Corinthian-Casuals 1 - 2 Haringey Borough
Pitching In Isthmian League Premier Division
Saturday 19th September 2020
King George's Arena. Att: 365
​Report and Pics: Stuart Tree. (full set of photos here)

Two second half goals in three minutes condemned Casuals to an opening day defeat at King George’s as Haringey Borough ran out 2-1 winners in the Pitching In Isthmian League Premier Division.

Daniel Akindayini and Laste Dombaxe’s 51st and 54th minute strikes dealt a fatal blow to James Bracken’s Casuals but not before a potential late comeback when Brad Wilson reduced the arrears with two minutes left.

King George’s looked resplendent as it hosted its first Corinth opening day fixture since 2016 but sadly it wasn’t to replicate the 2-1 win as seen against Whyteleafe that day. Haringey were the visitors and came to rectify the loss on their last visit.

Casuals opened brightly and Max Oldham and Ben Cheklit on the wings caused Borough defensive problems. Michael O’Donaghue came close as he dragged his shot from ten yards wide.

Haringey asserted themselves into the match and had a decent spell of possession for the bulk of the first half. Danny Bracken was called into action on occasion and the defence held firm.

Casuals perhaps should’ve gone into the break with the lead but Robert Paratore’s turn and shot in the box was well smothered by Jonathan Miles in goal. Cheklit also went close with a header at the back post.

But it was two goals in three minutes that decided the fate of the match. Bracken saved well from a Haringey attack but his parry was followed up by Akindayini who couldn’t miss. Three minutes later and a real piece of quality sealed the deal; Dombaxe unleashed a curling shot from the edge of the box that whipped inside the post, past a despairing Bracken.

Haringey were happy to hold onto the lead but Casuals threat grew. With two minutes to go, they gave the majority of the 365 in attendance hope. Keiron Cadogan broke into the box and chipped a cross to Brad Wilson who fired home from close range.

It was too little too late and despite the pressure, Haringey held on for the win. Many thanks to our visitors – with special note to their superbly-singing supporters for making this league return a special day to remember.
​
Next up for Casuals is a trip to Eastbourne United’s Oval ground where we face Little Common in the FA Cup on Tuesday.

"​I felt we deserved to win," said Manager James Bracken following the 1-0 loss at Haringey on the opening day of the season. "We’ve created four or five clear-cut chances throughout the game and their goal has come via an error at the back.

"I’ll be honest, I thought we looked every bit the side I want us to be. Another day, I back us to take those missed chances and we come out of here with a 4-1 win, raising some eyebrows.

"But we lost and we’ll need to come back and do better. That’ll never change. We’ll always look to improve on our last performance. We have a good squad. They're capable. I’d hold my hands up and say if they weren’t. It was solely a day where we didn’t take our chances, made one error and came away with no points.

"I’ll look at it as we’re a point down on where we should be, because we didn’t score. The error has only really cost us a draw. I won’t look at it as three points dropped but they were there to be taken.

"I’m not worried though. In the past, I might have been concerned if we had the players that could take those chances, or even creating those opportunities. We’ve lived off half-chances at times but now, I back the boys in the squad to only get better. We created chances, we were hard to create chances against and the more we play, the more we’ll gel. With a few new boys in the squad, it’ll soon become a well-oiled machine and we’ll see the results from that.

"There’s no pressure on the next game following that result. If we want to challenge for the league then there’s pressure on every single match, but that’s on us anyway. We won’t approach it any differently. I trust all of the boys in the squad to be able to get us results and we’ll take it three points at a time. We’ll look to put a run of form together as often as we can. Realistically, we’re not going to win the next fifteen games on the bounce but it’ll be nice to put some runs of four or five matches together, supplemented with a draw here and there. If we stay fit and healthy, there’s no reason why that’s not achievable.

“After one season in this league, we know what the level of physicality and intensity is required. We must pick a side that is up for the challenge. If we look back to our opening match last season at Margate we had a few boys in that game that weren’t ready for it. Against Haringey on Saturday, I knew each and every one of those players were ready. It’s an intense 90-minute battle for every point. Wins and draws should be celebrated. All sides have our respect because the level here is good. If your intensity is not up to scratch, you’ll lose no matter who you play. 

"We found those levels last season when we won six on the bounce and we’ll approach it in similar ways."

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.

Haringey Borough 2 - 2 Corinthian-Casuals
Bostik League Premier Division
Saturday 2nd March 2019
Report: Cameron Smith & Joshua Doherty. Pic: Dan Harris

Fantastic strategy from James Bracken and his management, a spirited performance from the team and the unwavering support away from home rattled second-place Haringey Borough as Corinthian-Casuals broke a five game losing streak to draw 2-2 at the Coles Park Stadium.

Bognor, Hornchurch, Folkestone, Merstham and Margate were the teams that left Casuals only five points above the relegation zone after a promising start to the season. Three goals conceded last week was harrowing for the supporters, but seven days later… all was forgotten as the ever-hopeful contingent made their way to Haringey, in the north of London. Coincidentally, the last time Corinthians saw any points at all was in North London- Haringey’s rivals Enfield Town were struck with two in the last ten minutes.

There were nine points in between top-of-the-league Dorking Wanderers and second-placed Borough, so every game was vital for the promotion pushers. For Casuals, it was smash and grab as any points they could get were valuable in staying in the Bostik Premier. As the players lined up in the cage on the side-line, it was clear that the two sets of supporters would be vocal all game, no matter what. Haringey’s faithful were in fine voice (despite the drum) and the small Corinth support were equally loud and proud.

