​“Saturday was very different,” commented Manager James Bracken after the 1-0 defeat to Merstham. “We had four great chances to score and we’ve not managed to put any of them away.

“Tonight – debatable penalty aside, there were no chances. That’s the truth. I cannot remember their keeper needing to make a good save.

“When Merstham scored, it gave them confidence and by rights, their nine should’ve scored a hat-trick. So, we need to improve, certainly on that first half.

“We showed better intensity in the last ten minutes and became more of a threat. That’s not good enough. We must be intense right from kick-off. If you find yourself 3-0 up after an hour, that’s when you can play a little more comfortably.  

“We’re getting into good areas. We’re playing some good football, but perhaps overplaying at times. How many crosses have we put into dangerous areas? I don’t remember one. Too many crosses have hit the first defender or gone out for a goal kick.

 “For all our good play, we get into dangerous areas and then descend into stepovers, drag-backs and the like. We need to simplify things.

“No one will work harder than us to rectify that in training and analysing this week.

“This level of football is about being consistent. Dan (Pringle) said to me ‘that’s typical us. We never play the same way in succession.’ It’s frustrating because we approach each game in the same way, but it wavers between good performances and flat ones like tonight was.

“The team we picked for the first game of the season was what I thought is the strongest side I could pick. On the day, we were the better side. Tonight, apart from one change, we pick the same side and expected them to perform somewhat close to what they did at the weekend. Unfortunately, they haven’t.

“I’ll certainly analyse everything that we as a management team did. Have we made mistakes? Did we pick the right side? Should we have freshened things up? These are all great questions, retrospectively. The bottom line is the players should’ve done better. And they know that.

“The plan this season is to score more goals and we have goal-scorers in this squad. But where were the passes flying across the face of the goal for them to pounce on? Where’s the ball in behind that they can run onto? We can’t expect them to create their own chances.

“Anyone can beat anyone in this league. It’ll be topsy-turvy. Carshalton finished second last season and they’ve lost the first two games. Anything is possible. We must make sure we don’t panic and dramatically change things too much. There’ll be boys on the bench or not involved, who came down anyway because they’re great lads, who’ll be looking at me wondering if they’re in with a chance on Saturday.

And Bracken put out a warning to his squad for the need to step-up their game.

“Bottom line, I’ll never put out a side who I don’t think is good enough to win. If I don’t think they’re good enough, I’ll get new players in. That’s not a threat, just a truth.

“I won’t just watch us lose and lose again. I have people calling me constantly about bringing in new players… good players. And that includes pro-clubs offering me players, just this week that I’ve turned down.

“Why have I turned them down? On Saturday, I saw enough to believe in this squad. I want to build a side that trains with me every week, buys into your principals of what we’re trying to achieve. We’ve put a lot of time into these players over the last few months. They’re a good bunch with good attitudes and you want to back them.
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“But the bottom line is, they must step up and deliver consistent level of performances, because this group of players are good enough to be better than the decent sides in this division.”

Corinthian-Casuals 0 - 1 Merstham
Isthmian League Premier Division
Tuesday 13th August 2019
Report: Cameron Smith. Photos: Stuart Tree (set here)

Corinthian-Casuals’ second attempt at drawing blood in the new season was gate-crashed by Merstham, who held onto a 1-0 win at King George’s Field despite two controversial refereeing decisions and a second-half domination of possession from the hosts.

“It’s an intense 90-minute battle for every point. Wins and draws should be celebrated. All sides have our respect because the level here is good. If your intensity is not up to scratch, you’ll lose no matter who you play.” James Bracken’s post-match comments after the 1-0 defeat at Haringey Borough on Saturday was a rousing and truthful omen of what is to come in the 19/20 Premier Division.

Just like Corinthians, Merstham were dealt with a difficult blow on the weekend in their season opener. Despite taking the lead, the Moatsiders conceded twice in the last thirty minutes to lose 2-1 versus Hornchurch- a short trip to Tolworth on Tuesday was their chance to rectify the lost points.

There was one change from the energetic Casuals side that were condemned in North London: Hakeem Adelakun was at left-back ahead of Warren Morgan. 

Red shirts invaded Danny Bracken’s box in the opening ten minutes, with the visitors clearly starting the brightest. Splitting the pink and brown defence completely, Merstham’s impressive football allowed Omar Folkes to side-foot a cross from the left into the net with ease. The few behind the goal celebrated as King George’s seemed shell-shocked- it was 1-0 Merstham. Moments after the definitive strike, Frank Wilson’s team nearly grabbed another when Folkes blasted a golden opportunity over the bar. It was a lifeline for the Casuals, who began to read the game better and settle. Set-pieces failed to be capitalised upon even with specialist Josh Uzun donning the no.7 shirt again.

