Corinthian-Casuals 2 Brightlingsea Regent 1
Pinney 60 Woodward 21
Collins 70
Pitching In Isthmian Premier League
Saturday 3 December, 2022
Attendance: 244
Match Report by Zac Welshman
Photo by Andy Nunn
With the Fiel Londres returning to King George’s Field to support their trans-Atlantic brothers in football, the home fans played a key role as Corinthian-Casuals fought back from a goal down against relegation rivals Brightlingsea Regent to keep Justin Fevrier’s perfect home record intact.
On a biting winter’s afternoon at the bottom of the Isthmian Premier League table, fans at the UBG Stadium were treated to a hot-blooded encounter right from the off with the visitors’ early tenacity indicating that if the Casuals wanted a result, they’d have to work for it.
Spirited pressing from the first whistle meant the opening minutes comprised of a stop-start game with neither team managing to get into much of a rhythm. With the middle of the pitch congested, both teams looked to work the ball out wide to create opportunities.
It was Casuals who had the first real sight of goal, when Sam Dowridge beat his man and got a smart, driven shot away from the edge of the box which Charlie Turner did well to get down to and palm away from his near post.
Regent were equally impressive down their right flank, with Jermaine Anderson and Samuel Jeremiah linking up well to keep Casuals’ left-sided centre-back Ricardo Thompson busy as the first half progressed. But the warning signs soon became clear for the Casuals as a lapse in concentration on the ball allowed a sharp Suleyman Zuhdu to gain possession and try his luck from range, his looping effort smacking the crossbar after leaving an unsuspecting Taylor Seymour stranded.
Seymour’s goal was worked again shortly after when a well-hit half-volley from Luke Woodward saw the Casuals’ keeper forced into a brilliant diving save to his right. But it wouldn’t be long until the visitors capitalised on their prolonged pressure as, in the 20th minute, another gifted opportunity from a loose ball allowed Woodward to break behind the line and coolly beat the onrushing Seymour.
The opening goal appeared to be a much-needed wake-up call for Casuals, and as we approached 30 minutes on the clock the home side began to carve out a foothold in the game. Some improved hold-up play by Nat Pinney was key to the change in fortunes, and with Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo looking to dictate the tempo from deeper in midfield, a few smart passages of play showed that the hosts could still turn the game around if given the opportunity. The half-time whistle provided a necessary moment of reflection for Fevrier and his side as they sought to build on some moments of quality in an otherwise disappointing opening act.
Upon the restart, and with the rest of the ground now under cover of darkness, the illuminated pitch played host to some short spells of possession for both sides which produced some neat passages of play in a more engaging second half. Despite being a goal down, Casuals fans would have been pleased to see the imprint of Fevrier’s philosophy on the pitch, a short passing system that once again showed glimpses of becoming a defining style for this side.
It was on the 60th minute that one of those glimpses provided a return, with Luke Stokoe getting the ball to feet and delicately feinting pasting his man before his dragged-back ball found Pinney on the edge of the six-yard box. The number nine looked to have missed the opportunity to get a shot away, but still managed to find an ever-narrowing gap down to the keeper’s right and bring the hosts level.
With the game now more open, both managers made changes to keep their sides fresh. Thomas Jackson replaced Merrick James-Lewis in a like-for-like midfield switch for Casuals, and it was the home side’s change that seemed that seemed to be having the most impact, with Regent pegged back into playing long, loose balls back into the hands of their opposition.
That dominant spell came good for Casuals as, 10 minutes after the equaliser, another Stokoe-made goal came in form of a corner fizzed in from the right-hand side, and after some confusion in the stands as to who poked home the resulting goalmouth scramble, the goal was awarded to centre-back Reuben Collins.
After seeing their team take the lead for the first time with 20 minutes left on the clock, the home fans made themselves heard from both ends of the field. The banging of the Fiel Londres drum was gleefully met at the far end by chants of “We are staying up!” But the newly buoyant atmosphere quickly shifted once again though as an on-field scuffle broke out in the 76th minute with players and staff from both sides feeling the fervour before referee Teddy Osborn restored order.
Play resumed with an elevated level of grit and some well-worked football from the visitors might have undone this Casuals side in the first half, but the newly compact and composed hosts remained steadfast as Brightlingsea threw bodies forward. Zack Littlejohn was sent up to operate as a makeshift striker for the visitors, and with goalkeeper Turner operating from well outside his box to launch any recycled balls back into the Casuals half, it was the resolute defensive performances of the home back three that restricted Regent to only a smattering of half-chances and long-range efforts before the full-time whistle blew.
It was clear to see that the Casuals players knew the impact the home fans had made on the result as Fevrier and his team immediately made their way over to the crowd to pay homage to their brilliant support. Another three points at home and with Casuals now leapfrogging the visitors in the league table, it’s another important stop on the long road to safety for this youthful side and their new manager.
Corinthian-Casuals (3-4-2-1): Seymour; Kudyiwa, Collins, Thompson (c); Chislett, Soulya-Osekanongo, James-Lewis (Jackson 65), Dowridge; Stokoe (Diaby 90), Caton; Pinney (Di Bonito 75)
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