Corinthian-Casuals 1-2 Bognor Regis Town
Kudiywa 9 Odokonyero 6
Patterson 86
Pitching In Isthmian Premier League
Saturday 28 January 2023
Attendance 308
Match Report by Zac Welshman
Image by Lyn Phillips
Late disappointment was the order of the day for Corinthian-Casuals as they succumbed to a last-ditch onslaught from a visiting Bognor Regis Town after a game that saw both sides create chances aplenty and left both sets of fans bemused as to how it only finished 2-1.
With temperatures finally beginning to rise, there was a full catalogue of fixtures in the Isthmian League Premier Division for the first time since 7 January. With everyone hoping the worst of the winter weather was behind us, we kicked off for a game that would more than make up for lost time. After an unsuccessful trip to Herne Bay last weekend, the Casuals made one change to their starting line-up as Zack Chislett reclaimed his position in place of Malakai Hyman in a starting XI that contained three former Bognor Regis players, in the form of Sam Dowridge, Finlay Lovatt and Shola Ayoola.
The opening moments signalled the frantic nature of the game to come as the hosts produced the first efforts on goal. Joe Halsey’s early probing run saw him cut inside from the left flank and deliver a strike that forced a diving save from Killian Cahill. Barely a minute later it was Dowridge’s turn, this time from the opposite wing, as his tricky stepovers and subsequent driven effort brought a smart, reaction stop from the visiting goalkeeper.
But the early optimism for the home side was swiftly muted as the visitors solidified their defensive shape, brought themselves into the game, then opened the scoring. Only a moment after centre-back Cameron Black’s headed effort was ruled out by the officials, Nathan Odokonyero made the breakthrough. Picking up the rebound after Dan Gifford’s shot on the turn had smacked the crossbar, Odokenyero was able to pick his spot and beat Callum Coulter to give the away side the lead in the sixth minute.
Justin Fevrier’s Casuals didn’t allow that opening blow to deflate them, though, as the end-to-end nature of the game continued. Still with less than 10 minutes on the clock, the hosts won a corner and Luke Stokoe’s in-swinging effort had too much on it for the visitors to properly clear. Simba Kudyiwa rose highest as a sliced attempted clearance dropped back into the box, his standing jump enough to reach the ball first and deliver a clean headed effort that rattled the underside of the crossbar before sneaking over the line. The centre-back’s first goal for the club brought Casuals back level in the breath-taking opening exchanges.
To the disappointment of those in the crowd, the game looked to finally have begun to settle as both sides took a breather and regained their composure. Ayoola had the best chance for the hosts when his run was picked out brilliantly by Ricardo Thompson who chested down and released his team-mate with a looping ball over Bognor’s defensive line, but the striker’s effort sailed over the bar.
With that, the Rocks began to take control. Black’s ariel ability again caused problems, nearly giving the visitors the lead after he met a floating Walter Figueira corner and headed downward, only to be denied by Coulter’s right hand and a last-ditch clearance as we went into the break with the score at 1-1.
If there were any concerns that this game would fizzle out in the second half, they were quickly dispelled when Isaac Olaniyan forced another save within seconds of the restart. But if the home fans thought they’d ridden their luck when Coulter parried away the long-distance effort, they may have struggled to believe what came after. A training ground routine from a wide free-kick that skimmed across the floor allowed a shot on goal which struck the outside of the post and landed back at the feet of Harvey Whyte who this time elected to launch the ball into the box for Odokonyero to meet. His headed strike was again pushed away by Coulter but only onto the onrushing Regis man whose first-time effort rattled the underside of the bar and gave a grateful Casuals side the chance to finally clear the danger.
It was an electric game as brilliant bits of individual skill and 50-50 challenges constantly had the fans up on their feet but neither side was able to convert their chances and take the lead as we approached the 70th minute. But that breakthrough nearly came for the Casuals, when Lovatt’s outside of the boot pass found Dowridge, who again forced his way into the box before unleashing an effort on goal that was sharply deflected, initially looking to have wrongfooted Cahill, only for the goalkeeper to readjust and thrust out a strong right palm to parry the ball away.
It seemed clear that the decisive blow was still to come in this game, though. First, Bognor Regis substitute Matthew Paterson was able to turn his man on the edge of the box, only to be denied by the onrushing Coulter. The loose ball fell to Odokonyero but he somehow contrived to hit the post before Halsey cleared off the line, somehow keeping the scores level. But the Casuals’ luck finally ran out in the 86th minute as Patterson, who had given his side the ascendancy since coming on, was picked out by fellow substitute Alfie Bridgman and this time he was able to beat Coulter with a textbook header from the penalty spot which took a small deflection past the Casuals keeper and into the net.
With spirits dampened, one final Casuals chance presented itself before full-time. Halsey’s through ball found Ayoola who bore down on goal and held off the challenge, but after taking one touch too many, his left-footed effort from 10 yards was blocked and a breathless game came to a conclusion.
Corinthian-Casuals: Coulter; Chislett, Uyi, Kudyiwa, Halsey; Jackson (Donkor 64), Thompson (c); Stokoe (Soulya-Osekanongo 80), Lovatt (Pinney 80), Dowridge;
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