Merstham missed another great effort down one end, and in truth, Wilson's side could’ve easily had the game wrapped up at half time. For Casuals, there were clusters of half-chances when Oliver Sitch’s work-rate and Nathaniel Pinney’s hold-up play excited the Casuals contingent behind the goal. A Sitch effort was blocked by a Merstham player’s hand, but hadn’t been spotted by the referee, which riled the Casuals fans and players. These little sparks of anticipation carried on until half-time with the home side 1-0 down.

Improvements were clear from as soon as the game was re-started; a Pinney shot narrowly missed the keeper’s left-hand post as the new no.9’s quest for his first competitive goal for Casuals continued. It would be short-sighted to not speak of another clear penalty that were turned down by the referee but Casuals deserve credit for a lively second-half full of possession that just seem to fizzle out, whether it was Merstham’s committed defensive display or the lack of clinical finishing. 

If one penalty claim against was not enough, there was another one, which was worse. In the area again, Morgan was causing trouble and when Sinn Kaye Christie clattered into the no.15 with two feet without winning any of the ball, Casuals fans deserved to be outraged when the referee not only did not give the stonewall penalty, but decided it was a free kick to the opposition.

Casuals were determined to equalise but it was to no avail. Their second game of the season was another 1-0 loss. There can be no complaints about the visitors being the winners seeing as Casuals failed to seriously test Merstham stopper Matte Pierson on any single occasion. Merstham once again prove to be Casuals’ bogey side, with just two wins from the previous 17 Isthmian League encounters – a record that’s unlikely to be matched for its one-sidedness by any other club.

Find out what Manager James Bracken had to say after the match.

"​I felt we deserved to win," said Manager James Bracken following the 1-0 loss at Haringey on the opening day of the season. "We’ve created four or five clear-cut chances throughout the game and their goal has come via an error at the back.

"I’ll be honest, I thought we looked every bit the side I want us to be. Another day, I back us to take those missed chances and we come out of here with a 4-1 win, raising some eyebrows.

"But we lost and we’ll need to come back and do better. That’ll never change. We’ll always look to improve on our last performance. We have a good squad. They're capable. I’d hold my hands up and say if they weren’t. It was solely a day where we didn’t take our chances, made one error and came away with no points.

"I’ll look at it as we’re a point down on where we should be, because we didn’t score. The error has only really cost us a draw. I won’t look at it as three points dropped but they were there to be taken.

"I’m not worried though. In the past, I might have been concerned if we had the players that could take those chances, or even creating those opportunities. We’ve lived off half-chances at times but now, I back the boys in the squad to only get better. We created chances, we were hard to create chances against and the more we play, the more we’ll gel. With a few new boys in the squad, it’ll soon become a well-oiled machine and we’ll see the results from that.

"There’s no pressure on the next game following that result. If we want to challenge for the league then there’s pressure on every single match, but that’s on us anyway. We won’t approach it any differently. I trust all of the boys in the squad to be able to get us results and we’ll take it three points at a time. We’ll look to put a run of form together as often as we can. Realistically, we’re not going to win the next fifteen games on the bounce but it’ll be nice to put some runs of four or five matches together, supplemented with a draw here and there. If we stay fit and healthy, there’s no reason why that’s not achievable.

“After one season in this league, we know what the level of physicality and intensity is required. We must pick a side that is up for the challenge. If we look back to our opening match last season at Margate we had a few boys in that game that weren’t ready for it. Against Haringey on Saturday, I knew each and every one of those players were ready. It’s an intense 90-minute battle for every point. Wins and draws should be celebrated. All sides have our respect because the level here is good. If your intensity is not up to scratch, you’ll lose no matter who you play. 

"We found those levels last season when we won six on the bounce and we’ll approach it in similar ways."

Haringey Borough 1 - 0 Corinthian-Casuals
Isthmian League Premier Division
Saturday 10th August 2019
Report: Cameron Smith. Photos: Stuart Tree (full set here)

​It was a frustrating opening to the 2019/20 BetVictor Isthmian Premier Division for the creative yet ultimately luckless Corinthian-Casuals, who were condemned to a 1-0 defeat at Haringey Borough on a temperamental Saturday afternoon.

Cast your mind back to the very end of last season, the 4-0 loss at Whitehawk ended the 2018/19 campaign on a disappointing note despite the remarkable efforts by the Amateurs in finishing in 17th and placing above local rivals Kingstonian. The seaside loss would not be the final game of football the Casuals contingent would see before the new season, as an historical trip to Budapest loomed. 

The squad for Casuals on the cloudy afternoon in North London included a few new & returning names recruited by James Bracken over the summer. Andrew Mills returned to Casuals and shifted in at centre-back ahead of Reece Hannigan - on a sabbatical, whilst Player of the Season Jack Strange threw on his no.4 shirt and partnered newbie Mills in the centre. With Spencer on the right and Morgan on the left, the defence looked the perfect balance of strength, height, composure and pace. Ekim, Antonio and Serbony stacked a familiar midfield whilst Josh Uzun’s impressive pre-season earned him a place on the pitch. New no.9 Nathaniel Pinney was up-front alongside Oliver Sitch in a new look attack. For the substitutes, Maan, Dillon and Tucker were familiar names to the faithful and they were joined by Leon Lalor-Dell and Michael Dixon.

