Corinthian-Casuals 2 – 0 Fleet Town
Combined Counties League Premier South
Saturday 22nd November 2025
Report: Stuart Tree (with photos here). Photos: Andy Nunn
 
“I don’t recall a performance that I’ve been prouder of.”

“Magnificent performance from the lads. Chased everything, blocked, created, worked for each other in awful conditions. Utterly superb.”

“Missing Andre due to suspension today was tricky enough but to go down to 10 men inside the first 30 minutes as well and to go on and get the 3 points is superb, against a play off chasing team. Everyone battled so well and one of our best team performances I’ve seen”

What better way to open this report than with comments from fans on social media. For anyone not in attendance today, you get a feel for the performance put in by Corinthian-Casuals against a good Fleet Town side.

As the last comment alluded to, top scorer Andre Coker was missing for this tough matchup thanks to an accumulation of yellow cards. In stepped Kieron Scantlebury and Patrick Maia to provide the attacking threat on what was a tricky afternoon, weather-wise.

Casuals have no lack of footballing talent; that’s evident to anyone who’s seen Mu Maan’s side. Always noted by opposition as playing good football, sometimes the side lacked a real drive and tenacity to graft out hard-fought results.

But yesterday felt like a turning point; since Scott Day’s arrival, the midfielder has added bite to the centre of the park. It’s freed up Arsenii Protsyshyn to thrive in his role. Returning to social media’s comments “ Arsenii and Day in the middle won the battle like a couple of bouncers on a Saturday night.”

It’s also no surprise that Casuals have kept three clean sheets in the past four games and not conceded from open play in that time.

Consider that the latest of these shut-outs was with just ten men for over an hour. In his post match interview, Day explained that “with ten men, everyone works a little harder.”

Casuals were down a man when Diogo Da Silva was uncharacteristically dismissed for violent conduct. It was deemed that he’d struck a Fleet player on the back in a melee that resulted in the surprising red card.

Despite the handicap, it was the home side who took the lead. Shea Cascoe-Roger’s layoff to Day in the box saw the midfielder curl one over the keeper and under the bar for 1-0.

And Casuals dug in, battening down the hatches in every sense on a day when even the far-side flags had soddenly given up. And while Fleet pushed for an equaliser, it was left to Day’s partner, Protsyshyn to put the game to bed. Following a Clayton Afonso interception, the defender fed George Hockey who kept a cool head to square for an unmarked Protsyshyn to finish.
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The steam, the soaking shirts, the mud on the floor of the changing rooms was the evidence of leaving everything out on the pitch on this wintery afternoon. Casuals have fight in them. It was pleasing to see. And it was a message to all sides in the Combined Counties – just like those bouncers on a Saturday night – ‘you ain’t coming in.’

Corinthian-Casuals 2-2 Fleet Town
Combined Counties Premier Division South
Saturday 16 November 2024
Report: Josh Lamey
Images: Andy Nunn

Mu Maan’s daredevil Casuals left it late once again, as supersub Kieron Cadogan clutched a point from the jaws of defeat in stoppage time.

A play-off battle, a Goal of the Season contender, and a last-gasp equaliser – all the ingredients needed for a Combined Counties classic. Daring to dream of another fairytale ending, Corinthian-Casuals went toe-to-toe with fellow promotion hopefuls Fleet Town, who boast a near-flawless record so far this campaign.

The previous outing in the league also demonstrated a refreshing and inspiring fighting spirit that Maan’s side now possesses. Jerson Dos Santos rescued victory in Guildford when it looked for all the world that the hosts had secured a hard-fought point, but a winner in the dying embers brought all three back to Tolworth.

Midweek Under-18s action meant rests for prospects David Wloch and Ogbeifun Ojo-Osagie, as Sami Nabbad and Warren Morgan were welcomed back to a reshuffled Corinthian pack. A first half of few clear-cut chances made for a fairly quiet return for the pair, although an early Fleet stinger that flew narrowly wide of the post would’ve left them uncomfortable.

After the late glory of last weekend, Jerson had an opportunity to write his name into the headlines again right on the stroke of half-time – some breathtaking build-up from Casuals left Diogo da Silva with acres of space, but Dos Santos couldn’t redirect his cross into the back of the net. The first sighting of a busy afternoon in front of goal.

The 321 Corinthian-Casuals fans in attendance went into the interval wondering, “What if?” as they cast their minds back to the handful of chances the side could’ve put away. Jerson was involved in the action once more, this time when Trey Masikini picked it up in the pocket and rolled it into the stride of the onrushing striker, but his airborne strike didn’t trouble Finley Purcell.

The hosts’ hard luck continued, as the Blues cashed in on a lapse of Casuals concentration against the run of play. Nabbad has been a reliable presence bearing the gloves since his return to the club, but a mix-up between him and Morgan on 57 minutes was seized upon by Fleet forward Tane Caubo, who slotted into an empty net. An unfortunate way to go behind.

Fleet’s attacking armada set sail once again less than 10 minutes later, when pink-and-chocolate penalty cries at one end were quickly drowned out by Fleet jubilance at the other, as the visiting supporters witnessed a Kai Tanner pearler on the break, just moments after the officials had overlooked what looked a clear foul on Denis Travin in their own area. The visitors’ winger cut in from the left channel to unleash a majestic strike into the far corner of Nabbad’s net, leaving sombre expressions upon the faces of the home crowd.

As a sheet of darkness overtook the Tolworth skies, the hosts were offered a lifeline. Given 25 minutes (plus stoppage time) to make his mark, Cadogan introduced himself from the bench with a bang, kick-starting the Casuals comeback with an instinctive finish into the roof of the net. A fresh wave of hope overcame the supporters that Corinth could get even a fraction of what they truthfully deserved out of the game.

The seconds and the minutes ticked past, and the eager fanbase urged the team on while Nabbad was given the nod to venture forward for Da Silva’s final corner of the game in the seventh minute of time added on. Time seemed to stand still as Casuals bodies hurled themselves at the cross, and many prayers would have been answered behind the goal when Cadogan was there at the back post to hook the ball over the goal line, sending the supporters into raptures. Wheeling away in relieved celebration, Maan’s men had salvaged it just in time.


Corinthian-Casuals: Nabbad, Gjoshe, Kellett-Smith, Morgan, Pilonetto (Cadogan 64), Adelakun, M Dos Santos, Masikini, Da Silva , Dillon (Travin 61) (Cascoe-Rogers 68), J Dos Santos