Epsom & Ewell 1-2 Corinthian-Casuals
Combined Counties Premier Division South
Monday 26 August
Report: Josh Lamey
Image: Andy Nunn

Bank Holiday Monday ended with raucous away victory against the Salts, as Corinthian-Casuals dug deep and snatched the three points from our tenant’s grasp.

You could argue that it wasn’t a standard away trip following the Casuals, as we stepped foot once again on familiar territory at the Armada Group Stadium, King George’s Field, since we groundshare with locals Epsom & Ewell. However, it was game day all the same, and the excitement was tangible ahead of the fourth league encounter of the campaign.

Wholesale changes were made heading into the derby, as the 4-1 defeat to Whitstable Town in the FA Vase took Mu Maan and the rest of the coaching staff back to the drawing board. Maan himself made a return to grace the turf again in Casuals colours, much to the delight of the supporters, alongside right-hand man Richard Blackwell who began in the heart of the defence. It would be assistant manager – and former lethal finisher – Gabriel Odunaike who would take charge of the dugout, and between them they guided Corinthian-Casuals to a solid second win of the season.

The latest King George’s Field clash began in similar fashion to the pre-season match-up just a month prior, which resulted in the Salts lifting the Stella Lamont Trophy. No silverware on the line this time, but once again both sides looked to break each other down early on. With 10 minutes on the clock, a Sabek free-kick led to an askew header which almost found a way past Bernardes, had it not been for the goal-saving intervention of Blackwell. An early let off for Casuals.

Shea Cascoe-Rogers was given the nod to start, and he was back at his best yesterday with some brilliant exchange play and breathtaking dribbling as he breezed past four defenders, but unfortunately the resulting effort couldn’t find the back of the net.

There was also a first league start for sweeper-esque centre half Tommy Castelo, and he marked it in style 40 minutes into his full debut, directing home a Cascoe-Rogers corner at an awkward height to give Casuals the lead on the stroke of half time, sending the ‘travelling’ fans into raptures.

It may have been a scrappy opening, but there were still many moments for each side to be pleased about, and it was all to play for in the second half.

There was little to note in the first exchanges of the second period, apart from the introduction of Reyon Dillon, who was sent on to cause the Epsom & Ewell back line more chaos. Shortly after, Reyon was the man of the moment, after a delightful switch of play from Blackwell opened up space on the far side for Rafael Barbosa to burst through and unselfishly roll it across goal for the experienced centre-forward who wasn’t going to miss from that proximity. An expertly crafted goal, but could they hold out?

Just minutes later and Dillon was in the thick of it again, and he could’ve killed the game when Barbosa’s through ball fell at his feet, took it around a stranded Dan O’Donovan, but a miraculous clearance saw the chance go begging, as the scores remained as they were. Moments later, fellow substitute Frazier Osunkoya whacked the frame of the goal with a glorious effort, but Casuals were in control and looked set for back-to-back away league victories.

Late drama was on the cards, however, and Casuals would have to persevere if they were to hold on to the lead, after Luke Miller got the hosts back in the game with a bit of trickery to beat Bernardes, and keep the game very much alive on the 88th minute mark.

As the Armada Group Stadium held its breath, it was a heart-in-mouth moment when the Salts piled bodies forward in the dying embers looking to salvage a last-gasp point. They all thought they’d got it when Carl Oblitey sprung forwards, latched onto a pass, and finished instinctively as the Epsom & Ewell benched poured out onto the pitch. However, it wasn’t meant to be, as the linesman’s flag signalled offside, and eventually, the referee whistled for the end of another captivating derby.

It wasn’t the prettiest performance in the world, but Casuals showed a fantastic mentality to hang on to the lead late on. As the fans reminded us on the way out, “We’re the Casuals, the mighty Casuals, we love to win away.”

Corinthian-Casuals: Bernardes, Gjoshe, Pilonetto, Castelo (Adelakun 55), Blackwell (Sacilito 80), Dos Santos, Cascoe-Rogers, Maan, Barbosa (Osunkoya 75), Da Silva, Cheklit (Dillon 45)

Epsom & Ewell 0-0 Corinthian-Casuals
(Epsom & Ewell won 4-3 on penalties)
Stella Lamont Trophy
Tuesday 23rd July 2024
Words: Josh Lamey
Pictures: Stuart Tree (full set of photos here)

Casuals missed out on the Stella Lamont Trophy last night, as a penalty shootout defeat to Epsom & Ewell denied them the chance of pre-season silverware.

The supporters were optimistic heading into the encounter, as two positive performances against Grays Athletic and Westfield have seen the Mu Maan era start promisingly. Next on the agenda were new tenants Epsom & Ewell, who we faced in the first of this season’s King George’s Field derbies.

Both sides started brightly, going at each other from the first whistle yet no breakthrough could be made in the early exchanges.

Meanwhile, Epsom & Ewell may have had the better chances, but you could argue that Casuals were on top as some great tiki-taka football on the edge of the area saw numerous shooting chances open up.

However, down the other end, the hosts had their fair share of opportunities to gain the upper hand, only for them to be closed down by a rigid Corinthian back four.

It was a composed first 45 from Mu’s men although the game definitely had a local derby feel to it, especially under the bright Tolworth lights – and the second half began with banners on full display and chants in full force at the Casuals end.

Unfortunately, the second period didn’t begin like the first, as Epsom & Ewell saw more of the ball, and ultimately the better chances, albeit still not being able to penetrate this new-look backline.

As the tie looked destined for penalty kicks, one final roll of the dice saw Epsom & Ewell come close with an astonishing bicycle kick directed just wide of the stanchion, followed by a series of corners as they looked to apply the pressure late on.

Ultimately, neither side could find a dramatic ending in normal time, and the winner of the 2024 Stella Lamont Trophy had to be decided by penalties.

In the end, it wasn’t to be for Casuals, who failed to convert the first and final penalties of the shootout, while Epsom & Ewell missed just one kick to win back the trophy on their new turf.