 Abbey Rangers 2 - 4 Corinthian-Casuals Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Saturday 2nd August 2025 Report and Photos: Stuart Tree (full set of photos here) Additional photos from Andy Nunn and Harvey Abbott Corinthian-Casuals overcame the first hurdle of the FA Cup for the first time since 2021 with a fine 4-2 victory over fellow Combined Counties outfit Abbey Rangers. Goals from Rae Bailey-Allen, Shea Cascoe-Rogers, Patrick Maia and a penalty from Andre Coker sealed the win at Addlestone Moor in front of a partisan Casuals crowd. The win puts Casuals into the next round, knowing their opponents will be Sevenoaks Town – who boast former Corinth favourite Warren Mfula in their side. It wasn’t all plain sailing for Mu Maan’s Casuals; following a stalemate at half time, Maan made bold changes to his attacking line, but succumbed to a well crafted Rangers set-piece, nodding home a header. Not letting Rangers settle into protecting a 1-0 lead, Casuals pressed and Arsenii Protsyshyn pushed forward from left back and delivered a dangerous ball that Abbey fluffed, with Rae Bailey-Allen bundling the loose ball over the line.  Having made a bold five substitutions, Casuals were left exposed should injury arise… and thus it did. Cascoe-Rogers took a nasty knock and limped on, though was in the right place at the right time to fire home for Casuals. If his ankle wasn’t bad before, Marcos Dos Santos’ leapfrog onto the back of the winger saw him crumple to the floor… shades of Tony Adams and Steve Morrow. With the game opening up, Casuals looked dangerous on every mission moving forward. Andre Coker’s shot was well saved but the rebound fell kindly to Maia, who hit home from ten yards. Coker was the instrument for the fourth – bundled in the box, he dusted himself off to convert the spot kick. This was Corinth’s day. Abbey struck a late, late consolation to deathly silence before the curtain came down on a fine afternoon for all who travelled the short distance to Addlestone.  “I'm delighted,” said Manager Mu Maan following the full time whistle. “Though it wasn’t the greatest of spectacles, to be honest. But like I just said to the boys, a sign of a good team is winning when you don't perform to your maximum standard. “We went more attacking in the second half. But that just highlights the depth that we have in the squad to be bringing on players that that can make a difference. “I think they've definitely had us watched, and I think a lot of teams will have us watch this year. “Testament to Shea, because he looked like he’s picked up a bad ankle injury. But he carried on, and he got rewarded for staying on the pitch with that goal. And the game opened up after we scored the second goal. Naturally, Abbey Rangers were chasing the game. “I’m really pleased with our attacking options. And today was with Rafa missing as well. Like I said, we've got a lot of depth this year. “Who knows? It could be a fun cup run. I fancy anyone in opposition on our day. We can go toe-to-toe with whoever we get. We showed that at Basingstoke. I know that was pre-season but it showed what we have here. I’ve full faith and confidence in the boys that on our day we can get a positive result against higher opposition.”
