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.

Corinthian-Casuals 4 - 2 Whitstable Town
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 19th March 2016
Match report: Darren Pasley
Pics: Paul Downs (here) and Terry Buckman (here)
Video below by Daniel Sacha

​As perhaps would have been expected, Corinthian-Casuals bounced back from their defeat at Folkestone with a 4-2 win over Whitstable Town at King Georges Arena.

Whilst the side who lie bottom having conceded over 100 goals in the league already this season are seemingly doomed, one can’t fault their desire and application in the second period which made for an exciting game in which Casuals could never relax.

With Kevant Serbony having departed for playoff rivals Hastings United in the week Shaun Okojie and Jamie Byatt started a game together for the first time.

Early exchanges saw plenty of possession for Casuals but they were kept at bay by a well drilled offside trap before out of nothing in the 20th minute the deadlock was broken. Okojie out on the left received the ball and after powering into the box he skipped past Ives before calmly finishing low past Dan Eason into the bottom corner. It was another goal to add to his growing reputation in what has been a magnificent 2016 so far.

The former Sutton U18  frontman doubled the lead 7 minutes later when chasing onto Sekou Kaba’s lofted through ball he arrived before Eason and despite two covering defenders on the line showed great composure to roll home his second.

The Oystermen were struggling to stay in the match and their cause wasn’t helped by the loss of Collado who was injured whilst attempting a clearance. James Cottee linked well with Warren Morgan and only Eason’s intervention thwarted the oncoming Jamie Byatt.

The visitors only two efforts of the half both came from distance with the half time whistle approaching. First skipper Bewick hitting just wide with an opportunist effort from 30 yards before Yianni fired over a free kick from similar range.

To their credit the visiting management’s half time words had the desired affect and the Kent side came out a much tougher proposition second half with the backline pushed up restricting the space Casuals enjoyed so freely in the first period. Thompson first to have an effort which he hooked over Danny Bracken’s upright.

Casuals Okojie came close to a spectacular third when he was on the end of Eason’s header after rushing out of his box but his chest and volley saw the ball spin just wide.

Thompson again went even closer for the Oystermen this time spurning his side’s best chance slicing a volley from 6 yards out but in the 71st minute his team were back in the match.  Blanchard sending over a free kick from the right and for once the Casuals defence were caught napping as full back Wraight arrived at the back post to tap home unmarked.

As expected this galvanised the visitors but Casuals reacted well and started to create chances of their own for the first time in the half. Danny Dudley heading Cottee’s corner just wide before the former sent over a cross which just evaded everyone including the back post.

In the 83rd minute Okojie completed his hat-trick. Niall Wright feeding the big man who slipped his slot low under the advancing Eason for his first hat-trick in senior football and 10th since the turn of the year.

Whitstable weren’t finished however and after Bracken did superbly to keep out Thompson’s header Smith lashed home only to be denied by the raised assistant’s flag. Moments later though with two minutes remaining they were back in the match as Blanchard this time from the left saw his free kick sail over everyone including Bracken and nestle into the top corner.

With the game into injury time Cottee set off on one final run down the right and into the area he appeared to be clipped by the covering defender. Despite stumbling to the floor he managed to poke the ball past Eason from an acute angle to wrap up the win for a relieved James Bracken.

Folkestone Inv 4 - 0 Corinthian-Casuals
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 12th March 2016
Attendance: 404
Report: Cameron Smith. Pics. Stuart Tree (full set here)

On a mild Saturday afternoon in Kent, the demoralised Corinthian Casuals were slammed 4-0 by the sensational Folkestone Invicta, who are almost guaranteed to finish as Ryman Divison One South champions.

After the thrilling encounter with Hastings United on Tuesday, Casuals looked to shock the league leaders with the attacking trio of James Cottee, Sekou Kaba and the influential re-signing Jamie Byatt. 

Club captain Danny Bracken returned to the starting lineup after midweek illness saw him sit on the sidelines against Hastings. Meanwhile, the hosts hoped to extend their remarkable unbeaten record to twelve games and bounce back with a win after a 1-1 wobble against the ever-improving Walton Casuals. Seventy-six goals this season, high-flyers Folkestone were likely to utilise Ian Draycott, who had converted twenty-six of those seventy-six. The stage was set as Casuals walked out onto the pristine pitch in the impressive Fullicks Stadium.

