheye slipped the ball through to Tolu Ladapo. The Robins winger jinked his way into the penalty area and tried to aim for the far corner, but his effort drifted agonisingly wide of the far post.
With just a few minutes remaining, the Robins won a free kick just outside the penalty area. Nathan Young-Coombes stepped up to take it and curled his effort over the wall. The strike was heading for the top corner, but Ryan Sandford was alert to it, pushing the ball away. The ball remained in play, and Ada Okorogheye struck the rebound at goal. The effort was saved by the feet of Sandford before hitting the crossbar and eventually being cleared.
After a brief period of injury time, the referee blew his whistle for full time, as Dartford ran out 3–0 winners at Colston Avenue. On the balance of play, Carshalton can have few complaints about the result, with Dartford making the most of their opportunities and controlling large periods of the game. The Robins will need to dust themselves down quickly, though, with another game coming up in just a few days.
Up next, it’s a quick turnaround, with the Robins making the trip to The Dripping Pan to take on Lewes on Tuesday evening, with kick-off at 7:45pm.
Up Next
Date: Tuesday 15th September 2026
Opponents: Lewes FC
Competition: Isthmian League
KO: 7:45pm
Venue: The Dripping Pan, BN7 2XA
Admissions: Adult £15, Concession £11, U16 Free
Tickets: Purchase Here or at the turnstiles
