Corinthian-Casuals 4 - 0 Cray Wanderers
Pitching In Isthmian League Premier Division
Tuesday 14th September 2021
Match report: Stuart Tree. Photos: Andy Nunn
Corinthian-Casuals notched up their third win in seven days with a resounding 4-0 victory over Cray Wanderers in the Isthimian League Premier Division on Tuesday night.
A hat-trick from striker Warren Mfula and a first goal for Emmanuel Mensah ensured Casuals first ever victory over Cray at King George’s Arena.
Coming off the back of two fine wins, 3-1 at home to Worthing and a 1-0 away day victory at Haringey Borough, James Bracken’s side looked to make the perfect week. Conversely, Wanderers were coming off the back of four straight defeats with the most recent just 48 hours before at the hands of Potters Bar Town.
It took 38 minutes of prodding and probing before any kind of deadlock was broken. Mfula pounced on a chance inside the box and made no mistake on capitalizing on the opportunity. It was almost 2-0 a minute later but the striker was flagged for offside, despite the neat finish.
Cray supremo Danny Kedwell introduced himself to the game at half time in a bid to turn his side’s fortunes but if anything, it was Casuals who dominated the second period. Ben Cheklit’s brilliant cross found Emmanuel Mensah at the far post who delighted himself, team-mates and the supporters by claiming his first for Corinth.
It was all Casuals from here. Just after the hour mark, the game was put to bed when Mfula grabbed his second of the night, slotting under Jack Turner for 3-0. And when the striker was felled in the box ten minutes later, no one was going to deny him the chance to claim the hat-trick.
All season, Casuals have been playing to these standards but hadn’t capitalised on chances as well as perhaps they should. There were no issues in that department on this night and Bracken can be delighted with how his side had put Cray Wanderers to the sword.
“For a 4-0 win in this division, it can only be a great night for us,” said Manager James Bracken following the result. “It’s two clean sheets on the spin, three wins in the space of a week against teams that are perceived to be top half sides, pushing for playoffs.
But to us, it’s just another game of football. We just look to get out there on the pitch, take our chances and bring intensity that other sides will struggle to cope with. We’ve done exactly what we’ve set out to accomplish.
“I’m enjoying the football at the moment. It’s entertaining. If you’re a Casuals fan and you’re coming down here, you surely must be enjoying it. If you aren’t, there’s clearly something wrong with you. It’s brilliant that everyone’s been jumping on board for the ride with us. Once again I thought the noise was great – it was a top atmosphere. It keeps us going. There’s no reason why that won’t be the same again come Saturday. We’re capable of putting a performance in once again like that, not just against Leatherhead in the Cup but every single week.
“The boys that are starting are playing so well and we have a strong bench, so I’ve not even had to mention that we’ve got seven players missing! If we’d been losing, you’d probably hear me saying we’d need them back. But the boys who have the shirts at the moment are doing so well, we’re not particularly missing them. There’s not too many sides in this division who could have seven players out and still do what we’re doing. We’re doing a lot that’s right at the minute and we need to carry that on.
“Come Saturday, the Leatherhead cup game is winnable. We can beat anyone in this league. We’ve beaten Worthing, we’ve beaten Haringey. We’ve beaten Cray. We should’ve beaten Kingstonian; if we’d taken half our chances, we’d have won that game.
“Five and a half of the last six league games, we’ve been far better than the opposition. We need to carry that on.
“We’ve put a lot of work in pre-season to get this side to where they’re at. We have them settled into a way of playing that is effective. The boys we have are fantastic. They have discipline, they have all the work ethic you could ever ask of them. We have quality, we have guts, we have determination. I’m looking at them and I cant see what we lack. If we were playing against us, I can’t see how we’re going to score a goal. It’s a problem for the opposition. How are they going to stop us?
“Hopefully we’ll start to get a little respect now. I’ve spoken a lot about this over the last few weeks. Too many just say ‘they were poor tonight’ rather than giving us credit. We’ve beaten Worthing and we’ve beaten Haringey and we’ve beaten Cray and now if we go and beat you, perhaps it’s time they gave us credit and say ‘Corinthian-Casuals are a decent side’, rather than ‘oh, they must catch everyone on their off-day’.
“We’re hungry for the next game. We have points to prove. We’re back at it now. We want to achieve something. I’m into my seventh year here. I don’t want another season of scratching around mid-table or the bottom of the table, losing by one goal each game.
“Every year, I rebuild a team here. Of course, I have a core of players who are very loyal to me and are great lads. But ultimately, each season is a rebuild. This isn’t a side that’s developed into a Step Three team over the last three years and now starting to blossom. This is a team that I’ve built in the space of around twelve weeks. We’ve shaped a brand new squad in that time. Obviously, we had players returning but we also have a lot of new faces. Some people don’t understand this. With the nature of this club, I typically have to rebuild every year… and that’s not easy.