Seven minutes in, talisman Kaba produced a trademark, bustling run into the area, which fortunately fell for Jamie Byatt. The no.9 was determined to maintain his ‘a goal a game’ record but a stunning reflex save from Tim Roberts denied the Englishman. 

A promising start from Casuals soon depleted after Invicta reminded everyone why they are the best in the league with a diving header narrowly missing the empty net. On twenty minutes, Folkestone’s speedy left-back Nat Blanks hit the crossbar with a looping effort. It had seemed that the no.3 had actually intended to deliver a cross to one of his lurking team-mates.

The majority thought that Casuals had taken the lead minutes later after a threatening Warren Morgan cross ended in Roberts spilling the ball into the direction of the net. However, centre-back Terry Murray attempted to write his name on the scoresheet with a diving header. The outlandish try was one to forget for the defender as it bounced off the no.5’s head and wide.

Unclear if the chance given was offside, it was still one to rue for the visitors. In the forty-third minute, the valiant performance against the leaders was undone as Ashley Miller dropped his shoulder to round a pink shirt before delivering the first goal on a plate for the clinical Draycott. The 400 or so crowd disassembled for half-time, Casuals 1-0 behind but still in the tight contest.

The half-time team-talk did not manage to inspire the players as a volley into the top corner condemned Casuals. Stylish technique from substitute Ronnie Dolan gave Invicta a two goal cushion. 

Struggling to keep up with the tempo of the hosts, Casuals had keeper Bracken to thank. No chances were created and the combination of Kaba, Cottee and Byatt did not manage to keep the Folkestone defence busy. The third was shortly added, Draycott catching Bracken out of position to slot home the rebound. Despite the score-line, the Casuals faithful behind the goal did not stop singing, and singing and singing! Perhaps shocked by the marvellous support from Casuals, the Folkestone faithful kept quiet, resulting in “Shall we sing a song for you?” echoing around for all to hear. 

For thirty-minutes, No goals were conceded or celebrated as Casuals brought on Sam Robinson, Shaun Okojie and Josh Uzun in the second-half. The score remained at 3-0 before the 90th minute. Centre-back Frankie Chappell scored a header at the death to make it four. With the goal difference battered, the game ended with players applauding the stoic Casuals contingent at the final whistle.

Now, Corinthians lay in ninth, four points off the play-offs while Invicta deservedly added three more to their outstanding point tally. Casuals now face last-placed Whitstable Town at home on Saturday before a trip to Peacehaven the week after.

After the match, James Bracken spoke to Stuart Tree. “I think we could’ve been two or three goals up before we went one-nil down. We’ve missed two absolute sitters. Terry (Murray) has actually headed one off the line that was going in. It was one of those moments where you can’t decide whether to laugh or cry.
 
“It’s ended in tears because we haven’t produced in the second half. It was nowhere near good enough.
 
“First half, up until they’ve scored, we were on an even keel. But goals change games. You score the first, we’d have had something to hang onto… change the shape and get a little more defensive.
 
“But we didn’t. Folkestone took their chances and that’s why they’ll probably win the league. They’ve got boys there that get half a sniff and score.
 
“We made a lot of defensive errors today as well and you can’t get away with that here.
 
“We’ll be right in this playoff push until the last game of the season. That’s where we want to take it. This game today I looked at as a bonus; we’ve had a couple of good results in the week picking up four points against playoff rivals. So I never felt there was any real pressure on us to come and win here. It was a case of ‘if we can win, it’d be a fantastic boost ahead of the final seven games’ but it wasn’t to be.
 
“All of the games in the run-in look winnable but then teams that were getting beaten heavily are now losing by one goal or getting draws. None of these games will be walkovers. We won’t blitz anyone for free. Some of the sides we’re playing, they’re fighting for survival and won’t just roll-over. We have to apply ourselves and then the quality will show. If we don’t, we’ll get out-battled.
 
“I’ll be analysing the video footage from today and people will be accountable for their mistakes. I didn’t go mad in the changing room but I’m fed up of saying the same thing to them. Okay, at three-nil down, you make some changes to prevent you conceding again. We got back into it and then they’ve scored from a free header from six yards.
 
“I’m tired of saying the same things. They’re the basics. It doesn’t matter how well we play or how good we think we are, if we can’t defend set-pieces, we’ll lose 1-0 against Whitstable to a corner. So I’ll be addressing things this week and I’ll be expecting a reaction.”