Four points from the two games played against Haringey last season, Bracken’s army visited Coles Park Stadium with fond memories of the 2-2 thriller back in March. With Tom Loizou still at the wheel, Borough look to improve on their best ever season in which they finished 3rd, but failed to win the play-offs and promote themselves.

Pink and brown clashed with bright yellow as the referee’s whistle got the match underway. Congested and tetchy, the two teams were back and forth in both possession and opportunities, but both clearly affected by the high winds, occasional sun and lashing of rain. Serbony paced through on goal and released a powerful effort that whistled just wide of the post after ten minutes, but Bracken was kept busy too, especially where a long-ranger forced the no.1 into a diving save. The work rate of Sitch deserves commendation, even if his energetic performance could not conjure an opening goal. It was an extremely equal half, with Casuals and Haringey showing defensive and attacking sturdiness. It looked as if the only way a goal would be scored would be via a single mistake. But which side would benefit?

After the re-start, Pinney had a shot that was millimetres from the keeper’s right hand corner following Sitch’s class build-up, and Uzun’s curling trademark free-kick was brilliantly palmed behind by the purple-shirted Valery Pajetet shortly after. Casuals wowed their supporters behind the goal with the sheer quality of football they were playing.

Silky passing and intelligent runs frustrated Haringey, so they attempted to use the wind as an advantage… and it worked. Caught in the non-ideal conditions, the ball bounced awkwardly in front of Bracken, who had sprinted from his goal to clear it and Chibuden Onokwai managed to touch the ball past a pink shirt and the keeper. He finished the rest by tapping into the empty net and celebrating the first goal of the game, and their season.

This was the 50th minute, so Casuals fans, staff and players knew they had the chance to retrieve points in the final forty minutes. This is where the element of luck evaded Corinthians, who continued playing attacking football mainly through Pinney and Sitch’s interplay. Always a danger for the Borough defence, Sitch did not strike the ball hard enough when in the area after Pinney’s hold-up play as Pajetet collected the shot gratefully. Another weak effort was from Josh Uzun, who sidefooted a first-time effort into the gloves of the keeper. James Bracken’s changes injected even more energy into the team- Lalor Dell’s pace nearly provided the equaliser but when clean through on goal, his shot was saved by Pajetet again. Dixon and Dillon’s introductions in the final fifteen minutes could not grab the goal that Casuals sought after with such commitment and spirit. The final effort was Jack Strange’s header over the bar from a set-piece, and Haringey were delighted to hear the final whistle. Zero points for the visitors showcased just how cruel football can be, whilst the defensively impressive hosts took all three in a narrow 1-0 result.

Merstham on Tuesday evening is the first game held at King George’s Field this season, so there is a chance for opening day redemption for James Bracken’s pink and brown army. Despite the loss, there are a cluster of positives to take from the game- the passionate new signings, the silky attacking play and the intelligent defence should make for an exciting clash.

Click here for James Bracken's post-match thoughts.

Corinthian-Casuals 1 - 2 Wimborne Town
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 3rd Aug 2019
Report and Photos - Stuart Tree

​Wimborne Town came out on top in a competitive final pre-season friendly at Corinthian-Casuals, coming from behind to win 2-1.

Josh Uzun had opened the scoring for the hosts in the second half but were pegged back immediately by the Southern League South Premier side following Jordan Lee’s deflected shot. And Town bagged a late winner when Kieran Roberts fired home courtesy of a 20-yard free kick.

Humid conditions saw both sides cancel each other out in the first half, with the best chance falling to Wimborne when Lee’s effort was adjudged offside. Jack Tucker went closest for the Casuals firing over from a tight angle.

The deadlock was broken ten minutes into the second half when Uzun whipped in a vicious free kick via the inside of the post to give Casuals the lead. Wimborne equalised minutes later when Lee’s delicate chip somehow crept into the corner.

And it was down to Roberts to win the match in the 87th minute, slamming his free kick past Danny Bracken in goal.

“We started okay and got progressively worse as the first half went on,” said Manager James Bracken after the match.

“We’ve worked on plenty over the course of the pre-season and there was plenty that was wrong today. We don’t have much time to correct it but I’ll select the players that I trust will get it right on the day.

“We’re okay though… we’ll be alright. We’ve got enough quality around here, but I just think today was a little disappointing and too many players didn’t do themselves any favours and too many faults that I’m seeing in individuals. Some keep showing me the same shortfalls and I can’t keep watching that. They’ll struggle to play unless they improve in the areas I’m asking them to do.

