Haringey Borough 1 - 0 Corinthian-Casuals
Isthmian League Premier Division
Saturday 10th August 2019
Report: Cameron Smith. Photos: Stuart Tree (full set here)
It was a frustrating opening to the 2019/20 BetVictor Isthmian Premier Division for the creative yet ultimately luckless Corinthian-Casuals, who were condemned to a 1-0 defeat at Haringey Borough on a temperamental Saturday afternoon.
Cast your mind back to the very end of last season, the 4-0 loss at Whitehawk ended the 2018/19 campaign on a disappointing note despite the remarkable efforts by the Amateurs in finishing in 17th and placing above local rivals Kingstonian. The seaside loss would not be the final game of football the Casuals contingent would see before the new season, as an historical trip to Budapest loomed.
The squad for Casuals on the cloudy afternoon in North London included a few new & returning names recruited by James Bracken over the summer. Andrew Mills returned to Casuals and shifted in at centre-back ahead of Reece Hannigan - on a sabbatical, whilst Player of the Season Jack Strange threw on his no.4 shirt and partnered newbie Mills in the centre. With Spencer on the right and Morgan on the left, the defence looked the perfect balance of strength, height, composure and pace. Ekim, Antonio and Serbony stacked a familiar midfield whilst Josh Uzun’s impressive pre-season earned him a place on the pitch. New no.9 Nathaniel Pinney was up-front alongside Oliver Sitch in a new look attack. For the substitutes, Maan, Dillon and Tucker were familiar names to the faithful and they were joined by Leon Lalor-Dell and Michael Dixon.
Four points from the two games played against Haringey last season, Bracken’s army visited Coles Park Stadium with fond memories of the 2-2 thriller back in March. With Tom Loizou still at the wheel, Borough look to improve on their best ever season in which they finished 3rd, but failed to win the play-offs and promote themselves.
Pink and brown clashed with bright yellow as the referee’s whistle got the match underway. Congested and tetchy, the two teams were back and forth in both possession and opportunities, but both clearly affected by the high winds, occasional sun and lashing of rain. Serbony paced through on goal and released a powerful effort that whistled just wide of the post after ten minutes, but Bracken was kept busy too, especially where a long-ranger forced the no.1 into a diving save. The work rate of Sitch deserves commendation, even if his energetic performance could not conjure an opening goal. It was an extremely equal half, with Casuals and Haringey showing defensive and attacking sturdiness. It looked as if the only way a goal would be scored would be via a single mistake. But which side would benefit?
After the re-start, Pinney had a shot that was millimetres from the keeper’s right hand corner following Sitch’s class build-up, and Uzun’s curling trademark free-kick was brilliantly palmed behind by the purple-shirted Valery Pajetet shortly after. Casuals wowed their supporters behind the goal with the sheer quality of football they were playing.
Silky passing and intelligent runs frustrated Haringey, so they attempted to use the wind as an advantage… and it worked. Caught in the non-ideal conditions, the ball bounced awkwardly in front of Bracken, who had sprinted from his goal to clear it and Chibuden Onokwai managed to touch the ball past a pink shirt and the keeper. He finished the rest by tapping into the empty net and celebrating the first goal of the game, and their season.
This was the 50th minute, so Casuals fans, staff and players knew they had the chance to retrieve points in the final forty minutes. This is where the element of luck evaded Corinthians, who continued playing attacking football mainly through Pinney and Sitch’s interplay. Always a danger for the Borough defence, Sitch did not strike the ball hard enough when in the area after Pinney’s hold-up play as Pajetet collected the shot gratefully. Another weak effort was from Josh Uzun, who sidefooted a first-time effort into the gloves of the keeper. James Bracken’s changes injected even more energy into the team- Lalor Dell’s pace nearly provided the equaliser but when clean through on goal, his shot was saved by Pajetet again. Dixon and Dillon’s introductions in the final fifteen minutes could not grab the goal that Casuals sought after with such commitment and spirit. The final effort was Jack Strange’s header over the bar from a set-piece, and Haringey were delighted to hear the final whistle. Zero points for the visitors showcased just how cruel football can be, whilst the defensively impressive hosts took all three in a narrow 1-0 result.
Merstham on Tuesday evening is the first game held at King George’s Field this season, so there is a chance for opening day redemption for James Bracken’s pink and brown army. Despite the loss, there are a cluster of positives to take from the game- the passionate new signings, the silky attacking play and the intelligent defence should make for an exciting clash.