Corinthian-Casuals 2 – 2 Hastings United
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 8th March 2016
Attendance: 130
Match report: Stuart Tree. Photos from Andy Nunn can be viewed here.
 
Second half goals from Warren Morgan and Jamie Byatt rescued a point for Corinthian-Casuals as they battled back from 2-0 down to earn a draw with playoff rivals Hastings United.
 
And Casuals Boss James Bracken believed they were ‘unlucky not to come away with three points’ and hailed his side’s fighting spirit.
 
The two sides had played out a thrilling 3-3 draw just a few weeks back at the Pilot field and the 130 in attendance would be in for a treat should that be replicated.
 
Before kickoff, Casuals were dealt two big blows; Captain Danny Bracken was to miss his first competitive game in 185 starts due to illness. Reserve keeper Ricky Bowry was called up at the eleventh hour to deputise. At the other end of the pitch, in-form frontman Shaun Okojie, with eight goals in eight starts also succumbed to a sickness bug. James Cottee was promoted from the bench to start alongside Jamie Byatt, playing his first home game of the season.
 
Casuals began lively and after only three minutes, Sekou Kaba’s quick feet found space in the box but his shot was deflected over.
 
Hastings took the lead in the eighth minute when Billy Medlock let fly with a 25 yard effort that beat stand-in keeper Ricky Bowry with no chance.
 
They doubled the lead on 20 minutes after Zac Attwood was allowed to turn and shoot past Bowry.
 
Casuals fought back with Sekou Kaba hitting the post and Hasting’s keeper Harry Doherty made a superb last ditch save to deny returning hero Jamie Byatt.  At the other end, Medlock fancied his chances again but his dipping shot was fired over.
 
The comeback began after the break when on 57 minutes, Warren Morgan made an impressive burst into the box and fired from an acute angle past Doherty.
 
In a half dominated by the home side, Byatt went close again with a trademark swivel and volley that had Doherty scrambling.  Casuals continued to press and pinned Hastings in their own half. The pressure paid off; Byatt latched onto a looping Warren Morgan ball and in typical fashion, slotted home to level the scores.
 
James Cottee had a golden chance to sneak three points at the end but his snap shot went agonisingly wide with Doherty stranded.
 
The draw lifts Casuals up into seventh, two points from Hastings who remain in fifth place, taking up the final playoff spot.
 
“One thing we never lack is fighting spirit. We showed it on Saturday and we’ve shown it again tonight,” said Bracken after the match.
 
“But let’s not forget there was an awful lot of quality out there today. We’ve dominated that game for the majority of it. Hastings scored two goals in the first half against the run of play and then sat deep.
 
“Second half, we’ve almost taken them apart and we’re unlucky not to come away with three points.
We’ve got eight games to go and we’ll have a right good go and see if we can get to the playoffs.
 
Speaking of the loss of Captain Danny Bracken and in-form striker Shaun Okojie, Bracken said, “It gives you a little concern in the back of your mind when you miss your goalkeeper who’s played 185 consecutive games. It’s never easy. I’ve got faith in everyone in the squad including Ricky (Bowry) who’s stepped in tonight and done really well.
 
“Shaun’s scored eight goals in eight games and that’s a big miss for us. But other players step up to the plate, including Warren Morgan who’s got a goal and Jamie Byatt who’s bagged another.
 
“I want the boys to get points out of every game. We’ll turn up at Folkestone on Saturday motivated. Every single game I turn up to, I seem that little bit more focussed, that bit more motivated as we get to the business end of the season. I hope that’s rubbing off on the players.
 
“We travel to Folkestone knowing that they’ll win the league – they’re the best team in it this year, as the table tells you. But we’ll go there and try and cause another upset because we like to make a habit of that. 

 Faversham Town 1 - 2 Corinthian-Casuals
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 5th March 2016
Attendance: 192
Match report and photos: Stuart Tree (full set of pics here)

“It’s great to be back” hailed returning hero Jamie Byatt as his 48th minute strike helped Corinthian-Casuals defeat playoff rivals Faversham Town in a thrilling contest.
 
Byatt’s deft lob was complimented by Shaun Okojie’s eighth goal in eight starts for the Amateurs in a 2-1 win that sees Casuals within touching distance of the playoff places.
 
At the other end, a crucial Danny Bracken penalty save kept the Casuals in the game before Luke Harvey gave the home side a lifeline back into the contest. However, Corinth held on for the last ten minutes to claim a third successive victory over the Lilywhites.
 