Eleven minutes into the game, the successful defensive partnership established under manager Tom Loizou was put to the test by the eager Casuals attack. No.5 Mark Kirby and no.8 Joseph Staunton miscommunicated and misplaced the ball, in which Hamilton Antonio played a perfect pass for Gabriel Odunaike to pounce and then pace. Releasing a delightful left-footed strike that slipped through the Haringey keeper’s mitts, Odunaike was responsible for the underdog's opening goal. Scenes behind the goal quickly subsided and the daunting fact that 79 minutes remained did not cease the singing of Odunaike’s name. Kevant Serbony’s appearance on the wing had a big impact on the game as his determination and ability was a breath of fresh air. An audacious flick from Antonio let Odunaike clean through again but keeper Valery Pajetet rushed to collect it, whilst a goalmouth scramble down the other end saw Danny Bracken save the day.

Heading down the tunnel 1-0 up was the target for Bracken and his side, but Georgios Aresti, who plays for the Cyprus national team, showed his class and levelled the game. After Hannigan conceded a corner in strange circumstances, a corner was booted towards the crowd of players but rolled perfectly for Aresti. A terrific curling effort into the top left hand corner summed up Casuals’ recent luck as the great effort had the seated Haringey fans up and cheering. It took only two minutes for them to cheer again. Majed Osman’s tackle in the area was adjudged a foul by the referee, who pointed to the spot. To use the cliché term ‘football is a cruel mistress’ would be apt in this situation as Joel Nouble converted from the spot and Haringey went 2-1 up against the run of play. Despite the penalty incident, Osman had been as energetic and creative as usual with a low effort that was just wide of the post before half-time.

Knowing another goal would albeit seal the deal for Haringey, Casuals returned in the second 45 and gave it their all. Both defensively and offensively, it was a brilliant performance from a completely different team than that of the past five matches. The equaliser was nearly through Majed Osman as Gabriel Odunaike was allowed through on goal on the right once more, but the tricky attacker was unselfish and tried to tee up the oncoming Osman. Zooming in at the back post, Osman was infront of Odunaike’s ball and a valuable chance was not taken. For the yellow of Haringey, a handball was why the referee blew his whistle for a free-kick and not a goal- the disallowed strike was a sigh of relief for the anxious visitors.

In the 64th minute, a Corinth free-kick was floated into the packed penalty area and the ball finally fell for someone in pink and brown, not the head of Borough centre-backs Stone or Kirby. A run-up before a first time effort that flew into the back of the net from Majed Osman was the goal that made it 2-2. It was wonderful technique from the young midfielder, who used the outside of his boot to hit home and cause the pink and brown army in the dugout, on the pitch and behind the goal to celebrate.

The remainder of the tight game was treacherous. James Bracken had to decide if he wanted to gun forward and get an unlikely winner, or sit back and allow Haringey to tire themselves out. He chose a mix of both as Casuals relied on the counter attack because as expected, the North London outfit decided to go all-out and do whatever they could to attain a winning goal. It was futile however as Spencer, Hannigan, Strange and Adelakun put in a remarkable shift- as did Bracken- to remove the ball from the area dozens of times. Hannigan himself had a chance to score for the Casuals but the corner was directed onto his nose rather than his forehead and it was subsequently booted away. Good wing play from the Haringey attackers did not match the resilience of the back four and when- what felt like an eternity- the referee blew for full-time, it was all smiles for the Tolworth boys.

A point against second-placed giants Haringey felt like a win for the supporters and after the monumental effort put in by players, it felt brilliant for them too. Thank you to the hosts Haringey, good luck for the rest of their campaign. Bracken’s side caused an upset at the windy Coles Park Stadium and even if it was just a point, it bridged the gap down the bottom of the league to six points instead of five. Two home games were next as high-flying Lewes on Tuesday and Bishops Stortford on Saturday meant Corinthians needed to use the new-found confidence from this match to push on and secure safety.

“Aside from the crazy two minutes in the first half, the way we played today was brilliant,” Bracken explained after the match.

“I have nothing negative to say about the performance whatsoever. I thought we looked dangerous every time we went forward, we played some good football and defended much more resolutely than we have done recently.

“We have to realise, that while they got two goals today, which can always happen, we've been conceding far to many chances and spaces in the last few games, and if we did that today we would have conceded four and lost 4-2.

“We needed to arrest that bad form, we changed what we did slightly in terms of personnel and game plan, Haringey are a good side, and we knew this would be tough and we were not in for an easy one, but when we don't have an easy one we seem to up our game, so keep them coming.”

Looking forward, the Casuals have the re-arranged trip at home to Lewes on Tuesday, before another home tie against Bishop's Stortford as the season reaches its conclusion.

Bracked continued: “We still have work to do, and we still need some more points on the board but if we play like that we will comfortably win five out of our last ten. It's just about maintaining that now, but I've said that since the start, we know what we are capable of, but what can we do fifteen games in a row? What level of performance and work rate can we turn in? Our problem has been consistency. We do it for one match, then we don't for another, then we do it for three, and then don't do it for another four, and you just think, well what can we really do? But we did it today, that's the important thing, we've stopped that run of defeats and we'll get a lot of confidence from that.”