Carshalton Athletic 0 - 3 Corinthian-Casuals
Velocity Trophy 1st Round
Monday 17th September 2018
Match report and photos: Stuart Tree (full set here)

Corinthian-Casuals made it two wins on the bounce on Monday with a resounding 3-0 win over Carshalton Athletic in the Velocity Trophy 1st Round.

The win follows a dramatic last minute victory at Harlow Town on Saturday that saw Casuals come from behind to win 2-1 at the death, courtesy of a Danny Cunningham strike.

The striker was rested alongside a few others with consideration of the proximity of these two matches – just over 48 hours between. Mo Maan made his return in goal, recovered from the back injury sustained early on in the first game of the season at Margate back in August.

Carshalton had also made a few changes from the side that drew with Bognor but boasted three ex-Casuals in their line-up; Danny Dudley, Jordan Cheadle and Jerson Dos Santos. But it was to be an ex-Robin who’d inflict first blood in this encounter.
Jordan Clarke had left Casuals after two years at King George’s but barely settled in the Robin’s nest. Having made a fleeting appearance over the summer for Peter Adeniyi’s side, Clarke was back under the tutelage of James Bracken. Was there anyone more determined to show what his ex-club were missing? When Clarke found that extra yard past his marker – Adeniyi himself, no less, he unleashed a fierce 25 yard shot that left Billy Bishop no chance in goal. Clarke’s celebration said it all. ‘I told you so’ was the language displayed by the arms folded, stock still before beating his chest and pointing at the Casuals faithful in appreciation for the continued support.

Corinth could’ve been ahead before Clarke’s 45th minute strike. Mu Maan had crashed one off the crossbar that nearly broke the goal. His brother, Mo at the other end was never overly troubled but was called upon to save from Courtney Swaby.
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It was only five minutes into the second half when the lead was doubled. Warren Mfula finished off a delightful move when he slipped through the back line and slotted neatly past Bishop’s left side.

Two was soon to become three when a Coskun Ekim corner found Reece Hannigan’s head around 12 yards out. After a couple of close calls, Hannigan finally had his debut goal for the Casuals.

Things went from bad to worse for the Robin’s when player/manager Adeniyi was dismissed for two bookable offences. The referee had consulted with his linesman for quite some time before showing the Manager the door.

Corinth continued to attack in pace and in numbers. Gabriel Odunaike continued to be a threat as did substitute Gil Carvalho, who forced a fine save from Bishop to prevent it being a mauling. On balance of play, there was only one winner and unsurprisingly, the scoreline reflected this.

Casuals will now face Chipstead at home in the next round. Date TBA.

Whyteleafe 2 - 1 Corinthian-Casuals
Emirates FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round Replay
Tuesday 11th September 2018
Report: Stuart Tree. Photos: Andy Nunn (full set here)

Corinthian-Casuals and the FA Cup. There’s something about this competition that doesn’t sit well with the Amateurs. Is it punishment for our forefathers declining participation in this most famous competition in its formative years? Of course not, but just six wins in the Cup in seventeen years isn’t a record to boast about. It seems, even under Manager James Bracken, who’s broken records and brought success to King George’s, isn’t infallible to the ‘Casuals FA Cup Curse’– winning just three times in four seasons.
 
And so that curse was to strike again. It almost had on the previous Saturday, when Bracken admitted his side had been fortuitous in getting a replay. Following a 0-0 stalemate, the two teams would once again face-off to find out who’d be meeting National League South outfit St Alban’s City in the next round.
 
Bracken understandably made changes from the first match. In came Mu Maan and Warren Morgan for Callum McAllister and Jack Tucker respectively. The makeshift front line remained unchanged with five forwards still absent. Gabriel Odunaike and Warren Mfula suspended whilst last season’s top scorer Max Oldham, Josh Uzun and Reyon Dillon work their way back to fitness.
 
Both sides started with the intention of getting this replay done and dusted in the first half, with frenetic pace and intensity. Whyteleafe’s Eddie Dsane, who’s into double figures for scoring already this season looking lively all game.
 
The closest chance to breaking the deadlock fell to Casuals’ Jack Strange. A Coskun Ekim corner was powerfully met by Strange whose header smacked the underside of the crossbar and bounced just the wrong side of the line. Calls for VAR at Church Road rang out.

In a tie that had seen zero goals in 118 minutes of play, it was therefore no surprise to see the first goal come via the penalty spot. Juevan Spencer’s mazy run into the box ended with his cross which was steered behind by Bentley Graham’s arm. The official pointed to the spot – perhaps harshly considering the proximity of the Leafe midfielder, and Danny Cunningham converted, much to the delight of the noisy travelling faithful.
 