“I can’t bemoan any of that though. We’re in a good place though. We need to be relentless in continuing this form. I’m fully aware that we’re punching above our weight. No one thinks we should be here on our resources. In the past, I’ve given the players too much leeway based upon those circumstances. I’ve been reluctant to batter the boys if we’ve come away with a narrow loss, been so close to winning or missed a few vital chances.
“Now, the mentality is ‘so close isn’t good enough’. I don’t want to be the also-rans or the nearly men. I want to win. And if we don’t win, then I won’t be brushing it under the carpet. I want us to understand; What was the goal we conceded?’ Why did we concede it? Let’s not concede that goal again. What chances did we create? How do we create more? Do we need to work on our finishing?
“I have cut boys some slack in the past because when you’re not winning games and had some tough spells, you don’t want to ride them too hard, because they feel it as much as you do. You need to be human and pick them up. But now, I’ve been a human and now I want to win. And what better way to enjoy your football than to win?
“We always enjoy our football here. You won’t find a footballer that’s played here in the last seven years that hasn’t enjoyed playing football with me, Prings (Dan Pringle) and this club. Everyone’s enjoying it. But as I say to them, ‘what’s more fun than winning?’ You can’t show me anything that’s more fun than winning. If you show up to football and you don’t win, I’m telling you now, I haven’t had fun. No fun!
“If you come to watch, have a catch up with pals, have a few beers and a good laugh behind the goal, you’ve probably had a good night even if the boys lost. That’s okay. But that’s not for me. If I lose, and Prings loses, and the players lose, it’s sh*t! You want the ground to swallow you up. You’re waiting for the next win. We want to win. We’re not just going out there and saying we’re going to win. We’re asking HOW are we going to win? We’ve coached them to win. Now it’s about maintaining those levels of desire to win matches.
“I said to them before the game, I want a good performance with the ball, as I didn’t think we were particularly good with the ball on Saturday. I wanted a perfect defensive display. I love defending. I was a defender at heart really. I love defending. Give me a team from two levels above and battle out a nil-nil draw, f**king fighting for our lives, getting behind the ball and making it hard for teams. I get a buzz off that. I know that sounds wrong. Too many coaches these days are clipboard, positional play and possession. Well, you need to be hard to beat first. I think we’re getting that right. That side of the game is just hard work, desire, commitment and bravery. Nothing can affect that apart from the individual. If the player goes out there with the right attitude, that he wants to work hard, be brave and keep his discipline, then he’ll be hard to beat. And we’re doing just that at the moment.
“Long may it continue.”
Pitching In Isthmian League Premier Division
Tuesday 14th September 2021
Match report: Stuart Tree. Photos: Andy Nunn
Corinthian-Casuals notched up their third win in seven days with a resounding 4-0 victory over Cray Wanderers in the Isthimian League Premier Division on Tuesday night.
A hat-trick from striker Warren Mfula and a first goal for Emmanuel Mensah ensured Casuals first ever victory over Cray at King George’s Arena.
Coming off the back of two fine wins, 3-1 at home to Worthing and a 1-0 away day victory at Haringey Borough, James Bracken’s side looked to make the perfect week. Conversely, Wanderers were coming off the back of four straight defeats with the most recent just 48 hours before at the hands of Potters Bar Town.
It took 38 minutes of prodding and probing before any kind of deadlock was broken. Mfula pounced on a chance inside the box and made no mistake on capitalizing on the opportunity. It was almost 2-0 a minute later but the striker was flagged for offside, despite the neat finish.
Cray supremo Danny Kedwell introduced himself to the game at half time in a bid to turn his side’s fortunes but if anything, it was Casuals who dominated the second period. Ben Cheklit’s brilliant cross found Emmanuel Mensah at the far post who delighted himself, team-mates and the supporters by claiming his first for Corinth.
It was all Casuals from here. Just after the hour mark, the game was put to bed when Mfula grabbed his second of the night, slotting under Jack Turner for 3-0. And when the striker was felled in the box ten minutes later, no one was going to deny him the chance to claim the hat-trick.
All season, Casuals have been playing to these standards but hadn’t capitalised on chances as well as perhaps they should. There were no issues in that department on this night and Bracken can be delighted with how his side had put Cray Wanderers to the sword.
“For a 4-0 win in this division, it can only be a great night for us,” said Manager James Bracken following the result. “It’s two clean sheets on the spin, three wins in the space of a week against teams that are perceived to be top half sides, pushing for playoffs.
But to us, it’s just another game of football. We just look to get out there on the pitch, take our chances and bring intensity that other sides will struggle to cope with. We’ve done exactly what we’ve set out to accomplish.
“I’m enjoying the football at the moment. It’s entertaining. If you’re a Casuals fan and you’re coming down here, you surely must be enjoying it. If you aren’t, there’s clearly something wrong with you. It’s brilliant that everyone’s been jumping on board for the ride with us. Once again I thought the noise was great – it was a top atmosphere. It keeps us going. There’s no reason why that won’t be the same again come Saturday. We’re capable of putting a performance in once again like that, not just against Leatherhead in the Cup but every single week.
