Corinthian-Casuals 4 - 0 Chatham Town
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 13th February 2016
Match report: Darren Pasley. Pics: Stuart Tree (full set here)
Casuals moved to a point of the play-off positions with their 2nd win in a week after a stirring second half display saw off Chatham Town at King Georges Arena.
James Bracken retained the same starting lineup that had been Guernsey in midweek although last weekend’s goalscorer Shaun Okojie returned to the squad to take a place on the bench.
It was credit to a small group of Casuals officials who got together at 11.30 and worked wonders to get the game on. The persistent rain saturating the pitch but an immense effort meant the match went ahead.
In truth as a spectacle the first half was as bad as they come. The heavy pitch seeing many passes undercut and a scrappy affair was the theme of the opening period.
In the 7th minute Casuals had the ball in the net but Kevant Serbony had strayed beyond the last defender and was correctly flagged offside before he knocked into the path of Emmanuel Akokhia who duly finished.
It wasn't until the 34th minute that Casuals produced their first worthy move of note and after the ball was knocked around Danny Dudley on the right saw his low cross gathered by Jack Bradshaw.
Serbony took matters into his own hands and after picking the ball up 40 yards out drive menacingly towards goal before unleashing a thunderbolt that flew just wide.
With most of the 135 strong crowd looking forward to their half time cuppa, Casuals took the lead 30 seconds before the break. A clearance from the back found Josh Uzun on the left and a neat bit of skill by the touchline saw him get the better off Richard Davies for the first time and continuing into the box his low centre as cut out but the ball fell invitingly to Akokhia who side-footed home his 2nd goal of the week.
As is often the case the visitor’s responses immediately and after a cross from the left was hung up Khari Oriogun may have felt he could have done better than head straight at Bracken.
Casuals replaced Josh Uzun with Shaun Okojie at the break and within minutes had doubled their lead.
Ben King brought down by Liam Hickey stepped up to take the kick himself and from 25 yards curled into the top corner despite Bradshaw getting a strong hand to his effort.
The early goal lifted the home side and they went dangerously close to adding a third as Warren Morgan showed great skill to send over a cross that just evades strikers and defenders alike before King rifled just wide following great work from Okojie.
The young striker who scored the previous week at Chipstead was so close to notching his 2nd in as many weeks but just failed to divert Dave Hodges fizzing cross from the left.
The visitors who barely threatened throughout the contest made a double change and one of those Obasi seemed destined to race clear on goal after the Casuals defence presented him the opportunity but Morgan was back to clear the danger.
The contest was over after 72 minutes; Niall Wright's thunderous left-footed effort from 20 yards left Bradshaw with no chance and with it, was an assured three points.
With particular joy down the right Juevan Spencer was the next to deliver and both Okojie and Akokhia had efforts with the latter nodding over inside the 6-yard box.
James Cottee back for his second spell at Casuals impressed coming off the bench and in the 80th minute after waltzing though several challenges saw his drive force Bradshaw into action.
A 4th goal was added in the second minute of stoppage time as Morgan again on the right crossed for Okojie who nodded home.
James Bracken commented on the performance.
“I’m delighted with both the performance and the attitude. There was nothing new other than we put together more passages of play and created more chances, which we took.
“There’s been a little shift in confidence in the last couple of games. We always know we’re hard to beat but now there’s also a belief that we can go out and put teams to the sword by scoring a few more goals than we previously have.
“We’ll take that into Tuesday night and hopefully pick up three points.
“It’s pleasing to score more than one or two goals. Like I’ve said before, we’ve got a good strike force. We’ve got players who can score goals from all over the pitch. Earlier in the season, that was happening. But it all kind of ended up on Mani’s (Emmanuel Akokhia) shoulders and the goals dried up a little.
“However, the players we have are of good technical ability and if they get the chances, they should be scoring.
“There’s still a lot of games to play. I’m back to where I was at the start of the season by saying I won’t get carried away. We’ll keep ticking them off one at a time and hopefully, come the end of the season, we’ll have put enough wins in the box to go and place ourselves in the playoffs.”
Goalscorer Emmanuel Akokhia also spoke on ending his goal drought after scoring two in two games.
“I did have a dip in the goalscoring department. I’m not entirely sure why. But I think I’ve found my feet again.
“I’m definitely feeling more confident. The goal against Guernsey was what I needed to kick start the goals again. I had a sense of bad luck where a few things wouldn’t go my way, such as goalkeepers making saves wherein another game, it goes in.
“But now I can feel the goals coming again.
“We’re definitely in a good position but we could’ve been higher up if we look back at games where we’ve let it slip a little but we’ve put that behind us now and we’re looking to reach the playoffs.
“Getting that top scorer spot is one of my personal goals and hopefully that’ll happen.”