“It’ll be a tough start to the season with a trip to Haringey Borough next week. We’ll go there and it’ll be a fast and furious game. Whether the quality is there on the first game of the season, I don’t know. It’ll probably be whoever is the fittest and most up for it will end up winners.
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“I have an idea of six of my first eleven. I think five places are still to be determined. I can set us up to be hard to beat on the first day of the season but that’s not my style. I want us to play good football which we’re more than capable of. At the same time, I don’t want to have a plan to play attractively but be 3-0 down at half time. We’ll have to go with a balanced approach.”

Tooting & Mitcham United 2 - 0 Corinthian-Casuals
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 20th July 2019

Corinthian-Casuals suffered their first defeat of the 2019-20 pre-season campaign going down to two late goals at Tooting & Mitcham United.

The Terrors clinched their fifth win in five courtesy of Edwards and Carty. Played on the Tooting's artificial surface behind the main ground, the match was played in competitive but good spirits.

Casuals had the best chance of the half when Uzun struck the post from range. At the other end, Ex-Casual Hibber-Delgardo tested keeper Minter who expertly tipped over.

With both sides making numerous changes, it was left late before the deadlock was broken; a pinpoint diagonal ball was latched onto by Edwards who slid his shot into the bottom corner.

And moments before the final whistle, Tooting doubled the lead when Kojo produced a fine cross for Carty who headed home at the near post.

Thanks to our hosts for the warm-up and we wish them all the best for the forthcoming campaign. Next up for Casuals is the visit of a Crystal Palace XI to King George's on Tuesday night.

Whitehawk 4 - 0 Corinthian-Casuals
Bostik League Premier Division
Saturday 27th April 2019
Report: Cameron Smith. Photos: Stuart Tree (full set here)

Football is a funny old game. Corinthian-Casuals were defeated 4-0 at the hands of Whitehawk, who were nevertheless relegated from the Bostik Premier, in a sour but thoughtful conclusion to James Bracken’s 2018/19 campaign.

Forty-one games, forty-eight goals, thirteen wins and eight draws. Those were the glorious statistics that outlined Corinthians’ 2018/19 season, but it won’t be the numbers on a table that will be the sweetest for supporters, players and staff. It would be the words ‘Kingstonian’ below ‘Corinthian-Casuals’. With the last match-day seeing ground-sharers K’s face Leatherhead and Casuals travel to Whitehawk, there were only two points in the gap… so all to play for.

Some of the Casuals contingent’s journeys would feature Brighton and Hove Albion’s ground on the way, but that would be ignored as Whitehawk FC’s The Enclosed Ground was the destination on a windy but cheerful afternoon. The hosts were part of a relegation scrap that needed a win from themselves and for Burgess Hill to beat Wingate and Finchley.

The Easter double on last Saturday and Monday left Casuals two points better, but there were changes in the final starting eleven of the season. A solid back-four remained the same with Robert Jamison sitting in central midfield and striker Warren Mfula partnering Reyon Dillon, who started ahead of Jack Tucker. A first half that was very even from the off, the white shirts of the visitors wanted to use Whitehawk’s hunger to stay up against them and attacked early on. Mfula was clean through but his touches gifted the keeper the ball. Build-up was good, but it was no cigar for Casuals.

The Hawks then hit the post and a series of strange refereeing decisions that had two Corinth players in the book in the first twenty minutes allowed them to pummel the defence. Juevan Spencer’s genius overlaps and commanding runs into the area became a trademark throughout the season. The no.2 did it again when he assisted energetic Majed Osman, but his effort was well saved. Hawks captain Harry Muggeridge scored the opener from only a few yards out as Goodge’s cross was tapped in, even if the ball was barely kept in on the by-line by the left-back. It was gutting to hear the celebrations from the Reds, but with the vocal Casuals in good number behind the goal, they pushed on. Two minutes is all it took for Muggeridge to grab a brace as a lack of concentration in the defence allowed the no.10 to dispatch another cross.

Half-time meant the last of James Bracken’s truthful and rousing evaluations for the players at the break, and when they returned onto the pitch, it would hopefully be a better display. Kingstonian were in a similar position as they were down to Leatherhead, but heads were focused on the task in hand. But, it was a luckless and lacklustre game, which transferred to the performances. Only two goals separated the sides but there was a long period of no goals. This did not mean no celebrations as Burgess Hill got the score back to 2-2 versus Wingate and when it filtered through, there were loud cheers from the Hawks end. It did not last long- Wingate nicked two late on to seal their fate in the Bostik Prem. Nonetheless, with the game delving into injury time, there was time for two more goals. Nathaniel Pinney got the third before Harry Muggeridge was given the ball when Whitehawk won a debatable penalty and converted it.

When the referee blew his whistle it was a strange atmosphere all over the ground as a subdued pitch invasion occurred when Whitehawk confirmed relegation. Behind Casuals’ goal? Disappointment was obviously floating in the air as a 4-0 thrashing with not too much to write home about may come off as a disaster. However, there was much more than that when the players walked over. No chins were allowed to be down and all heads had to be high as the players and supporters thanked each-other for the whole year of effort. All in the name of Corinthians, James Bracken, Dan Pringle, Jon Williams and Jamie Byatt as well as other heroic backroom staff “did it for free” and volunteered not just every day but every week to keep the Amateurs in the Bostik Premier.

