Corinthian-Casuals 1-2 Billericay Town
Reilly 15 Isiaka 70
Cerulli 90
Pitching in Isthmian Premier League
Saturday 22 April 2023
Attendance 304
Match Report by James Streatfield
Photo by Stuart Tree
Late heartbreak was the order of the day for Corinthian-Casuals as they fell to defeat after a last-ditch onslaught from a visiting Billericay Town following a game that saw both sides create chances aplenty and left both sets of fans bemused as to how it only finished 2-1.
Casuals made the perfect start as their pressure paid off a quarter of an hour in — Finlay Lovatt capitalised on a loose ball from Billericay’s Harry Seaden, playing a square ball to Mack Reilly who tapped home from six yards.
The hosts almost doubled their lead when Ricardo Thompson made a surging run from midfield before being taken down just outside the area. Lovatt’s dead-ball attempt flew just adrift of the top-left corner.
Sahid Kamara was involved as ever, as he expertly found space on the edge of the box, before firing a right-footed shot that slammed the crossbar just before half-time.
Going into the break, Casuals would have been pleased with the way they managed Billericay’s threat in the first 45 minutes, with Callum Coulter remaining virtually untroubled at that point.
Shortly after the break, Billericay came close after a Bradley Stevenson corner evaded those in the box and ended in a Casuals goal kick. A warning sign for the home side, showing Billericay were not down and out.
Casuals responded to the early pressure as Lovatt fashioned a way into the Billericay area and played the ball across the six-yard box, but no one in a pink-and-chocolate shirt could fire home. Chislett picked the ball up after the passage of play, smashing in a low shot, but Seaden was equal to it.
Casuals’ advantage was scrapped after a hopeful ball from George Wind found substitute Kareem Isiaka who made space before smashing his shot high into the top-left corner of Coulter’s net.
Billericay looked to have gone ahead soon afterwards as Michael Chambers rose highest from a corner, and with his header floating towards the far left corner, Casuals’ captain fantastic Jack Tucker was there to meet it on the line, heading away to keep the score level.
At the other end, Kamara’s shot from outside the area looked to be nestling into the far corner, but with Seaden rooted to the spot, the strike hit the woodwork for the second time, this time bouncing off the upright — when your luck’s out, it’s out.
With the game looking set to finish all square, Casuals succumbed to defeat late on, when the ball fell to Alfie Cerulli from a corner and he lashed it into the top-right corner to win the game for Billericay.
Despite the result, Casuals were unlucky not to put the ball in the net on multiple occasions and will be disappointed to have not given their loyal contingent something to cheer about on the final day.
The season awards were handed out in the clubhouse after the game, as Callum Coulter was voted Supporters’ Player of the Year, while Ricardo Thompson was named Players’ Player of the Year for the second consecutive campaign.
Corinthian-Casuals: Coulter; Chislett, Lahan, Collins, Hyman, Tucker; Thompson, Lovatt; Kamara, Duru (Adeoti-Ajiboye 78), Reilly (McDonald 82)
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