Robins Win At Sutton
Carshalton Athletic made it eight wins from their last nine games with a 2–0 victory over Sutton United Reserves at the David Weir Leisure Centre.
Manager Aaron Lamont made three changes to the side that faced Bognor Regis Town last weekend. Abigail Claringbold, Xaidan Gooding and Bianca Underhill returned to the starting XI in place of McCrea, White and Gueriani. Krystal Hudson-Odoi and Suzanne Davies also returned to the squad on the bench after missing the last few games.
The match got underway on a chilly afternoon, with the hosts starting quickly and nearly taking the lead in the opening minutes. A shot was pushed away by Beth Yarrow, and Sutton nearly capitalised on the rebound, but Georgie Edwards recovered well to block the follow-up effort, which went out for a corner.
Carshalton responded at the other end. On six minutes, Bianca Underhill delivered a corner from the left-hand side which found Dee Badley, but she could only turn her effort onto the post before the hosts cleared. Just a minute later, Underhill sent in a low cross from the right. This time it found Remmi Gardner, but the recent signing was unable to hit the target, firing wide.
The Robins were on top in the early stages and went close again on 17 minutes. A free kick from around 25 yards out was taken by Leanne Bell, whose powerful effort drifted just over the crossbar. However, the breakthrough came moments later. On 20 minutes, Bell lofted the ball into the penalty area, where it bounced awkwardly and looped over the Sutton goalkeeper into the back of the net. It was a cruel way for the hosts to concede, but Carshalton deserved their 1–0 lead.
The Robins nearly doubled their advantage on 25 minutes after another Underhill corner caused chaos in the Sutton penalty area. The ball eventually fell to captain Georgie Edwards, but she could only poke her effort wide of the post.
As half-time approached, the hosts introduced former Robin Sarah Chapman, who soon broke through on goal and struck a low effort. Beth Yarrow was equal to it, getting down well to push the ball away, before the referee blew for half-time shortly after.
Aaron Lamont would have been pleased to go into the break ahead, particularly given the windy conditions and bobbly surface at the David Weir Leisure Centre, which made it difficult to play the free-flowing football usually seen at Colston Avenue.
Carshalton started the second half brightly and nearly scored within the opening minute. Krystal Hudson-Odoi showed no signs of rustiness on her return, taking a touch before firing a volley at goal, but the Sutton goalkeeper was well positioned to gather the effort.
A one-goal lead remained precarious, though the Robins continued to create the better chances. On 58 minutes, Dee Badley played a perfectly weighted through ball to Honey Dulley, who raced onto it and struck towards goal, but her effort went just wide of the far post. Soon after, Georgie Edwards stepped up for a free kick from 30 yards, but her strike also drifted narrowly wide.
Carshalton continued to push for a second goal. On 65 minutes, they broke on the counter-attack as Bell slipped a pass through to top scorer Dee Badley, who struck from outside the box, but the Sutton goalkeeper dealt with it comfortably.
Aaron Lamont then turned to his bench, bringing on Taylor McCrea for the closing stages – and the substitution made an immediate impact. Underhill delivered another ball in from the right, which was flicked on by a Sutton defender, evading the goalkeeper. McCrea was perfectly placed to tap home with her first touch of the game, doubling the Robins’ lead to 2–0.
With breathing space now secured, Carshalton pushed for a third. On 75 minutes, Badley was played through and had a great opportunity, but dragged her shot wide. She then turned provider on 79 minutes, threading a clever pass through to McCrea, but the Sutton goalkeeper rushed out quickly to narrow the angle and make the save.
As time ran down, Sutton threw everything forward in search of a way back into the game. A forward looked to latch onto a ball over the top, but Underhill tracked back well to make a crucial challenge. Yarrow was then called into action late on, doing well to hold onto a shot from the right-hand side of the penalty area and secure a clean sheet.
The referee blew for full-time with the Robins running out 2–0 winners, avenging their 5–4 defeat at Colston Avenue earlier in the season. It was an important result, as a draw or defeat would have mathematically secured the title for Dorking Wanderers U23s, following their 5–0 win at Walton & Hersham.
The Robins now sit 12 points behind Dorking but have three games in hand. They will need to win all remaining matches and hope Dorking lose to Sutton in their final game of the season – a combination that would see Carshalton claim the title.
Next up, the Robins return to league action on Sunday 12th April in a must-win clash at Colston Avenue against Oxted & District.
Up Next
Date: Sunday 12th April 2026
Opponents: Oxted & District
Competition: League
KO: 2:30pm
Venue: Colston Avenue, SM5 2PW
Admissions: FREE