The players deserve so much credit too, for carrying themselves in a professional way and caring about the club they play for, which is all anyone could ask for. Lastly, the supporters. Passionate, grateful and vocal are all the things you want in a fan-base, and the pink and brown army that travel all over the place certainly have those qualities. We wish everyone a good summer… roll on pre-season!

Corinthian-Casuals 1 - 1 Worthing
Bostik League Premier Division
Monday 22nd April 2019
Report: Cameron Smith. Photos: Stuart Tree (set here) and Andy Nunn (set here)

Warren Mfula’s booming header from an Osman free-kick was cancelled out by a late Worthing equaliser in Corinthian-Casuals’ final home fixture at King George’s Arena on a beautiful Bank Holiday afternoon.

“They’re delighted with a point and we’re disappointed.” James Bracken had an indifferent reaction to Saturday’s game at Potters Bar Town, even if it meant Casuals had secured safety in the Bostik Premier. It’s the James everyone knows and loves that would leave Hertfordshire disappointed with the 2-2 draw and rather than celebrating, most likely started preparations for Monday’s clash.

Worthing sat comfortably in the play-offs before arriving to Tolworth. Not looking to slip up with only two matches remaining, the promotion pushers brought dozens of supporters to match the buzzing home atmosphere in what would be an exciting penultimate game of the season.

Hannigan returned at centre-back for Casuals, but it did not mean Robert Jamison would sit out; the no.6 fit nicely in the midfield ahead of Ekim. Jack Tucker and Kevant Serbony made up the rest of the midfield whilst Mfula and Osman renewed their linkage up-front. The pink and brown faced the whites, and it was a cagey but very even start. Adelakun, who had really found his stride in Bracken’s starting eleven, had a half-chance from a corner in the first twenty. Worthing’s dominant drum drove the team forwards enough to shoot wide a few times before their big chance arrived. It was in the form of Joseph Clarke, who fancied himself from a fair distance but could not score past Bracken’s fingertips that edged the ball onto the bar. It was a sigh of relief for Casuals who seemed to struggle breaking down a solid defence. Half-time meant regrouping for both sides.

Supporters switched ends… for the final time. A half-time burger… for the final time. A pint of beer… for the final time. The beloved King George’s has been a faithful venue for the Casuals in this historic season- seeing wins, draws and losses… and plenty of scenes! It might be an overused phrase, but KGA really is a carpet. One of the league’s (if not the league’s) best pitches is a credit to all the work Jon, Dan, Bill and Conor put in every week this season. Cheers guys, and here’s to another year!

Counter-attack seemed to be the main tactic for Bracken and his team. For a squad littered with injuries to key players, it was incredible to watch the eleven put in a shift following less than 48 hours rest. Serbony was strong and restless, Tucker held his own, Osman was hounding the defence, Strange was winning headers and Spencer was sprinting. It was a great performance already, even when the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty kick. Harsh on the vocal contingent behind the goal, the Worthing massive had a chance to celebrate and take the lead, but Henry Ikeije dragged the ball well wide of Bracken’s right-hand post. The no.10 had won the penalty, which was unclear and met with appeals from the Casuals- Worthing missed a golden opportunity to go ahead. Would it come back to bite them? The answer is, quite frankly, yes.

A free-kick won by Antonio was placed on the right flank. Osman stepped up to take it as the array of shirts pushed and shoved in the area, very close to the Worthing keeper. Osman was keen to remind everyone that he tries hard but can also play hard. Swung into the back post with accuracy and perfect height, it was Mfula who rose above startled defenders to nod the ball in. It was magic number twenty for Warren! His twentieth of the season, Mfula’s fantastic leap had put Casuals 1-0 up against the odds. Mood behind the goal was like the heat. Beaming. For the striker, celebrations were only with one man and it was manager James Bracken as the team mobbed the duo in the 64th minute. One goal was bait on the end of a fishing hook for Worthing, and the Sussex side were out to get Casuals.

It was a remarkable defensive display from the hosts, who valiantly protected the goal they had scored like it was their own child. Using that analogy, Casuals were on the verge of having another one when substitute Benjamin Aghadiuno found himself clean through in the box. Adelakun and Osman interchanged the ball four times on the flank in a brilliant move that saw the midfield maestro cut inside and play in Aghadiuno, who was open. His shot was saved by Rebels’ no.1 Colovan. Gutting for the player and the fans, just ten minutes later there was a hitch to Corinthians’ fine afternoon. Singing did not seem to stop and that includes the aftermath of Worthing’s equaliser from Clarke. The no.5 had nicked a vital goal for his team that Bracken would be infuriated at especially in the 88th minute.

