CORINTHIAN-CASUALS 1   THREE BRIDGES  0
RYMAN DIVISION ONE SOUTH
Thurs 27th March 2014
by David Harrison

Casuals continued their impressive form, keeping a clean sheet for the fourth game in a row. With the only goal of the match they beat Three Bridges,  leap-frogged them in the League,  and moved another step away from the danger zone.  The team showed one change from the side which had demolished Redhill two nights before,  Ross Defoe coming in for the injured Jordan Vidal at left back.

Casuals began as they had finished on Tuesday,  with purpose and style.  Ellis Wilson-Joseph had a shot within two minutes; then a run by Juevan Spencer on the right saw Steve Goddard's shot saved.  The goal that followed on 12 minutes was worth the admission money by itself.   Saheed Sankoh controlled a difficult ball out of defence before cleverly putting Dave  Hodges away on the left.  He made ground before hitting a trade-mark left foot cross into the visitor's box.   It arrived waist high to the advancing Jamie Byatt who volleyed it left foot past the bemused keeper.  Goal of the month and perhaps even better.  It was Byatt's 26th strike of the season.  "There's only one Jamie Byatt", they sang behind the goal.

Casuals could and should have had more before half time;  Spencer was showing his pace on the right combining regularly with Goddard;   Byatt had another shot saved.  Wilson-Joseph made a run from the halfway line only to see his shot hit the post. Goddard even "tried a Rooney" from 50 yards. At the other end Danny Green was enjoying himself at full back while Danny Dudley and Joe Hicks in the centre made the territory their own with powerful support from Ross Defoe on the left.  A Three Bridges corner and shot over the bar was the nearest the visitors came to disturbing Danny Bracken's evening.

At the interval Joel Thompson took the place of Goddard who was feeling the hamstring that he had tweaked at Redhill two days before. Within moments Thompson found himself barely five yards out.  Hodges forced the ball across but somehow Thompson could hit only the underside of the bar.   Another run by Spencer offered a chance but the winger's shot was just wide.

Then developed another small drama. Linesman Erroll Walker damaged an Achilles tendon  and had to withdraw.   After a tannoy appeal failed to produce a qualified replacement  regular First Team sub Chris Watney volunteered his services.  But the visitors weren't keen  to let him officiate. Happily referee  Michael Hayden decided he would manage without a linesman and the game finally continued after a 15 minute hiatus.               

Sadly the match never regained the intensity that had gone before.  Hodges offered another chance to Thompson but the big man hit the bar again.  Sankoh continued to prompt from midfield.  Bracken remained untroubled in goal and the game rather petered out.  But the final whistle marked up three wins and a draw in the last four games - a run of form  when it really matters.    

Team:   D.Bracken;  D.Green, R. Defoe, D.Dudley, J.Hicks (C);  E.Wilson-Joseph, J.Spencer,  S.Sankoh;  J.Byatt, S.Goddard (J.Thompson 45'),  D.Hodges.  Subs not used:  M.Falm, T.Williams,  J.Wadmore, B.Bowra

REDHILL  0   CORINTHIAN-CASUALS  3
RYMAN DIVISION ONE SOUTH
Tues 25th March 2014
by David Harrison

Casuals hauled themselves six points clear of the bottom three with a convincing display on a blustery night against lower table rivals Redhill.   Strengthened by the inclusion of Steve Goddard,  available only in midweek, the team looked promising from the start.   On ten minutes a quick free kick from Saheed Sankoh put Juevan Spencer away only to see his shot blocked.  Moments later Jamie Byatt beat two men only to shoot straight at the keeper.

But on 25 minutes Dave Hodges threaded a long ball to Byatt on the left.  The striker ran on to drive a powerful shot past Greaves the home keeper - a vintage goal from two players on form.   The visitors continued to dominate with midfielders  Spencer, Wilson-Joseph, Sankoh and Hodges controlling much of the game and Goddard and Byatt always probing up front..  Moments before half time a long throw from the left touchline by Hodges found its way to Spencer who cheerfully drove home to send the visitors in for the tea break two goals ahead.

Redhill pressed harder in the second half but Green,  Dudley, Hicks and Jordan were their match apart from one mix-up close to goal that could have been costly.  But Danny Bracken enjoyed perhaps his quietest match for some weeks.  At the other end another Hodges run found saw Byatt's shot pushed over the bar,  then Spencer just failed with another chance.  With 15 minutes to go Falm, on for Spencer,  took a bad knock that looked to cut short his game but he recovered and moments later broke through to offer Goddard a chance that the northern nomad gratefully accepted - putting the result beyond doubt.   

In the closing minutes Falm was replaced by Tom Williams who made a powerful run through from midfield only to have his shot pushed away for a corner.  But then it was all over. 

"We're not going down boys, we're not going down", sang the visiting troubadours as the team went across to salute them - and to acknowledge that we'd all had a great evening out.   "A couple more performances like that,"  said one of the faithful, "and we really should be safe."

Team:   D.Bracken;  D.Green, V.Jordan, D.Dudley, J.Hicks;  E.Wilson-Joseph(M. Nsubuga 70') , J.Spencer(M.Falm 75', T.Williams 86'), S.Sankoh;  J.Byatt, S.Goddard,  D.Hodges.  Subs:  M.Falm, M.Nsubuga, T.Williams