A Mu Dawn

​Grays Athletic 3-1 Corinthian-Casuals
Saturday 13th July 2024
Pre-Season Friendly
Words: Josh Lamey
Pictures: Stuart Tree (full set of photos here)

Yesterday marked the dawn of a new era under the management of Corinthian-Casuals fans’ favourite Mu Maan.

We faced Grays Athletic in our first pre-season game under the sunny Essex sky, and the squad made the trip up to the Thames Estuary in high spirits, producing a positive display against Step 4 opposition.

The last two campaigns have been tough for the club. Back-to-back relegations have left supporters frustrated, while managerial uncertainty during that period meant that we haven’t reached the heights that our rich history might suggest. But on May 15th, Mu Maan returned to his old stomping ground, where he racked up 133 appearances and 20 goals in the pink and chocolate, scoring some crucial strikes in the process. With a new manager and a different crop of players, there are hopes that a more exciting chapter lies ahead for the club.

Everyone was eager to get the 2024/25 pre-season up and running, none more so than the travelling Casuals supporters who were brilliant from minute one. However, the hosts made the fast start as winger Bobby Unwin’s cross-come-shot from the left found its way into the back of the net, catching out all those in the middle.

It was just before the half time whistle went when the home side doubled their lead on the Tilbury turf where they groundshare, after a corner was floated towards the back stick, fired back across the face by Hirst, and Dariri was on hand to tuck it home.

As the second 45 got underway, this fast-paced encounter lost its momentum slightly as Casuals looked to find a way back into the game, but Mu’s men were reduced to 10 just after the hour mark, after midfielder Malachi Hudson was sent off for a late challenge.

Despite playing with a man less in the hot sun around the Tilbury Docks, Casuals dug in and fought hard. Substitute Jenson Allchurch pulled out a 40-yard thunderbolt destined for the top bins to reignite the visitors’ dreams of a comeback. The missile stunned Grays slightly, as the fighting spirit led to a flurry of late chances for Corinthian, but it wasn’t meant to be – a late lay-off from Gordon into the path of Joe Damrell allowed him to rifle a low half-volley into the bottom corner and seal the win for the hosts.

Despite the result, Mu remained upbeat afterwards.

“The boys played well,” he said. “You can clearly see the style of football we’re trying to play, so overall very happy with the performance.

“Obviously with 10 men, it was more difficult, but even then the boys showed resilience and were very solid. It changes the whole aspect of the game, but sometimes that happens in football, and we’ve got to react straight away.

“We’re looking forward to the next games. I feel like the more games we play, the better we’ll get. The boys love to play so the quicker they come, the better for us!