Robins Impress Against Wingate
Carshalton Athletic made it two wins from two with a 2–0 victory over Wingate & Finchley on Monday night.
Following Saturday’s 2–0 win at AFC Whyteleafe, manager Steven Bates named the same starting XI and substitutes as he looked to build on the momentum from the opening-day victory.
On a warm summer evening at Colston Avenue, the game got underway, and the Robins made the perfect start by taking the lead after just four minutes. Carshalton won a corner on the left-hand side, which was taken by Jack Jebb. His inswinging delivery was pinpoint, picking out centre-back Ethan Kaiser, who powered a header into the net to give the Robins an early 1–0 lead.
It was a dream start for Carshalton, who almost doubled their advantage after 10 minutes. A well-worked move ended with Nathan Young-Coombes laying the ball off to Jack Jebb, but his effort was well saved by Charlie Grainger in the Wingate & Finchley goal.
Jebb went close again on 22 minutes. The Robins won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area, and the former Arsenal youngster looked to lift his effort over the wall. It took a deflection off a Wingate player before looping over the crossbar for a corner.
Carshalton created another excellent opportunity on 27 minutes. Another slick move saw the ball played into Nathan Young-Coombes, who flicked it on for Tolu Ladapo to race onto. The winger took a couple of touches before attempting to curl his effort into the bottom corner, but Grainger did well to tip it around the post.
The Robins had been the better side during the opening half hour, but Wingate & Finchley gradually grew into the game as they searched for an equaliser. Their first real opportunity fell to Ashley Nzala, who found himself in a dangerous position before firing towards goal. Ben Dudzinski reacted brilliantly to make the save with his feet.
With half-time approaching, Dudzinski was called into action again. Tobi Tinubu tried his luck from outside the penalty area, but the effort lacked power and the Carshalton goalkeeper got down comfortably to gather.
The referee blew for half-time with the Robins leading 1–0. Carshalton started the second half looking for a second goal and came close in the 53rd minute. The Robins won a free-kick just outside the penalty area, with Jack Jebb delivering into the box. His cross found Fabio Saraiva, whose powerful volley was kept out by Grainger. The ball remained alive and dropped to Ethan Kaiser, but his follow-up effort was deflected over the crossbar.
Wingate enjoyed more possession after the break than they had in the first half, but the visitors struggled to create any clear-cut chances to trouble the Carshalton defence.
The Robins threatened again in the 69th minute when Nathan Young-Coombes burst into the box down the left-hand side. He drove an effort towards goal from a tight angle, but Grainger was equal to it, pushing the ball behind for another corner.
Carshalton finally found the second goal their performance deserved in the 77th minute through captain Fabio Saraiva. The Robins won a free-kick around 30 yards from goal, and Saraiva stood over it with the option of either shooting or delivering into the box. Spotting Grainger positioned slightly to the right of his goal, Saraiva went for goal himself, curling a superb effort into the top corner to send the majority of the 550-strong crowd into celebration and give Carshalton a 2–0 lead with just under 15 minutes remaining.
Wingate continued to push forward in search of a way back into the game and came close in the 85th minute when Ryan Lowe’s free-kick struck the post. However, the Robins were able to clear the danger and preserve their clean sheet.
After five minutes of added time, the referee brought the game to a close, with Carshalton securing back-to-back 2–0 victories to start the season.
Speaking on X after the match, manager Steven Bates said: “What a crowd, the fans were amazing tonight! You inspired the Carshalton players throughout a really tough game!”
First-team coach Kieron Jackson added: “A really impressive performance tonight! An excellent game of football ending in another 2–0 win. Looking forward to another home game on Saturday!”
Next up, the Robins are back at Colston Avenue on Saturday afternoon as they host Cray Wanderers.
Up Next
Date: Saturday 15th August 2026
Opponents: Cray Wanderers
Competition: Isthmian League
KO: 3pm
Venue: Colston Avenue, SM5 2PW
Admissions: Ticket Prices on the gate: Adult £14, Concession £10, U18 £7
Advance online bookings: Adult £13, Concession £9, U18 £6
Online booking closes 3 hours before KO
Tickets: Purchase Here or at the turnstiles