There was perhaps time for one more chance before the break. Ekim’s wicked free kick was tipped around the post by Tyler McCarthy.
 
Buoyed by the lead, Casuals should’ve emerged for the second half, looking to finish off the tie. It never happened.
 
Naturally, Leafe were going to push forward for an equaliser and Dan Hector, along with DSane had the pedigree and pace to put the Corinth back line under pressure for sustained periods. Matters weren’t helped by a referee who was happy to whistle at every available opportunity along with an assistant who attempted to outdo his comrade with his flag. It was a shame, considering the game was played at a furious pace despite every attempt by the officials to slow things down.
 
The real turning point in the match came with another awarding of a penalty. Same box, same infringement, same result. A Leafe free kick slammed into the two man wall with the referee again harshly adjudging that it had unfairly struck an arm. DSane levelled the scores from the resultant penalty on the hour mark.
 
Leafe took a firm grip on the game, searching for a winner. They bossed the midfield and limited Casuals to rare breaks. If they’d had their shooting boots on, it could’ve been over before the 90 minute mark. As it was, they left it late. A free kick was awarded on the edge of the box when two players tumbled together. At first, the referee appeared to let play continue and turned to his assistant for guidance, though none was forthcoming. So it was a surprise when he indicated that there had been an infringement. Up stepped DSane who neatly whipped it low into the far corner, just out of the reach of Brad Comins.
 
The goal came in the 90th minute but there was time for an unsavoury moment to add unnecessary bite to the tie. A throw in was awarded to Casuals but the home bench refused to provide a replacement ball in unfortunate time-wasting tactics. Cue tempers flaring which was exacerbated by the apparent act of couple of home youth/squad players who’d jumped the barricades and lashed out. A melee ensued and took several minutes to calm down. Tempers were still high when Warren Morgan’s late challenge resulted in a second booking and left Casuals with 10 men. It was an unfortunate end to a tie in which a number of neutrals agreed had been a good advert for the game.
 
Casuals weren’t good enough for large spells across both ties and the Bostik South East side deserved their win on the balance of play across 180 minutes. Whyteleafe will do well under Harry Hudson this season if these two matches are anything to go by and if they’re able to keep hold of a player in Eddie DSane who'll will surely attract attention from leagues above. This was a real blooded cup tie that was played with good intensity and in a great atmosphere. It’s just a shame we didn’t win!
 
There’s definitely a trait seen too often by Casuals when facing opposition that, on paper, should be beaten. The performances in these two matches have fallen far too short of what we know is capable by this side. Bracken will have to address the poor form quickly as we resume our Bostik League Premier campaign on Saturday, away to Harlow Town. We wish Whyteleafe the very best of luck in the next round at St Albans.
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Manager James Bracken had these words following the 0-0 draw against Whyteleafe in the FA Cup.

​“They had the better chances on the day. On the balance of play, it was fairly even. We probably had the ball in their half more than them but we didn’t do enough with it. They’ve caught us a few times and Brad’s made a few good saves. Two or three bits of smart goalkeeping from him has kept us in the tie.

The cup is a leveller and you have to perform to your best. We didn’t achieve those levels against Whyteleafe but we’ve got another shot at it and that’s all I can ask for at this moment.

“We’re in the hat for the draw and we have another chance to secure our place on Tuesday. I said to the lads afterwards, we’ve been gifted another chance. Let’s not take it for granted and throw it away. We haven’t been good enough in this first game and we need to ensure that we’re much better, come the replay.

“Get through and I’d personally like to face a side that’s caused an upset – and from a lower level. Drawing a big club is great. Every FA Cup match is a big occasion but I’d rather see someone come out of the hat that would make us believe we have a good chance of getting through. You want to get as far as possible in this competition and if that means perceived favourable draws, then we can look forward to perhaps facing a big club down the line.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’ve got a tough test on Tuesday. Whoever awaits in the next round will be a tough test, so there’s no easy draw.”

Corinthian-Casuals 0 - 0 Whyteleafe
Emirates FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round
Saturday 8th September 2018
​Match report: Cameron Smith. Photos: Stuart Tree (pics here)

Corinthian-Casuals survived a flurry of late scares in the form of Whyteleafe attacks all while missing a few golden chances of their own in the Emirates FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round as the 0-0 draw forces the two Surrey sides to replay on Tuesday night.