Byatt was introduced late on, and he challenged for the ball with the same energy as ever. When a late corner allowed Rebels’ keeper to venture forward, Byatt was chasing it alongside the no.1, but it came to no avail. And the three blows of the referee’s whistle ended the match with a draw. For the promotion pushers, it had been a nightmare. Sitting in 8th, they would leave their fate to the last game of the season. Corinth are now in 16th after adding another point in the gap between themselves and Kingstonian. Two points apart with one game left. Thank you to Worthing, good luck on the play-off hunt! King George’s is finished and used up now… well, not quite. Ground-sharers Kingstonian play Leatherhead on Saturday before a Sunday afternoon Supporters match between the Casuals and the K’s. For Bracken’s pink and brown army, it is an enduring but satisfying end to the campaign as an away day to Whitehawk beckons.
 
"The score-line is a fair reflection on the game," said Manager James Bracken after the match.

"Before we started, we’ve got ten players missing – and no less than seven missing since September. You only have to look at the players that stood next to the dugout this afternoon; 90% of them would get in my starting XI.

"We had ten out and a day’s less rest than Worthing, which is a massive difference having an extra 24 hours. We’ve had less than 48 hours rest and Saturday at Potters Bar was tough. It was an unforgiving pitch in unforgiving weather.

"To get out there today and put in the amount of effort that we did was superb.

"They missed a penalty, which was nice for a change – we had a bit of luck go our way. It gave us a boost and took a bit out of their sails and we looked the more likely to score for a while.

"A draw was fair, I’m happy with a draw but was disappointing to let in a late equaliser.

"We’re a tough team to play. We’ve had some losing streaks this year but we’ve also had our good wins and decent runs. In the last dozen or so games, you tell me where we haven’t competed and given our opposition a hell of a match? Win, draw or lose, our opponents will know they’ve been involved in a proper game of football. I have nothing but praise for the boys today to extract that amount of energy out of them considering the circumstances.

"You look at players like Kevant, Hamilton and Majed, who were dead on the hour mark but they still found that extra reserve and bit of quality. Boys like Mark Jamison. Hasn’t played for ages, comes into the side, plays ninety on Saturday, ninety today and finishing the game winning headers like a warrior. Just brilliant! Testament to all of them though with a great shift after a gruelling schedule.
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"We’re going to Whitehawk to win. We were as motivated today to win as we have been for any game all season. I believe if you’re someone who can turn off a winning mentality, you don’t have one. I’m not travelling to Whitehawk to go back home a loser, sit and think about that game all summer. We’re going down there to win, end on a high and look forward with a positive frame of mind. We give up too much time and effort, and we’re too professional to tolerate anything less than our best. If that’s good enough to win, then great. We’ll be going with the right intentions."

Potters Bar Town 2-2 Corinthian-Casuals
Bostik League Premier Division
Saturday 20th April 2019
Report: Cameron Smith. Pics: Stuart Tree (full set here)

When the full-time whistle blew at the Parkfield Stadium, it was finally confirmed that Corinthian-Casuals would be playing Bostik Premier football for another year after a tiring but valuable 2-2 draw versus Potters Bar Town, who also secured safety as points were shared.
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Comfortable was not a word that the Casuals contingent were used to when it described a Bostik Premier match, especially in 2019. A series of draws and losses in February and March put Corinthians in a sticky situation as they were dragged into a restless race for survival in the bottom half of the table. But recent victories and spirited performances were summarised in Majed Osman’s decisive third versus Wingate and Finchley in the 3-1 win, which was actually comfortable for the pink and brown army.

Only one point was needed to secure safety for the Casuals as supporters, players and staff made their way to the penultimate away day of the season; the small town of Potters Bar was the destination. The Hertfordshire outfit required a single point just like their visitors and on a beautiful summer day, it would be intriguing how both teams approached the unorthodox circumstances.

It was clear how James Bracken would approach it. Dillon, Aghadiuno and centre-back Robert Jamison were on in a new-look starting eleven. Intensity was key, and maybe Potters Bar were trying to adjust to the heat, or the hungry Casuals frontline chasing down loose balls and putting them under pressure. An Ekim free-kick was swung in after only two minutes, and Jack Rudoni managed to retrieve it from the nervy Bar defence. The no.8 threaded a cheeky but perfect pass to Reyon Dillon, who completely bamboozled the keeper with a step-over before feigning a shot and rounding him with ease. Dispatching brilliantly, Dillon had netted one of the earliest Casuals goals of the entire season as well as putting them 1-0 up. The well-taken strike was credit to Dillon’s determination to get back into the side as Bracken gave him a chance up-front ahead of the injured Mfula.