“The boys that are starting are playing so well and we have a strong bench, so I’ve not even had to mention that we’ve got seven players missing! If we’d been losing, you’d probably hear me saying we’d need them back. But the boys who have the shirts at the moment are doing so well, we’re not particularly missing them. There’s not too many sides in this division who could have seven players out and still do what we’re doing. We’re doing a lot that’s right at the minute and we need to carry that on.
“Come Saturday, the Leatherhead cup game is winnable. We can beat anyone in this league. We’ve beaten Worthing, we’ve beaten Haringey. We’ve beaten Cray. We should’ve beaten Kingstonian; if we’d taken half our chances, we’d have won that game.
“Five and a half of the last six league games, we’ve been far better than the opposition. We need to carry that on.
“We’ve put a lot of work in pre-season to get this side to where they’re at. We have them settled into a way of playing that is effective. The boys we have are fantastic. They have discipline, they have all the work ethic you could ever ask of them. We have quality, we have guts, we have determination. I’m looking at them and I cant see what we lack. If we were playing against us, I can’t see how we’re going to score a goal. It’s a problem for the opposition. How are they going to stop us?
“Hopefully we’ll start to get a little respect now. I’ve spoken a lot about this over the last few weeks. Too many just say ‘they were poor tonight’ rather than giving us credit. We’ve beaten Worthing and we’ve beaten Haringey and we’ve beaten Cray and now if we go and beat you, perhaps it’s time they gave us credit and say ‘Corinthian-Casuals are a decent side’, rather than ‘oh, they must catch everyone on their off-day’.
“We’re hungry for the next game. We have points to prove. We’re back at it now. We want to achieve something. I’m into my seventh year here. I don’t want another season of scratching around mid-table or the bottom of the table, losing by one goal each game.
“Every year, I rebuild a team here. Of course, I have a core of players who are very loyal to me and are great lads. But ultimately, each season is a rebuild. This isn’t a side that’s developed into a Step Three team over the last three years and now starting to blossom. This is a team that I’ve built in the space of around twelve weeks. We’ve shaped a brand new squad in that time. Obviously, we had players returning but we also have a lot of new faces. Some people don’t understand this. With the nature of this club, I typically have to rebuild every year… and that’s not easy.
“I can’t bemoan any of that though. We’re in a good place though. We need to be relentless in continuing this form. I’m fully aware that we’re punching above our weight. No one thinks we should be here on our resources. In the past, I’ve given the players too much leeway based upon those circumstances. I’ve been reluctant to batter the boys if we’ve come away with a narrow loss, been so close to winning or missed a few vital chances.
“Now, the mentality is ‘so close isn’t good enough’. I don’t want to be the also-rans or the nearly men. I want to win. And if we don’t win, then I won’t be brushing it under the carpet. I want us to understand; What was the goal we conceded?’ Why did we concede it? Let’s not concede that goal again. What chances did we create? How do we create more? Do we need to work on our finishing?
“I have cut boys some slack in the past because when you’re not winning games and had some tough spells, you don’t want to ride them too hard, because they feel it as much as you do. You need to be human and pick them up. But now, I’ve been a human and now I want to win. And what better way to enjoy your football than to win?
“We always enjoy our football here. You won’t find a footballer that’s played here in the last seven years that hasn’t enjoyed playing football with me, Prings (Dan Pringle) and this club. Everyone’s enjoying it. But as I say to them, ‘what’s more fun than winning?’ You can’t show me anything that’s more fun than winning. If you show up to football and you don’t win, I’m telling you now, I haven’t had fun. No fun!
“If you come to watch, have a catch up with pals, have a few beers and a good laugh behind the goal, you’ve probably had a good night even if the boys lost. That’s okay. But that’s not for me. If I lose, and Prings loses, and the players lose, it’s sh*t! You want the ground to swallow you up. You’re waiting for the next win. We want to win. We’re not just going out there and saying we’re going to win. We’re asking HOW are we going to win? We’ve coached them to win. Now it’s about maintaining those levels of desire to win matches.
“I said to them before the game, I want a good performance with the ball, as I didn’t think we were particularly good with the ball on Saturday. I wanted a perfect defensive display. I love defending. I was a defender at heart really. I love defending. Give me a team from two levels above and battle out a nil-nil draw, f**king fighting for our lives, getting behind the ball and making it hard for teams. I get a buzz off that. I know that sounds wrong. Too many coaches these days are clipboard, positional play and possession. Well, you need to be hard to beat first. I think we’re getting that right. That side of the game is just hard work, desire, commitment and bravery. Nothing can affect that apart from the individual. If the player goes out there with the right attitude, that he wants to work hard, be brave and keep his discipline, then he’ll be hard to beat. And we’re doing just that at the moment.
“Long may it continue.”
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