Casuals Pipped in Pre-Season

​Burnham 3-2 Corinthian-Casuals
Wednesday 2nd July 2025
Pre-Season Friendly
Report: Josh Lamey
Images: Stuart Tree

Anticipation emerged from the off-season tranquility as Corinthian-Casuals’ pre-season preparations commenced in rural Buckinghamshire against fellow Step 5 outfit, Burnham.

With the dawn of the 2025/26 Combined Counties campaign on the horizon, Mu Maan’s men were put through their paces by The Blues, yet it was a performance full of promise with a combination of familiar faces and trialists taking the game down to the wire.

Having had the best part of two months to digest the thrills and the spills of the 2024/25 season, many will agree that the main target was achieved: ensuring stability for this grand old club, as Mu Maan was tasked with steadying the ship following back-to-back relegations. It seemed as though Corinth had adapted perfectly to life in Step 5, with four victories on the bounce propelling them into early play-off contention. However, post-Christmas inconsistencies hindered any chance of a top-five finish, as Casuals ended in 13th place.

Attention has now turned to Maan’s second year at the helm, and there were some encouraging early signs despite a 3-2 reverse at Burnham.

Two months away from the action had left the Casuals faithful hungry for goals, and they witnessed a first-half stalemate, as both teams went stride-for-stride early doors. The retained Shea Cascoe-Rogers came the closest in a cagey opening 45, but he couldn’t direct a narrowly angled volley home after good work from Trey Masikini on the opposite flank.

Despite a dormant start, the game erupted into action in the second period. On the hour mark, the hosts dispatched the opener from 12 yards after a shoulder-to-shoulder in the area resulted in a spot kick, despite Corinthian protests. Burnham then grabbed a prompt second, after their winger arrived at the far post and nestled his first-time finish into the back of the net.

Corinthian-Casuals found their feet again and, taking the fighting spirit from one season to the next, were able to fashion a comeback, with two goals from trialist forwards, both of which were coolly dispatched – one a smart swivel and finish, the other a smart counterattack.

However, a deserved draw was snatched away from Maan’s men approaching the final whistle, as the referee blew for another penalty for the hosts. The striker, placing his penalty the opposite corner to his first, made no mistake in sealing pre-season victory for his side.

“They were a good side, so it was important to see our fitness levels,” reflected Masikini. “But Mu [Maan], Gabs [Odunaike] and Rich [Blackwell] have been running us into the ground so it was good to see where we were at.”