Corinthian-Casuals 4 - 1 Potters Bar Town
Pitching In Isthmian League Premier Division
Saturday 18th December 2021
Report: Stuart Tree. Photos: Andy Nunn (full set here)

Corinthian-Casuals completed a fine turnaround performance in contrast to the week before by putting four past Potters Bar Town in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

A brace from Ollie Sitch was complemented by two set-piece headers from Jack Strange and Ben Cheklit to complete a fine 4-1 victory over the Scholars.
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Casuals had enforced changes following birthday boy Emmanuel Mensah testing positive for Covid and Ola Williams out with a knee injury. Also missing was top scorer Warren Mfula following his return to Sheppey United. In stepped Sitch, debutant Peter Ojemen and the returning Bobby Mills from suspension.

Despite some not even having taken their seats, Sitch had opened the scoring. And how! A fine volley from inside the box topped off the bright start as Casuals looked to dominate the early stages. Mills also went close taking a wonderful touch before just dragging his shot wide.

It was all Casuals when finally they broke their duck from corners this season. The work in training in midweek had paid off as Jack Strange powered home his header for his first of the season.

Corinth made it three just before the break when he capitalized on a Bar defender’s mistake and making no mistake with finding the target.

And just like the week before at Cheshunt, the next goal after half time would be the key to finishing the match off as a contest. This time it was in favour of the Casuals as Ben Cheklit converted his header from another Kieron Cadogan corner to put the game to bed.

The only disappointment for James Bracken’s side was to concede a late consolation, courtesy of substitute Luke Tingey who headed home. But it was a comprehensive win for the Casuals who’s constant press was too much for Lee O’Leary’s side on the day. The win puts Corinth up to tenth.

“Our focus is on the next game,” said Manager James Bracken after the match. “But we’ll set the boys a points target for the month of January. Of course, we want to win the next one so that’s where our focus remains for now.

“We’ll set a target that we feel will keep us in the top ten as a minimum and hopefully pushing towards those playoff places. We have ambition and we see performances like that, and the fact that we’ve lost just one in the last eight.

“In those last eight, we should’ve won at least three of the games that we’ve drawn, based on the chances that we created.

“Last week was the straw that broke the camel’s back. It was one step too far in terms of us not taking our chances. So there was always going to be changes made. Even though we had a couple unavailable today but everyone to a man today was fantastic.

“I have a massive smile on my face. I don’t usually smile after a win. You know how I am. I can be a bit morose and especially peed off after a defeat. But I couldn’t stop smiling today. “We worked on set-pieces on Thursday. 40 minutes on just two corner routines. We haven’t had much chance to do that at all. The training sessions you get, you don’t have a lot of time and you need to tick a lot of boxes in terms of how to work the boys. Thankfully, this week, we had a longer session where we could work on set pieces. We’ve seen the payoff on that. We’ve scored two from corners where we haven’t scored one since pre-season.

“We’ve worked on a lot these last few weeks with added sessions and we saw a lot of that today. That’s exactly why training is so important. We’re not here to have a jolly. We’re here to put the hard work in and we saw the rewards this afternoon.”

Cheshunt 5 - 1 Corinthian-Casuals
Pitching In Isthmian League Premier
Saturday 11th December 2021
Report and Photos: Stuart Tree (images here)

It was a day to forget for Corinthian-Casuals as they succumbed to a five-one defeat at the hands of a clinical Cheshunt, flying high in the playoff places.

Manager James Bracken apologised to fans after the final whistle declaring that ‘it wasn’t good enough’.

Finding themselves three down at half time, the odds were already stacked against Casuals and although they pulled a late goal back via Kieron Cadogan, it was ultimately a fruitless occasion for the Tolworth outfit.

Casuals came into the match six unbeaten, although having struggled to score in their most recent games. Probably unsurprising that one of the key strikers, Bobby Mills was still absent through suspension. Defensively, Casuals were tight, having conceded less than a goal a game in the league so far. That was about to change.

Cheshunt were in even better form having not lost in the league since the 9th October, and sitting top of the form guide for the last ten matches. Craig Edwards had also strengthened their squad with the addition of Rowan Liburd – the ex-League Championship professional who’d scored five in four games since becoming an Amber. He added another three on this occasion.

To be fair to Casuals, as many agreed on both sides, it never looked like a 5-1 game. Casuals fluffed their lines in front of goal on too many occasions and by rights, could’ve been a couple of goals to the good before Liburd got the first of his three on 17 minutes. They doubled their lead just before the half hour mark on a pitch that became increasingly tricky as the heavy rain descended.

Even at two-nil, Casuals pushed and forced a number of corners and held good pressure high up the field. But Cheshunt broke fast once again and Corinth were left exposed by Reece Beckles Richards to end a miserable first half for the visitors.

It didn’t get much better after the break; Taylor Miles converted from the edge of the box following a javelin-esque long throw which ended up finding him on the edge of the box. Keeper Danny Bracken protested that he was unsighted due to a forward blocking him in an offside position, but in truth, at 4-0, it didn’t really matter much.

Casuals pulled one back late on with Cadogan’s smart finish from 20 yards and Sub Nat Pinney could’ve made the last five minutes interesting had he pipped George Marsh to a loose ball, but Liburd claimed his match ball and ended the contest with a follow-up from a parried shot, fired into the roof of the net. “5-1 and a long way home” was the song that left Casuals players and fans looking back on the third worst defeat in James Bracken’s seven seasons in charge.

“We haven’t had many days like that in my seven years but it happens,” said Bracken after the match.

“It’s funny because I don’t think we were desperately bad today. Perhaps a few individuals at the back had an off day. We can look at a number of the goals where we should’ve done better.

“Let’s remember, we had two or three great chances at nil-nil to put ourselves in front. And it wasn’t as if we were riding our luck with those. We started off the better side. But the chances that fell to them were so clear cut that they couldn’t miss. Obviously, it makes it supremely hard when you go three down to come back.

“Even in the second half, I thought we came out well and were worthy of snatching the first goal. We were in the ascendency when they hit their fourth and that flattened us. We still kept going and came back to 4-1 before they get a fifth. At that point, you just know it’s been one of those days. No matter what you do, it’s going to go against you. I thought the boys tried hard. I have no problem with the effort that they’ve put in. All I ever really ask is they give 100%.

“Everyone has these results though. Just look at Cray last year, when they were flying. They went to Bognor and lost 8-0. Cheshunt are a decent side but was it a 5-1 game? In my opinion, no. But if we defend like that and they’re as clinical as they have been, then it ends up like that.

“Hopefully it’s a one-off… an anomaly. I said to the boys that we don’t get many days like that and we’ll bounce back on Saturday and look to get a win. What we can’t accept is another one of these results either next Saturday or the following week. I don’t think that’ll happen. I think we’ll be just fine and we’ll be bouncing back as we should.”