The last outing in the FA Cup was a memorable one for the Casuals; six goals left Croydon in the dust, but since then there has been two Bostik Premier Division games and a victory has evaded James Bracken and his team on both occasions. A bitter taste still apparent from last Saturday’s unjust 1-1 draw, Tolworth welcomed the familiar Whyteleafe to King George’s. Regularly playing against the Leafe in the Division One South, Casuals were drawn against the green and white army after the Croydon win, which meant Harry Hudson’s new-look team were clashing with the pink and brown once more.

In the opening ten minutes, it was clear that the league difference did not faze Whyteleafe as they battled Corinthians’ pacey attack through the wings and even produced chances of their own. The returning Casuals keeper Bradley Comins got down to palm a low free-kick away from the bottom corner as captain Coskun Ekim attempted to re-group and push for an opener. With Mfula suspended, Cunningham returned to the frontline whilst Jack Tucker replaced Warren Morgan at left back. Jordan Clarke was starting and his presence struck fear into the Leafe defence- they knew he could pace forwards and make an opportunity like turning on a switch. In the 20th minute, Clarke began a fantastic counter attack after a Leafe set-piece, but his rapid speed did not match his finishing on this occasion. Saved by McCarthy, the following corner was cleared.

The rest of the half was strange. Casuals failed to find a glimpse of a weakness in the visitors’ two centre-backs and unfocused possession was not contributing to the search for the goal. It was Whyteleafe who had the chance of the half. Premature celebrations from behind the goal, an unclear scramble in the penalty area saw a green shirt roll the ball towards the goal from only yards out. But Juevan Spencer was there to boot the ball away heroically, even if the offside flag saved Casuals’ blushes anyway.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and if Casuals were to win this game it would’ve been through a chance in the 50th minute. Clarke was ruining full-backs as per usual, but his lightning-quick cross did not find a chocolate and pink jersey, but a green one. Rebounding off Nathan Campbell, a brilliant stop from McCarthy in the net avoided an embarrassing own goal and Casuals notching an opener.

Unable to penetrate the defence centrally, Corinth tried to sneak one past on the outskirts with yet another effort from Clarke narrowly missing the target of the goal. Despite introductions of Morgan, Maan and Cheklit in the end, the hosts looked tired. Whyteleafe capitalised on fatigue and pounded on the door of the Casuals back four and keeper. Luckily Comins was ready to answer the knocking with a wonderful point-blank save that had Casuals fans on the other side of the pitch in awe. Partly due to the solid defence, Whyteleafe would feel robbed after a last ten minutes that consisted of remarkable opportunities via scrambles and set-pieces. Holding strong, Casuals battled until the end in the 0-0 draw.
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Cancelling the London Senior Cup game with Croydon, the FA Cup takes priority as a replay in Church Road on this Tuesday night means Casuals have a new midweek fixture- will James Bracken’s pink and brown army secure a place in the next round?

Read James Bracken's post match comments here >>

After the Brightlingsea Regent match, Manager James Bracken had these words...

The red card changed the game for sure. With eleven men, we should’ve been 3-0 up. We were that much better than them. They were getting nowhere near us but we should’ve been more clinical and had this done by half time.

In the second half, we were still the more dangerous team even with 10 men. Okay, they’ve put some balls in the box, had little spells of two or three crosses in a row, but we’ve countered them and looked like scoring ourselves.

Of course, the sending off has influenced the game because with eleven men, there would’ve only been one winner.
Having watched back the incident on video it’s never, ever a red card. Neither the referee or assistant has seen it and it’s 100% cost us.

We have a lot of technically gifted players and perhaps sometimes, they feel that when they get the ball, they’ve got to do something special before they shoot. What they need to realise is sometimes the technically gifted players behind them have already done that bit. They’ve got them into the position where they should be setting themselves with one touch, hitting the target with pace and accuracy and finishing the move off.

We seem to want to have another touch, beat another player and tee-up the perfect goal. It’s not going to work like that. We need to pull the trigger more. Get some saves out of the keeper. Score the follow-up and get the tap-ins. At the moment, we have too many players who do too much.

We weren’t helped by having eight players missing – and that’s not even touching the goalkeeper situation. When you think we missed Max Oldham, Danny Cunningham, Gabby Odunaike, they’re probably three of our better forwards. Then you’ve also got Josh Uzun who’s been consistently one of the top goalscorers over the past three seasons and Reyon Dillon who’s still out injured. That’s five forwards who’d take the touch and get the shot off in the same positions I’m referring to.

But I’m not going to take anything away from the performance again. They did well and worked their socks off. They adapted well in the second half. We were still a threat whilst soaking up some pressure and made it hard for the opposition. But we need to shoot more.