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 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.” “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.”  Corinthian-Casuals 3 – 5 Leatherhead Geoff Harvey / Jimmy Hill Vase Saturday 26th July 2025 Report and Photos: Stuart Tree Full set of photos can be seen here. If nothing else, from a spectator’s point of view, this has been one very entertaining pre-season campaign for Corinthian-Casuals. And whilst they were unable to wrestle the Harvey-Hill Vase from Leatherhead for a second year in succession, the 288 in attendance would’ve had real value for their money in this last friendly before the important stuff begins. The six warm-up fixtures have produced 29 goals – nearly five a game! Some spectacular too, such as Rae Bailey-Allen’s solo effort against Sutton, Diogo Da Silva’s 25 yarder at Basingstoke and Rafa Barbosa’s overhead kick at Croydon. Another Brazilian, Wilgnner Ewerthon got in on the act with a wonderful free kick, to cancel out Leatherhead’s super-quick start. Before five minutes were on the clock, it was 1-1. We were surely going to bust the five goal average. Tobi Falodi looped a shot onto the bar and Bailey-Allen also struck the temporary woodwork from close range before Leatherhead asserted themselves with two bullet headers from corners, leaving the makeshift Casuals defence standing still. Both sides had made a number of changes for this fixture, which had been arranged long before the ever-expanding schedule of the season was announced. Casuals face Tooting in the league on Tuesday whilst the Tanners, who have one last pre-season hurrah against Farnham, enter the FA Cup on Saturday. Thus, Corinth fans may not have recognised many faces in the line-up with Marcos Dos Santos perhaps the only ‘guaranteed’ starter donning the Captain’s armband.  A fourth from Leatherhead on the stroke of half time looked to have killed the game off from a competitive standpoint, but Casuals have made a habit of getting back into games when behind. Barring the win at Chessington, Mu Maan’s team have got back on level terms in each of the five other pre-season games. Alas, a penalty stroked home and a scramble in front of goal which saw Dos Santos poke home put the score at 4-3, before Leatherhead once again exposed Casuals from wide and put the game to bed. That comeback record had been snuffed out. There was time for some ‘handbags’ which saw the departure of one Casuals trialist, just to spice up proceedings before Leatherhead’s Captain was awarded the vase by club stalwart Brian Philips. Win it again next year and the question of ‘should Leatherhead keep the trophy permanently?’ could be legitimately asked. If nothing else, it’ll look good on the bar with flowers in.  “We conceded some very sloppy goals today,” admitted Maan after the match. “Goals from three or four set pieces, one from a throw in and that just comes down to lack of organisation and communication. “Saying that, and I don't know how many of their boys were playing from their first team, but I think at times we gave a good account of ourselves. I think the second half we were actually the better team. “I'm just frustrated about the goals that we conceded because in open play, they didn't really do that much. The boys that came in today, they did well. We had a few players missing as I didn't want to take the risk of injury or fatigue with the Tooting game coming up fast on Tuesday. But this felt like a good opportunity to give these players a chance to show me what they're made of. “Listen; Tooting on Tuesday will be a tough game, but we've prepared well. And we're ready to go.”  “A good game of football,” was Mu Maan’s summary at the end of last night’s 2-2 draw with Step 6 side Croydon FC in our penultimate pre-season fixture.
The game, played at Whyteleafe’s Church Road, began poorly for Casuals, who let Croydon in for a sloppy opening goal before giving away a soft penalty to allow the hosts to take a 2-0 lead at the break. But there were already clear signs of improvement by the time the referee blew for half-time as Arsenii Protsyshyn hit the crossbar with a fierce drive and Andre Coker saw his well-struck effort turned over by the Croydon keeper. The second half was controlled by Casuals, though. Coker got his first goal in our colours shortly after the break, before his replacement Rafael Barbosa equalised late on with a spectacular overhead kick. “We had a lot of possession first half,” the gaffer reflected. “I wasn't happy with the goals – and another penalty conceded. “But we rectified that and I think we could have scored maybe two or three in the first half. But I think our final pass, our final shot let us down. “In the second half, to be honest with you, it was all us, and at times the football was amazing to watch. No disrespect, it was attack versus defence and I just think our execution in the second half was much better. Our decision making was much better. Onwards and upwards.” The squad is taking shape with one more pre-season game to come this Saturday, at home to Leatherhead, and Mu views the competition for places as something that will strengthen us in the campaign ahead. “Before the game, I asked the boys to look around them, because there's some very good players in there – experienced players in there. And I think we're going in the right direction. The squad is shaping up, but there's always room for improvement, although I'm very happy at the minute. Of course, I’m not happy conceding two goals, but overall I’m pleased.” As Coker impresses up front with his tidy link-up play and sharpness in the box, while Barbosa brings tenacity and flair when selected to lead the line, it feels like the gaffer’s options up front are particularly strong right now, and that’s just how he likes it. “That's a good headache to have,” he says. “Listen, Andre Coker is very well known in non-league. He's a proper player… and so is Rafa. It's healthy competition and that’s brilliant. “We’ve got one more pre-season game, then the real business. I’m looking forward to Leatherhead. It will be another tough game, and then, just like that, the season is on you!”  