The pitch at the Parkfield Stadium was something that was noticed by the visitors beforehand as it was bobbly, dry and overlong. It did not affect Casuals though. A wayward back-pass caused the Bar keeper to run out and rescue it from becoming a corner, but he mis-controlled after a bump in the ground and it was another set-piece for Casuals. Ekim’s corner kick was not collected or cleared properly as the ball bounced off a player’s head and rippled the net. Jack Strange wheeled away in celebration and it was given to the centre-back. Singing the no.4’s name, the Casuals supporters enjoyed a two goal lead after eight minutes! Enjoying the rest of the half in the sunshine, the travelling supporters had a right to feel confident about the second-half… but little did the home support know, they did too.

Two quick-fire goals in the first half benefited the Casuals, but it was their downfall in the second. Dernell Wynter made a sharp turn just outside the area after three minutes, and slotted the ball home. A bobble was what caught Danny Bracken out and the pitch was used for the hosts’ advantage at last.

Bracken scooping the ball from the net would occur again minutes later, but it would be much crueller. An enormous deflection from a Bradley Sach shot meant it was 2-2. At the moment, both sides were staying up… but it would not be satisfactory for James and Dan Pringle on the bench. The energy of Jack Tucker and the danger of Jamie Byatt were inspired substitutions that nearly resulted in a late winner. Antonio and Rudoni in midfield was scary for Potters Bar and when they assisted in giving Jamie Byatt a great chance at goal, it was nearly ecstasy for supporters behind the goal. His shot was blocked and then cleared. It just wasn’t to be for either side. That was fine for both teams as the referee blew for full-time. Safety? Secured.

Thank you to Potters Bar for their hospitality. Two games remain in the Bostik Premier, which was a sad realisation for many fans… what will everyone do in two months of no football? (There's always Budapest, and we'll have news of more 'away' games soon - Ed.) The last home game versus Worthing on Bank Holiday Monday and then the finale at Whitehawk will end the campaign. At the moment, Casuals sit in 17th and are one place above Kingstonian. Six points in the last two games would be the dream for Bracken’s army, and to finish above their rivals would be very sweet indeed.

Manager James Bracken spoke his thoughts after the final whistle.

“They’re delighted with a point and we’re disappointed. It’s secured safety for both of us so we should be saying, “well done, great job” considering it’s well documented that we’re working with nothing.

“But we’re winners; we don’t come to get a draw – we come to win. We’re disappointed with the draw. We’ll analyse the performance for us to continue to get better.

“We had ten unavailable today. But we still put in a performance that even until the final whistle, we looked the more likely to nick the winner. When they came back to 2-2, sometimes you can be on the back-foot for the remainder of the game but it was never like that here. I can’t recall them threatening the goal again and we had chances.

“The bigger picture is, it’s a fantastic achievement. That puts us on 46 points. Tooting were relegated on 36 points from more games, so we’ve already got more than 10 points than that and they were promoted as Champions, working with a playing budget. It’s more than an achievement to do this. It should’ve been a lot more but it’s a decent haul.

“We’ll look back over the season at games like today where it was two points dropped. The game against them at our place was three points dropped. If we want to kick on and be successful beyond this, you must see those games out.

“We had a game plan in the first half which was ultra-effective. We limited them to a couple of scuffed shots from thirty yards on a cow field.
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“Second half, the game plan was simple, but instructions weren’t followed. I’ve managed over a thousand games – you play with plenty of freedom here, but when I give instructions to mark, drop-in ten yards, etc, it’s best just to listen. If they do, we’ll win more games. Today, that cost us.”

Corinthian-Casuals 3 - 1 Wingate & Finchley
Bostik League Premier Division
Saturday 13th April 2019
​Report: Cameron Smith. Pics: Stuart Tree (full set here)

Majed Osman’s brilliantly taken brace complimented an acrobatic screamer from Warren Mfula during Corinthian-Casuals’ comfortable 3-1 victory over Wingate and Finchley, which added three more points to the hunt for safety in the Bostik Premier Division.

Emotions were high at the premature final whistle last week in West Sussex, for both travelling supporters, players and staff. James Bracken let loose in the post-match interview, and rightly so. The refereeing decisions that cost three vital points for Casuals were laughable in hindsight as the pink and brown army had another essential game they needed to win- Wingate and Finchley FC were coming to Tolworth.

Just one position below Casuals, the North Londoners had the same desire as the hosts- the desire to maintain Bostik Premier status. Bracken made one change from last week’s spirited performance as Spencer switched from right midfield to right back for the suspended Morgan whilst Kevant Serbony was on the wing.

The temperamental British weather was certainly showing off on the Saturday afternoon at King George’s with a pre-match lashing of rain and hailstones before slightly brightening up for a cold first-half. As far as attacking went, the first half was brilliant for Casuals, with Rudoni and Antonio linking up with Osman and Mfula extremely well. In the 14th minute, there was a free-kick for Casuals and the usual taker Coskun Ekim aimed to curl it so it would land on Reece Hannigan’s head. The ball flew towards the no.5, but was cleared by Wingate’s Cronin before falling to Osman on the edge of the box. Controlling and edging closer, the little magician powered the ball towards goal and it ended up rippling the net following a slight deflection. An early goal is not something Casuals are used to, but it was greeted with warmth from behind the goal. Osman had put Casuals 1-0 up!

