Corinthian-Casuals 0 - 0 Hemel Hempstead Town
Hemel win 4-2 on Penalties
FA Trophy 2nd Round
Saturday 19th December 2020
Report: Dan Richards. Pics: Stuart Tree (full set here).
More photos from Andy Nunn here.

As football returned to the United Business Group Stadium for the first time since October, it was a shame this FA Trophy second round game had to be played behind closed doors, although technically there were two fans watching after a pair of loyal Casuals found a vantage point on top of a shipping container just outside the ground.

The match started evenly, but the first chance of note went to the away side, when Reggie Young was sent through on the left-hand side. His cross was headed just over by striker Josh Oyisan from close range.

The National League South side then created another good chance down the same flank, this time Ryan Sellers with the cut-back cross, but Danny Webb’s shot went well wide.

Yet it was Corinth who had the first shot on target, which came from Harry Carter as he was played into the box on the right, and forced a smart save from the Tudors keeper Dean Snedker.

Just before half-time, we had the best chance of the first half too, when Kieron Cadogan was played through on the counter-attack. The forward opted to play in his strike partner Jerson dos Santos, who saw his low, driven shot go agonisingly wide across the Hempstead goal.

The heavens opened around the hour mark, but that didn’t stop the two Casuals fans on the container from showing their love for the club, chanting all game. Tremendous support!

In the 70th minute, Casuals forward Ben Cheklit had a fierce pop at goal that whistled just over the bar from 30 yards out – and you can see why after his beauties against Hendon and Dulwich Hamlet earlier this campaign.

A few minutes later, we had another great chance as a scramble in the box from a corner was cleared to the edge of the area. Carter curled a beautiful strike that just went past the right post.

In the dying moments of the game, former Aston villa player, Samir Carruthers set through Webb on a mazy run down the left. Danny Bracken then made a great save, smothering a Webb shot, before Andrew Mills cleared a Jonathan Lacey shot off the line. Relief for the Casuals.

As the final whistle was blown, it was straight to penalties. Casuals went first and Cadogan coolly dispatched his kick. Unfortunately, Coskun Ekim and Cheklit couldn’t convert after two brilliant saves from Snedker for the Tudors, including a fingertip onto the bar from Cheklit. The National League South side now face Bromley in the next round on Tuesday.

James Bracken was proud of his side despite the defeat.

“I thought we did great,” he said. “We got a clean sheet and had our opportunities.

“I managed to watch the opposition, which I don’t usually get to do with Saturday and Tuesday games, and they actually set up differently to usual, but it didn’t make too much difference because we were best-prepared today.

“It makes a massive difference when you can prepare properly, and the boys always focus when you give them the information – they did a great job.

“They had a few chances at the end when we were tired, but you have to remember we have had one game in seven weeks before today, where they have been playing every week, in the league above, and are a good side in it.

“It was a game you want your fans to help you through in the last 20 minutes, but we didn’t have that and the boys managed to find that within themselves. So fair play to the lads – they had no help and did it themselves.

“It was a game I knew we could win if we got anywhere near to where we needed to be, so I’m disappointed to go out of the competition but I’m pleased, ultimately, with how we played against higher-league opposition.

“It was always going to be hard to create chances out there today on that pitch, we knew that, and they struggled to carve out clear-cut chances. I thought Danny was good today, towards the end he made two or three really smart stops.

“There was a debutant – Yannis Ambroisine – out there today that did great. That was his first game of the season and today he has got through 90 minutes, so I’m pleased that the training we have done has prepared them properly.

“It was a good cup game. At the start of the second half the dynamics of the game did change and we did need to change shape because one or two players were having to do too much running. So we went on the counter attack a bit more often.

“It’s not a criticism but had we used our opportunities a bit better we might have carved out that clear-cut chance to win, but we didn’t do it. Overall, I’m pleased with the performance, though.”

Cray Valley PM 4 - 3 Corinthian-Casuals
London Senior Cup First Round
Saturday 5th December 2020
Att: 133
Report and Photos: Stuart Tree (set of pics here)

Entertainment has been synonymous with Corinthian-Casuals this season and once again, it wasn’t in short supply as they shared a seven-goal thriller at Cray Valley Paper Mills in the London Senior Cup on Saturday.

Sadly, football has been in short supply of recent and this marked Corinth’s first match in over a month due to lockdown restrictions placed on the sport. Of course, Cray have been in a similar situation and this hastily re-arranged fixture – unusual these days for the County Cup, gave both sides an opportunity to get some much needed minutes in. It was especially needed for James Bracken’s side who face an important FA Trophy Casual derby against the Walton variety on Tuesday evening.

Though hampered with a number of injuries to some of his regular starters, Bracken was still able to name a competitive side against a very good Cray Valley who’d only exited the FA Cup at the first round stage just one month ago… they’re divisional gap proving not to be of any significance.

In fact, it was the Millers who looked the better side to begin with, despite Robert Paratore missing a golden opportunity to give Corinth the lead. Sam Hasler’s free kick found Matt Warren at the far post who turned in an easy conversion, leading to arms held wide in confusion from the too Casual defence.

The visitors grew into the half, though squandered a number of chances, including a Keiron Cadogan missed penalty. The former Palace hitman struck the post after he was taken out in the box. He was able to make amends when Jerson Dos Santos was also up-ended, though appeared to have actually been fouled outside of the penalty area.

Dos Santos got in on the act shortly afterwards, converting a sublime Hakeem Adelakun cross whipped in from the left, served up on a plate.

But on the stroke of half time, Hasler levelled up the scores with a pearler of a 25 yard free kick.

The second half belonged to the home side despite Casuals taking the lead once more. Cadogan wasn’t to be outdone in the free kick stakes and fired one home from equal distance to the delight of the strong Casual contingent behind the goal.

Understandably, fatigue set in with so few minutes under their belts and with one eye on Tuesday, perhaps looked to conserve some energy by sitting deep and playing on the counter. It had worked up until the 83rd minute when Ade Yusuff poked the ball into the net in what looked a sure offside position. The reaction of a whole team often tells you if the officials got it wrong and the general consensus was that they had. Still, no VAR in the London Senior Cup, unsurprisingly and thus the score stood. Penalties loomed once again for the Casuals in cup competition.

That was until Hassan Ibrahiym found space in the box and hit low across Danny Bracken to give the hosts the late, late victory – in the 96th minute no less. Casuals were amazed at where the official had found the added time but alas, the whistle went without the right to reply and Cray Valley were the victors, progressing in the competition facing either Harrow Borough or Glebe away in the next round.

Result aside, it was a refreshing return to football, played under competitive terms of which was very much needed – certainly for the Amateurs. It’s hoped that this will bear fruit come Tuesday night.
 
That was a good, tough game played at a high tempo," said James Bracken after the match.

"I wasn’t quite sure how we’d turn up and play today. In the first ten minutes, I feared the worst. But after that, we sparked into life, created some great chances, missed a penalty, scored one and put ourselves ahead with a great header.

"Disappointing to concede from a free kick right on half time but I thought we had looked sharp and relatively dangerous. Sadly, we’d lost a couple of centre-halves in the midweek session that we had and so a couple of others have stepped in and did okay considering. We let in four, so we cant give it too much praise but their third is a ridiculous goal to be given. The winner is scored because we’re pushing on, leaving ourselves open.

"As a game, I’m pleased to have got through it without injury. Last week, we lost the two centre-backs and Ben Cheklit to injury. I had feared it would be more but thankfully we’ve come through it with a clean bill of health. We won’t be too downbeat about the result either. Come Tuesday night, we’ll be much better for this."