Byatt was immediately introduced to the starting line-up following his move back to King George’s Arena in the week. New signing Sam Robinson also made the squad, taking a place on the bench. Brandon Johnson welcomed a return to action after serving his five match suspension.
 
Whether the game would even start came into question after two particularly bad patches on the playing surface gave cause for concern. However, the match officials deemed it playable much to the relief of all in attendance.
 
Both sides started lively and made for an open game. Faversham looked dangerous on the break though Casuals had chances to take the lead early on. Warren Morgan’s back post header looked to have found the target but ruffled the wrong side of the net. Morgan was then up-ended on the very edge of the penalty box. Ben King’s resulting free kick was scooped away by Faversham’s stopper Will Godmon.
 
With supporters still exiting the clubhouse for half-time refreshment, Byatt gave Casuals the lead. A neat pass from Terry Murray played in Byatt who found himself free. With Godmon advancing, Byatt’s slick lob left the Faversham keeper stranded and the ball fell just under the crossbar, much to the delight of the small band of travelling fans.
 
Seven minutes later, Byatt’s strike partner, Shaun Okojie doubled the lead; Byatt turned provider as his pass found Okojie bearing down on goal and the striker showed maturity beyond his age to shrug off Faversham captain Ryan Cooper and strike low past Godmon.
 
Casuals looked the more likely to score again, however Faversham had a golden chance to half the defecit when Brandon Johnson was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty box after the midfielder stumbled and fell. Yet again, Danny Bracken proved his worth by expertly saving from Charley Robertson's spot kick.
 
Faversham began to probe more and more and got their rewards with ten minutes left. A corner whipped in found Luke Harvey at the near post who duly snuck the ball past Bracken and the defence.
 
Faversham pressed for an equaliser but Casuals held on for a fine victory which sees them just two points out of the playoff places.
​
“We’ve got the best possible start to the three games that we’re attacking this week. We’ll look to get another six points out of the next two”, said Manager James Bracken after the match.
 
“I’m pleased with today. Everything that we know is there was on show. Fighting spirit, the ability to dig in and scrap. Even when we conceded at 2-0 up, we soaked up a lot of pressure, didn’t give Faversham a lot of chances and saw the game out.
 
“Jamie will always score on his return. I might get rid of him and bring him back next week just so he can score again.
 
“I didn’t want Jamie to leave in the first place. He decided that he wanted to try something new. But we had a two-second conversation about him coming back and he’s here – and I knew he’d score.
 
“I knew Shaun (Okojie) would score too. They’ll hopefully bring the best out in each other as they make a nice pairing. But to supplement that, we’ve got James Cottee knocking on the door.
 
“We’ve got a lot of players. Now is really the time where I’ll be keeping a close eye on selection. We’ve rotated the squad throughout the season to keep them together, but now I’ll make sure I put boys on the pitch that I know are ready to fight for every point between now and the end of the season.
 
“There’s only nine games to go so players that want to be involved need to fight for their place.
 
Speaking about Danny Bracken’s pivotal penalty save, James Bracken said “A bit of homework paid off. I watched the highlights of Faversham’s game last week and Charley Robertson took two penalties and put them both in the same place.
 
“I said to my brother, ‘if they get a penalty next week and Robertson takes it, you dive low to your left.’ He’s remembered and subsequently dived low to his left and of course has saved it."
 
Speaking of his goal and return to the club, Jamie Byatt commented, “It was a great through ball from Terry (Murray) and I saw the keeper off his line so I gave the ball a little dink. I thought it was going over at first but it hit the back of the net.
 
“The boys played really well. Bracks made a great save from the penalty. We dug in, sat back a bit in the second half and let them come at us. But we held our own and come away with the victory.
 
“It’s great to be back. I missed it here. I went away to try a few different things. They didn’t work out for me and now I’m back. Hopefully I can help Casuals carry on what the team have been doing all season and get us in the playoffs.
 
“If we play the way we have today then we’ve got a good chance of making the playoffs, especially if we win against Hastings on Tuesday night. To come here and get three points, that’s a good start and we’ll kick on and look to win as many as possible.”

Corinthian-Casuals line up: Bracken (c), Morgan, Hodges, Dudley, Murray, King, Serbony (Robinson), Johnson, Byatt, Okojie (Cottee), Wright (Spencer). Subs not used: Uzun, Davies.