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 13th February 2016
Match report: Darren Pasley. Pics: Stuart Tree (full set here)
Casuals moved to a point of the play-off positions with their 2nd win in a week after a stirring second half display saw off Chatham Town at King Georges Arena.
James Bracken retained the same starting lineup that had been Guernsey in midweek although last weekend’s goalscorer Shaun Okojie returned to the squad to take a place on the bench.
It was credit to a small group of Casuals officials who got together at 11.30 and worked wonders to get the game on. The persistent rain saturating the pitch but an immense effort meant the match went ahead.
In truth as a spectacle the first half was as bad as they come. The heavy pitch seeing many passes undercut and a scrappy affair was the theme of the opening period.
In the 7th minute Casuals had the ball in the net but Kevant Serbony had strayed beyond the last defender and was correctly flagged offside before he knocked into the path of Emmanuel Akokhia who duly finished.
It wasn't until the 34th minute that Casuals produced their first worthy move of note and after the ball was knocked around Danny Dudley on the right saw his low cross gathered by Jack Bradshaw.
Serbony took matters into his own hands and after picking the ball up 40 yards out drive menacingly towards goal before unleashing a thunderbolt that flew just wide.
With most of the 135 strong crowd looking forward to their half time cuppa, Casuals took the lead 30 seconds before the break. A clearance from the back found Josh Uzun on the left and a neat bit of skill by the touchline saw him get the better off Richard Davies for the first time and continuing into the box his low centre as cut out but the ball fell invitingly to Akokhia who side-footed home his 2nd goal of the week.
As is often the case the visitor’s responses immediately and after a cross from the left was hung up Khari Oriogun may have felt he could have done better than head straight at Bracken.
Casuals replaced Josh Uzun with Shaun Okojie at the break and within minutes had doubled their lead.
Ben King brought down by Liam Hickey stepped up to take the kick himself and from 25 yards curled into the top corner despite Bradshaw getting a strong hand to his effort.
The early goal lifted the home side and they went dangerously close to adding a third as Warren Morgan showed great skill to send over a cross that just evades strikers and defenders alike before King rifled just wide following great work from Okojie.
The young striker who scored the previous week at Chipstead was so close to notching his 2nd in as many weeks but just failed to divert Dave Hodges fizzing cross from the left.
The visitors who barely threatened throughout the contest made a double change and one of those Obasi seemed destined to race clear on goal after the Casuals defence presented him the opportunity but Morgan was back to clear the danger.
The contest was over after 72 minutes; Niall Wright's thunderous left-footed effort from 20 yards left Bradshaw with no chance and with it, was an assured three points.
With particular joy down the right Juevan Spencer was the next to deliver and both Okojie and Akokhia had efforts with the latter nodding over inside the 6-yard box.
James Cottee back for his second spell at Casuals impressed coming off the bench and in the 80th minute after waltzing though several challenges saw his drive force Bradshaw into action.
A 4th goal was added in the second minute of stoppage time as Morgan again on the right crossed for Okojie who nodded home.
James Bracken commented on the performance.
“I’m delighted with both the performance and the attitude. There was nothing new other than we put together more passages of play and created more chances, which we took.
“There’s been a little shift in confidence in the last couple of games. We always know we’re hard to beat but now there’s also a belief that we can go out and put teams to the sword by scoring a few more goals than we previously have.
“We’ll take that into Tuesday night and hopefully pick up three points.
“It’s pleasing to score more than one or two goals. Like I’ve said before, we’ve got a good strike force. We’ve got players who can score goals from all over the pitch. Earlier in the season, that was happening. But it all kind of ended up on Mani’s (Emmanuel Akokhia) shoulders and the goals dried up a little.
“However, the players we have are of good technical ability and if they get the chances, they should be scoring.
“There’s still a lot of games to play. I’m back to where I was at the start of the season by saying I won’t get carried away. We’ll keep ticking them off one at a time and hopefully, come the end of the season, we’ll have put enough wins in the box to go and place ourselves in the playoffs.”
Goalscorer Emmanuel Akokhia also spoke on ending his goal drought after scoring two in two games.
“I did have a dip in the goalscoring department. I’m not entirely sure why. But I think I’ve found my feet again.
“I’m definitely feeling more confident. The goal against Guernsey was what I needed to kick start the goals again. I had a sense of bad luck where a few things wouldn’t go my way, such as goalkeepers making saves wherein another game, it goes in.
“But now I can feel the goals coming again.
“We’re definitely in a good position but we could’ve been higher up if we look back at games where we’ve let it slip a little but we’ve put that behind us now and we’re looking to reach the playoffs.
“Getting that top scorer spot is one of my personal goals and hopefully that’ll happen.”
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