Corinthian-Casuals 3 - 3 Horley Town
Combined Counties League Premier South
Saturday 21st December 2024
Report and Pics - Stuart Tree (full set here)
More photos from Andy Nunn here.

Back in the eighties, the late Jimmy Greaves coined the phrase “a game of two halves” – an idiom to describe a half of wonderous glory followed by self-destruction, or vice-versa. For instance, being 3-0 up at half time only to be pegged back by your opponents, a la Milan in the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, when Gerrard’s Liverpool made an astonishing comeback.

Now, I’m not comparing Casuals to Milan here – certainly not on the rough playing surface of King George’s at the moment. But when Horley Town’s Mason Seagroatt completed an unforeseeable comeback in the 93rd minute, Casuals would’ve been glad that the tie didn’t go to penalties and George Hyde in the Town goal, didn’t get to perform ‘spaghetti legs’.

But it was an astounding turnaround of events considering the dominance of Casuals in the first half. Though six goals in this fixture was never off the cards since the reverse match at the ironically-named New Defence saw nine goals shipped in all – with Casuals taking it 5-4.

Back to Saturday and Mu Maan’s side were looking to turnaround a very disappointing result at a bleak Chipstead in the week, where he expressed his frustration at conceding three goals. It couldn’t happen again! Could it? When Casuals produced a first half performance of such pleasure to fully redeem themselves, talk was of ‘clean sheets’ and ‘score six to fully send a message’. Oh Casuals – the tumultuous life we lead together.

Hero of the first 45 minutes was Diogo Da Silva – Casuals’ top scorer, who added a further three to this season’s tally, bringing the Brazilian to eleven and overtaking Kieron Cadogan in the process. He was faultless from the penalty spot in the fifth minute, following up with a goal, direct from his corner and finally, finishing off a beautiful Cadogan pass to give Corinth their most comfortable half-time lead this season. It could’ve been more with other set pieces flashing agonisingly close amongst other dangerous plays.

But it will remain a mystery as to what happened in the break. Was it all too easy? Did Horley think ‘get one early and it’s game on’? Perhaps a combination of both and when Casuals’ defence failed to reach the heights of Seagroatt’s header, five minutes after the break, it truly was ‘game on’!

Truth be-told, Casuals could’ve put the game to bed shortly after, with Hyde thwarting Cadogan’s neat trickery with a top save to his left.

But for the most part, it was one-way traffic with only one side looking hungry for the win. Horley pressed and split open a gaping hole in the defence, allowing Ben Senior the freedom of Tolworth to really pile the pressure on the home side. Had it not been for u18’s stopper David Wloch in goal, Horley would’ve found parity sooner than they did. The highlight of a string of saves was a full stretch one-handed tip onto the post to keep the score down.

It was baffling to watch though. A side with so much talent appeared to have forgotten how to play football. Clearances were hurried. Play was rushed. Defenders looked desperate to get the ball away from their feet as soon as possible. It only led to more and more pressure and, as we could all see coming, it finally broke – with Seagroatt completing the fully deserved comeback in stoppage time.

It’ll be interesting to see how Maan and his team address the situation; A playoff place is increasingly unlikely and relegation isn’t even a thought. But does this lead to complacency and apathy, the likes of which manifested itself with that second half performance? With just ten games left this season (which is utter madness in itself having four months of the season remaining), are Casuals ‘on the beach’? Post turkey redemption awaits.

Horley Town 4-5 Corinthian-Casuals
Tuesday 3 September
Report: Josh Lamey
Images: Andy Nunn

The New Defence won’t have witnessed many games like that before. It was nothing short of absolute chaos in a nine-goal melodrama, as Corinthian-Casuals started September with a bang.

The West Sussex border provided the stage for a Casuals side blossoming under the leadership of Mu Maan, and the 12 points they now have on the board already speak for themselves. The brilliant blend of Brazilian flair and former club heroes has proven to be Mu’s magic recipe, and he will be hoping it continues to pay dividends for the rest of the campaign.

The player-manager returned to the dugout yesterday, but tasted victory again, albeit in nail-biting circumstances. Coming off the back of a terrific 2-1 success at Tooting & Mitcham, all eyes were on Casuals to see whether they could extend their superb away form and fortunes in front of goal, with 10 goals so far seemingly certain to increase with the arrival of Kieron Cadogan.

The first 15 minutes were to-and-fro, with some wild efforts making it into the fields behind. But it was Casuals who broke the deadlock again, through a majestic turn and finish from Cadogan, for his first strike since his Corinthian homecoming.

The next goal was trademark Cascoe-Rogers, as Shea taunted the Horley defence by twisting and turning his way into the area, before slamming home his side’s second and celebrating a job well done with the jubilant travelling fans.

Clarets’ poacher Lewis Pearch went toe-to-toe with Cadogan for the match ball, and opened his account for the evening when a lofted ball over the top wasn’t dealt with. Pearch was on hand to lift it over Murillo Bernardes and into the back of an empty net, as Horley got the ideal response after a not so ideal start.

Casuals needed to respond, and they did just that. Full backs Jonathon Gjoshe and Emerson Pilonetto have been influential to the free-flowing football introduced by Maan, and it was the latter who made an intelligent overlapping run before crossing it into the danger zone on to the boot of one man. Kieron Cadogan. Who else? 3-1 Casuals.

Just three minutes later and the perfect hat-trick was complete: Gjoshe this time digging out a peach of a cross, and a deft header from Cadogan put the visitors in the driving seat. Not sure what was better, the finish, or the Sussex sunset that descended on another blissful evening in the Combined Counties League.

However, the action wasn’t over for the first half – far from it. Horley gave us something to think about at half-time, after a cool, collected Warren Colman won the ball deep in the Casuals half and finished low and hard to Bernardes’ right, making it 4-2… and game on.

Six goals in 45 minutes is rare, but you’d have been forgiven for predicting a first half as bizarre as this – Horley have been fantastic in front of goal lately with 14 goals in six games, and alongside the recent away record of the visitors, it was always possible that this game might turn out to be a thriller.

It was an end-to-end start to the second period, as both sides looked to regain momentum. However, just after the hour mark, Frazier Osunkoya – who had replaced the injured Diogo da Silva just before half time – latched onto a pinpoint through ball and kept his composure to make it 5-2 with his first goal of the campaign.

Less than a minute after the ball was picked out of the Horley net, they found themselves with a chance once again. It was a carbon copy of Pearch’s first, as he lobbed a stranded Bernardes for the second time to send the Clarets back into the contest.

There were hearts in mouths in the Casuals section right up until the end, as Town got another goal back in the dying moments. Ricochet after ricochet of hopeful headers eventually fell to Pearch who sealed his hat-trick, but the hosts were in pursuit of another. With enough time on the clock for a drastic change in the scoreline, could Casuals cling on to the three points?

The answer was yes, and the referee’s whistle concluded another Combined Counties classic. One of the most dramatic games of the season had a happy ending, as Casuals moved up to fourth place in the league. We look to continue this rich vein of form as we welcome Sandhurst Town to the Armada Group Stadium at King George’s Field on Saturday.

Corinthian-Casuals: Bernardes, Gjoshe, Pilonetto, Adelakun, Blackwell (Dhanipersad h/t), Dos Santos, Cascoe-Rogers, Onovwigun (Castelo 80), Cadogan (Ewerthon 67), Da Silva (Osunkoya 43), Dillon (Brown 62).
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