Peacehaven and Telscombe 0 - 1 Corinthian-Casuals
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 26th March 2016
Attendance: 89
Report by Cameron Smith. Pics by Stuart Tree (full set here)
A second-half Shaun Okojie strike sealed three vital points for Corinthian Casuals in the narrow yet deserved 1-0 victory over relegation-stricken Peacehaven & Telscombe on a incredibly windy afternoon.
After a brilliant 4-2 win over bottom-of-the-league Whitstable Town, Casuals were hoping to continue their late dash towards one of the sacred play-off spots. Meanwhile in Brighton, Peacehaven had only collected a single point in 2016, resulting in their 23rd spot; seven points off safety. James Bracken made one change from the starting-lineup as Juevan Spencer took the place of Josh Uzun in midfield.
The strong, persistent winds was set to ruin any creativity in the first-half as shots were turned wayward, crosses were cleared and passes were intercepted. However, in the 26th minute, Shaun Okojie (fresh from a superb hat-trick a week earlier) went the closest. The 6ft 2in striker was having a tough time combating the aerial dominance from the enormous Peacehaven centre-back Derek Ubah but squeezed out an opportunity with an audacious flick, rolling just wide of the post.
Jamie Byatt was having an unusually quiet first-half before keeper Ryan Burbridge was caught out of position. Okojie fed the ball to Byatt at a difficult angle but the no.9 managed to hook the ball agonisingly wide of the open net. Piddinghoe Avenue had to wait until the second-half for a goal as the first 45 minutes ended in a frustrating 0-0 draw.
Stamina and drive would be crucial if either side wanted to carve out a win. Dave Hodges had just those characteristics as he sprinted 60 yards towards the by-line in a marvellous marauding run. Not only did the full-back create a chance out of nothing, he picked out the marked Okojie in the area. Adding to his eleven league goals, the forward hit a venomous shot on the turn, which flew into the bottom corner. The thumping effort was much to the delight of the committed Casuals contingent as the visitors took the lead in the 55th minute.
A superb save from Peacehaven’s no.1 denied Byatt from doubling the lead by tipping the ball onto the crossbar from eight yards. Byatt found himself in space once more as the striker was causing the Peacehaven back-four headaches but the hosts had their keeper to thank yet again with a straight-forward stop. A one-sided match, it was clear to pick out which team were hovering outside the play-offs and which team were in the relegation zone.
Somehow, Casuals did not increase their tight lead when Sekou Kaba released Okojie clean-through on goal with twenty-minutes to go. Burbridge saved his team with an extended leg. As desperation grew, Peacehaven edged back into the game with a chance late on after a scramble from a corner. Bundling onto the loose ball, the trustworthy Danny Bracken had saved Casuals from blushes.
Casuals held on to win 1-0 in Brighton thanks to Shuan Okojie, who has now netted four times in two games. James Bracken’s pink and brown army marched into seventh place, two spots behind the play-offs. Casuals will not have much rest until their next test as eleventh placed Carshalton Athletic visit the King George’s Arena on Monday at 3pm.
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 26th March 2016
Attendance: 89
Report by Cameron Smith. Pics by Stuart Tree (full set here)
A second-half Shaun Okojie strike sealed three vital points for Corinthian Casuals in the narrow yet deserved 1-0 victory over relegation-stricken Peacehaven & Telscombe on a incredibly windy afternoon.
After a brilliant 4-2 win over bottom-of-the-league Whitstable Town, Casuals were hoping to continue their late dash towards one of the sacred play-off spots. Meanwhile in Brighton, Peacehaven had only collected a single point in 2016, resulting in their 23rd spot; seven points off safety. James Bracken made one change from the starting-lineup as Juevan Spencer took the place of Josh Uzun in midfield.
The strong, persistent winds was set to ruin any creativity in the first-half as shots were turned wayward, crosses were cleared and passes were intercepted. However, in the 26th minute, Shaun Okojie (fresh from a superb hat-trick a week earlier) went the closest. The 6ft 2in striker was having a tough time combating the aerial dominance from the enormous Peacehaven centre-back Derek Ubah but squeezed out an opportunity with an audacious flick, rolling just wide of the post.
Jamie Byatt was having an unusually quiet first-half before keeper Ryan Burbridge was caught out of position. Okojie fed the ball to Byatt at a difficult angle but the no.9 managed to hook the ball agonisingly wide of the open net. Piddinghoe Avenue had to wait until the second-half for a goal as the first 45 minutes ended in a frustrating 0-0 draw.
Stamina and drive would be crucial if either side wanted to carve out a win. Dave Hodges had just those characteristics as he sprinted 60 yards towards the by-line in a marvellous marauding run. Not only did the full-back create a chance out of nothing, he picked out the marked Okojie in the area. Adding to his eleven league goals, the forward hit a venomous shot on the turn, which flew into the bottom corner. The thumping effort was much to the delight of the committed Casuals contingent as the visitors took the lead in the 55th minute.
A superb save from Peacehaven’s no.1 denied Byatt from doubling the lead by tipping the ball onto the crossbar from eight yards. Byatt found himself in space once more as the striker was causing the Peacehaven back-four headaches but the hosts had their keeper to thank yet again with a straight-forward stop. A one-sided match, it was clear to pick out which team were hovering outside the play-offs and which team were in the relegation zone.
Somehow, Casuals did not increase their tight lead when Sekou Kaba released Okojie clean-through on goal with twenty-minutes to go. Burbridge saved his team with an extended leg. As desperation grew, Peacehaven edged back into the game with a chance late on after a scramble from a corner. Bundling onto the loose ball, the trustworthy Danny Bracken had saved Casuals from blushes.
Casuals held on to win 1-0 in Brighton thanks to Shuan Okojie, who has now netted four times in two games. James Bracken’s pink and brown army marched into seventh place, two spots behind the play-offs. Casuals will not have much rest until their next test as eleventh placed Carshalton Athletic visit the King George’s Arena on Monday at 3pm.
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