Form might have dipped after the goal plummeted in and the home side were given the dangerous luxury of a one-goal lead. Scrapping for the ball and closing down hard, Corinthians were under pressure from the Blues. This pressure was sustained, but Casuals’ rock-hard defence were not going to go down lightly. A second goal was what Bracken wanted before the first 45 ended, and the players knew it. Antonio found himself on the right flank when he crossed for Mfula in the area. With his back to goal and the ball in the air, it would seem futile to try and touch the ball and play backwards, as would kicking aimlessly. Positioning his body and jumping like a gazelle, Mfula sliced the ball into the back of the net whilst in the air and not even looking at goal. A wonderful scissor strike from the prolific striker gave Casuals two goals to go into the second-half with.
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The hail was forgotten when teams walked out for the second half as any sign of wind or cold disappeared ahead of sun, sun and sun. A thirty minute period after the second half kicked off offered hope for Wingate and Finchley. Complacency is not the word to use when describing Casuals, it was still very concentrated and involved.

​Lacklustre overall, the binding midfield and strong defence is what kept Casuals from conceding… until Anthony Mendy tucked the ball past Danny Bracken, removing his clean sheet. It was inevitable and it was at the perfect time. The 72nd minute allowed enough time for another one from Wingate, so they could equalise or even complete a comeback. Majed Osman had other ideas.

Hamilton Antonio had another fantastic game. Example of his class? His assist for the third. The tricky midfielder intelligently latched onto a poor ball played out by Wingate’s right-back and paced forwards. Antonio played it to Osman. Taking it in his stride, the no.11 was allowed time to compose himself before placing the ball with enough power for it to nestle brilliantly in the top corner. Past the helpless Gore in goal, Osman’s terrific strike was relief for everyone, particularly the frustrated
Mfula, who dropped to his knees and punched the air when the third goal was secured. Wheeling away ecstatically, Osman celebrated with players and fans as Casuals had sealed the deal only two minutes after conceding. That just demonstrates the real team spirit James Bracken has established.
The final fifteen were quiet as Antonio and Ekim bossed the midfield, Majed Osman nearly grabbed a hat-trick when he went for goal himself instead of playing in sub Dillon, but it was cleared.
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Full-time meant Casuals had won and achieved three points for their Bostik Premier campaign; we wish Wingate and Finchley the best for the rest of the season. Osman’s genius and Mfula’s 19th goal was the difference between the two sides, as well as the whole team’s effort to bounce back. Three games remain for the pink and brown army… can Casuals create some momentum and go to Potters Bar Town and win next Saturday?

Manager James Bracken spoke to Stuart Tree after the final whistle.

"We’re not playing for safety. We haven’t been for a while. We’re playing to finish above Kingstonian. We’ve talked about winning that ‘mini league’ which we’re in with a shout of doing.

"Of course, we’re aware that we could not afford to lose games on the chance that those below us may pick up points. The closest we’ve been to that drop zone in recent months is five points, so it’s never been a case that we would find ourselves slipping into it.

"We’ve lost just one in the last four now, and even that defeat should’ve been a win. Disappointed not to have kept a clean sheet against Wingate, but we’re not conceding many right now so we’re doing just fine.

"Majed has hit two good finishes along with Warren’s overhead kick, following great build up play. All three goals were well taken. That’s what we’ve not done enough of this season. We’ve missed a lot of chances over the course of the year. Today, I don’t recall us missing a great chance. Some days you go away wondering how you haven’t scored five or six. Against Wingate, we’ve scored from those good chances. It makes for much more comfortable viewing from the touchline than usual.

"We’re still going out to win our remaining games, finish above Kingstonian and give the fans something to cheer. They’ve backed us all season, especially in some tough periods where we haven’t got the results. They see the effort and commitment is there and continue to get behind the team.

"The target is nine points from the remaining three games. Worthing here on Monday will be tough. They play on the Friday and we’re a day later. Potter’s Bar’s pitch is unforgiving, and we haven’t got a big squad. We had seven or eight missing again today, so we don’t have a massive amount of freshness coming in between Saturday and Monday.

"Having an extra 24 hours rest for Worthing will make a massive difference. I’m not making excuses because we’ll still get out there and give it the best we’ve got. But if we come up light in the tank, I’m already mentally prepared myself to deal with it, because I understand these boys aren’t robots.

"Two games in three days at the end of a long old season makes zero sense. We wanted to switch to the Friday ourselves but unfortunately Potters Bar had too many players unavailable.

"If we get out there and play as we can, we’ll get a win, and hopefully finish the season at Whitehawk 100% safe. Whether they need something from the game or not is irrelevant; we won’t be doing them, nor anyone else any favours. We’ll try to win a game of football as we always do."