And OF GOD

 ​Tooting & Mitcham 0 – 0 Corinthian-Casuals
Combined Counties Premier Division South
Tuesday 29th July 2025
Report: Josh Lamey
Photos: Stuart Tree
Full set of photos can be seen   here
 
Controversy concluded Corinthian-Casuals’ 2025/26 league season opener after they were denied a late winner by the assistant referee’s flag at the end of an admirable away performance.
 
After wrapping up their pre-season schedule with a thrilling yet fruitless 5-3 defeat to Leatherhead in the Harvey-Hill Vase on Saturday, attention turned to the inaugural game of the league season.
 
There could be no better way to commence the campaign than the short venture to Imperial Fields – two proud local sides clashing under the lights with the prize of three precious points up for grabs. Hence, it felt fitting that the Tooting & Mitcham stadium announcer declared: “This is football” moments before the first whistle.
 
A fixture of fine margins on paper was epitomised early on, with both sides carving out half-chances in the opening half hour. Most notably for Casuals, a wayward effort over the bar from Shea Cascoe-Rogers, craftily manufactured by new signing Andre Coker’s flick around the Stripes’ centre-half.
 
Coker continued to express glimpses of his Step 3 experience, looking to flourish once again after a successful campaign at Cray Valley. He had an opening of his own on the 15-minute mark, manoeuvring and striking sweetly into the goalkeeper’s grasp. A fast start from the visitors.

Yet ex-Casual Jamie Byatt’s Tooting side were inches from finding a breakthrough just seconds before the break. A flurry of headers threatened the Corinthian goal, but Stripes striker Conor Melody could only rattle the bar with a thumping effort.
 
At the break, the lion’s share of the 343 in attendance would’ve been content with their respective team’s performances, and the anticipation for another feisty half was tangible.
 
Casuals boasted the first opportunity of the second period. Despite the glaring floodlights now illuminating Imperial Fields, debutant Zack Ejeta managed to conceal his swashbuckling run from right-back, feinting multiple Tooting defenders, before forcing Toby McKimm into an intelligent stop.
 
The inclusion of Theo Soman in the Casuals midfield, being a product of the club’s youth section, shows Mu Maan’s willingness to integrate youth among experience this season, and his selection nearly paid dividends on the hour mark. Soman peeled away from his marker at the back post but crashed a venomous effort into the side netting.
 
This fiercely contested battle threatened to witness its opening goal in the remaining minutes. Tooting worked an opportunity for Freddie Jones to deliver from the right flank, but his cross was diverted over the bar from close range. Coker then threatened for Casuals moments later, darting through, eyeball-to-eyeball with Mckimm, but his delicate chip was cleared agonisingly close to the line by an alert Tooting defender.
 
Added time was fast approaching, but there was an added sense of motivation about Corinthian-Casuals, who pushed hard with a series of late corners. The visitors’ pressure momentarily erupted into joy when Coker wheeled away in jubilance after forcing the ball home amid a six-yard box melee. However, there was discrepancy between the referee and the linesman’s version of events, with the latter spotting that the ball had been knocked in by the striker’s hand. Amid the ensuing debate, Coker received a second yellow card and his marching orders.
 
All in all, though, Casuals can be pleased with this first display, and with a clean sheet on the road, something for debutant goalkeeper Sanghyun Baek and our new-look back four to cheer as attention turns to our FA Cup extra preliminary round tie at Abbey Rangers on Saturday.

​“Yeah, a good, good game of football,” said Manager Mu Maan after the match. These are two big clubs in the Combined Counties going at it.”
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“It was cagey at times, but we had a few chances… they had a few chances. We had a goal disallowed in the end, but first game in and it’s a clean sheet away from home. This is not an easy place to come and get a result. I’ll take a point coming away from here and I’m always pleased with a shutout.

“We could have gone on to nick it. I think we had four or five corners in a row. Andre’s had one cleared off the line. But to be fair to Tooting, they've had a few chances as well. Good end-to-end stuff.

“The only dampener on the night is that red card. Did Andre handle it on purpose? We’ll have to look back at it. But listen, even with 10 men, we still threatened.

“I think for the second half. We edged it. They had good possession at times. We looked dangerous in those other moments. Overall, it was a little bit cagey at times. But as I say, coming to Tooting and getting our first point on the board, I’ll take that.

“It’s onwards to the FA Cup on Saturday, and our focus will be solely on that for now.”