I’m only disappointed with the amount of points we have. I’m not disappointed with anything else. Yes, we’ve had some tough lessons to learn. Apart from the first half against Margate, we’ve been more than competitive at this level. But we can’t be happy with what we’ve put on the points table.

We’ll always try our best to get through in all competitions and try to put a trophy in the cabinet and get as far as we can in the FA Cup which is important to the club as a whole.

Sadly, it seems at the moment we can’t get our teeth into the league. Brightlingsea was a big game and we should be coming away with three points with that monkey off our back. As it happens, we go into these cup games, still without a win in the league.
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As I say, I can’t be disappointed with the performances or the fitness levels. The chances we’re creating are fine. At the back, we’re looking solid. I’ve got no problem with it but it’s disappointing that we don’t have the points we deserve. Realistically, we should have seven points, with a game in hand, and that would be a fair reflection of where we’re at. We need to ensure we keep the mentality right and keep the confidence high because we’re not far away. Once we get that one win, we’ll go and start winning multiple games in a row.

Corinthian-Casuals 1 - 1 Brightlingsea Regent
Bostik League Premier Division
Saturday 1st September 2018
Match report: Cameron Smith. Photos: Stuart Tree (full set here)

A baffling red card left Corinthian-Casuals with ten men versus a scrappy Brightlingsea Regent, who bagged a second-half equaliser as points were shared on a sunny afternoon at King George’s Arena.

Bank Holiday Monday’s unfortunate 1-0 defeat only fuelled a resilient Casuals side led by James Bracken- the manager had a bittersweet taste in his mouth after the Kingstonian loss, describing Casuals as “fantastic” despite lost points. Brannon Daly was the fifth goalkeeper in the 18/19 season to wear the grey keeper jersey for Corinth, whilst McAllister and Carvalho returned ahead of Walker and Oldham. Super Jordan Clarke made his first start since re-joining the pink and brown army, shifting in the no.9 role.

White shirts of Brightlingsea Regent distributed across their half as the clock edged closer to 3 o’clock, with the Essex club looking to add to their four points and lowly position. As soon as the game kicked off, it was clear that the visitors were hungry to come away with a result via tactical fouls and good defensive work. So, Casuals had to match that desire to win. They did just that in the 30th minute, where captain Coskun Ekim delivered a perfectly weighted corner in a compact penalty area. Whipped in with precision, there were lots of bodies looking to make a connection to the ball, but Jack Strange was the one to succeed. Tapping the ball past the keeper and Regent player on the line, the beaming no.4 ran to the jubilant support behind the goal as for the first time this season, Casuals had taken the lead! Recognising that a 1-0 lead in football is never safe, the side collectively put pressure on Brightlingsea.

After Warren Morgan was fouled consecutively in one of his trademark wanders, Ekim was twenty yards out when he placed the ball down to take the free-kick. Eyeing up the keeper’s left hand corner, the Turk curled a magnificent effort over the wall and past the R’s no.1… but not past the agonising goal post. Hannigan was present for the rebound, but completely off-balance and out of position, so his effort skied over the bar. Enough was enough for the away side’s management- they made two substitutes in the 40th minute in a desperate attempt to get back into the one-sided fixture. Even if it was not by their football, they did. Referee Shelby Elson broke up a scuffle on the right flank between Josh Gould, Jake Gould and Warren Mfula. Finally deciding to hand out cards, the official inexplicably gave Casuals’ Mfula a red card, whilst only booking no.3 Jake Gould. Confusion rippled across the arena as the no.10 exited the pitch on the stroke of half-time.

Unable to comprehend the disciplinary decision from Mr Elson, the Casuals contingent switched ends and hoped the extra man would not affect the game’s quality. That hope was instantly crushed when a lightning quick attack resulted in sub Michael Baxter bundling in a cross only two minutes after the break. Brightlingsea had taken full advantage of the extra man- it was one apiece. Following the equaliser, the Casuals and the Regent had almost switched roles in the second half as the visitors were ever so close to nicking a winner when keeper Daly made a tremendous save from point-blank range in the 65th minute. Always managing to ease past the full-back, Carvalho was Casuals’ main threat, but his efforts just couldn’t beat the structured Regent back four. A possible handball in the goalmouth was enthusiastically dismissed by the referee as Casuals dug deep to both defend and muster offensive opportunities. Exhausted after 95 minutes of practically end-to-end play, Corinthians and Brightlingsea were halted as the game ended 1-1.

Disappointing to only gain a point but happy to keep one after being strangely reduced a man, Casuals now sit in 21st place but look to the FA Cup for an access into the next Qualifying round- the home match is next Saturday.

​Read James Bracken's post match comments here >>