Click here for James Bracken's post-match thoughts.
Isthmian League Premier Division
Saturday 10th August 2019
Report: Cameron Smith. Photos: Stuart Tree (full set here)
It was a frustrating opening to the 2019/20 BetVictor Isthmian Premier Division for the creative yet ultimately luckless Corinthian-Casuals, who were condemned to a 1-0 defeat at Haringey Borough on a temperamental Saturday afternoon.
Cast your mind back to the very end of last season, the 4-0 loss at Whitehawk ended the 2018/19 campaign on a disappointing note despite the remarkable efforts by the Amateurs in finishing in 17th and placing above local rivals Kingstonian. The seaside loss would not be the final game of football the Casuals contingent would see before the new season, as an historical trip to Budapest loomed.
The squad for Casuals on the cloudy afternoon in North London included a few new & returning names recruited by James Bracken over the summer. Andrew Mills returned to Casuals and shifted in at centre-back ahead of Reece Hannigan - on a sabbatical, whilst Player of the Season Jack Strange threw on his no.4 shirt and partnered newbie Mills in the centre. With Spencer on the right and Morgan on the left, the defence looked the perfect balance of strength, height, composure and pace. Ekim, Antonio and Serbony stacked a familiar midfield whilst Josh Uzun’s impressive pre-season earned him a place on the pitch. New no.9 Nathaniel Pinney was up-front alongside Oliver Sitch in a new look attack. For the substitutes, Maan, Dillon and Tucker were familiar names to the faithful and they were joined by Leon Lalor-Dell and Michael Dixon.
Four points from the two games played against Haringey last season, Bracken’s army visited Coles Park Stadium with fond memories of the 2-2 thriller back in March. With Tom Loizou still at the wheel, Borough look to improve on their best ever season in which they finished 3rd, but failed to win the play-offs and promote themselves.
Pink and brown clashed with bright yellow as the referee’s whistle got the match underway. Congested and tetchy, the two teams were back and forth in both possession and opportunities, but both clearly affected by the high winds, occasional sun and lashing of rain. Serbony paced through on goal and released a powerful effort that whistled just wide of the post after ten minutes, but Bracken was kept busy too, especially where a long-ranger forced the no.1 into a diving save. The work rate of Sitch deserves commendation, even if his energetic performance could not conjure an opening goal. It was an extremely equal half, with Casuals and Haringey showing defensive and attacking sturdiness. It looked as if the only way a goal would be scored would be via a single mistake. But which side would benefit?
After the re-start, Pinney had a shot that was millimetres from the keeper’s right hand corner following Sitch’s class build-up, and Uzun’s curling trademark free-kick was brilliantly palmed behind by the purple-shirted Valery Pajetet shortly after. Casuals wowed their supporters behind the goal with the sheer quality of football they were playing.
Silky passing and intelligent runs frustrated Haringey, so they attempted to use the wind as an advantage… and it worked. Caught in the non-ideal conditions, the ball bounced awkwardly in front of Bracken, who had sprinted from his goal to clear it and Chibuden Onokwai managed to touch the ball past a pink shirt and the keeper. He finished the rest by tapping into the empty net and celebrating the first goal of the game, and their season.
This was the 50th minute, so Casuals fans, staff and players knew they had the chance to retrieve points in the final forty minutes. This is where the element of luck evaded Corinthians, who continued playing attacking football mainly through Pinney and Sitch’s interplay. Always a danger for the Borough defence, Sitch did not strike the ball hard enough when in the area after Pinney’s hold-up play as Pajetet collected the shot gratefully. Another weak effort was from Josh Uzun, who sidefooted a first-time effort into the gloves of the keeper. James Bracken’s changes injected even more energy into the team- Lalor Dell’s pace nearly provided the equaliser but when clean through on goal, his shot was saved by Pajetet again. Dixon and Dillon’s introductions in the final fifteen minutes could not grab the goal that Casuals sought after with such commitment and spirit. The final effort was Jack Strange’s header over the bar from a set-piece, and Haringey were delighted to hear the final whistle. Zero points for the visitors showcased just how cruel football can be, whilst the defensively impressive hosts took all three in a narrow 1-0 result.
Merstham on Tuesday evening is the first game held at King George’s Field this season, so there is a chance for opening day redemption for James Bracken’s pink and brown army. Despite the loss, there are a cluster of positives to take from the game- the passionate new signings, the silky attacking play and the intelligent defence should make for an exciting clash.
Click here for James Bracken's post-match thoughts.
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