Basingstoke Town 4-3 Corinthian-Casuals Tuesday 15th July 2025 Pre-Season Friendly Report: Josh Lamey Interview: Chris Randall Images: Stuart Tree (full set here) Additional Images from Andy Nunn here Corinthian-Casuals’ quest to Hampshire brought both torrential rain and an onslaught of goals, but despite a spirited performance, Mu Maan’s side were edged out in a seven-goal thriller by Step 3 side Basingstoke Town. The pink-and-chocolate army have been revelling in the return of the ‘Casual life,’ having now got four pre-season games under the belt. There was an opening defeat in a match of fine margins, as Burnham battled back to clinch it late at the 1878 Stadium. Then Mu Maan shuffled his squad against Chessington & Hook United and secured a win on the hosts’ practice pitch. Most recently, Corinthian-Casuals welcomed supporters back to an upgraded Armada Group Stadium, which has had a makeover over the summer. The stylish new club shop and Roger’s Bar weren’t the only successes of the afternoon, as Corinth came from two behind to secure a deserved draw against a youthful Sutton United. Tuesday night brought Casuals’ toughest test so far, as they travelled to Basingstoke’s Winklebury Football Complex. The visitors – who play in the Southern League Premier Division South – flourished in the opening 20 minutes, as a perfectly timed slide-rule pass from new acquisition Raekwon Bailey-Allen glued to the feet of Trey Masikini, who made no mistake with a cool finish. Following an early fright, the Stoke created a series of opportunities to draw level. Twenty-five minutes in, and after fashioning a pocket of space in the area, the hosts’ No4 rattled the post with a venomous strike. Casuals were forced into a rearguard action, and it was thanks to the athleticism of our trialist goalkeeper that we took a lead into the break.  Basingstoke, who finished 15th last year, were by no means out of it, and exhibited just how deadly they were upon introducing more first-team faces after half-time. The Corinthian backline had displayed resilience in their defending thus far, but they couldn’t subdue the mounting Basingstoke pressure. The hosts found an equaliser on the hour mark after an initial strike was charged down by returning Casuals centre-half Tommy Smith, but the Stokes’ number 12 fired into the roof of the net at the second time of asking. Just moments later, Casuals were unpicked again. This time, a dangerous through ball split the defence, before being prodded beneath the ‘keeper. The rampant Basingstoke were seemingly cruising to victory when their centre-back bundled in a scrappy third less than 10 minutes after their first. Yet those goals and the downpour that continued to soak those out on the pitch, failed to dampen the spirits of Maan’s side, who found a ray of hope amidst the heavy cloud cover in the form of substitute Diogo da Silva. The Brazilian No10 rode a series of challenges before unleashing a thunderbolt from 30 yards that dipped and swerved beyond the goalkeeper. Seconds later, and Da Silva – attempting the spectacular, the audacious, the unbelievable – tried to catch the keeper out from the halfway line, but a miraculous recovery saw the Brazilian’s effort tipped on to the bar. A heart-in-mouth moment for all in the ground. Casuals did force home an equaliser after reaping the set-piece rewards again, as Da Silva’s corner was met by Arsenii Protsyshyn’s bullet header at the near post. With 10 minutes left on the clock, it was three apiece. However, a back-and-forth friendly was finally settled in the 82nd minute, when Protsyshyn was adjudged to have clipped a Basingstoke attacker in the area, and the referee, albeit hesitantly, pointed to the spot. A firm spot kick into the bottom left-hand corner decided a very competitive match. “We stood on our own two feet today, the first half was very good,” Manager Mu Maan speaking to Chris Randall after the match. “I’m proud of the boys after today; that was a good shift, against a good team. That was a good overall performance.”
It was clear Mu felt that the Corinth should’ve got more from the game, and that decisions, more often than not, fell in favour of the hosts: The deciding penalty was a key focal point late on in the game. It didn’t dampen the boss’ spirits though, as he joked about the quality of the Casuals’ performance: “I don’t know if it’s the 3G surface that a few of the boys love! Well, not the older boys on their knees!” Asked about the impact of some new faces on the night, Maan said: “The lads that I have brought in bring leadership, quality, the main ingredients. I’ve kept a lot of the players from last season and it’s just a few tweaks - they’re here to make us stronger and I am sure they will do that.” Casuals’ pre-season has seen a well-balanced mix of ingredients; the return of some familiar faces and new ones, and as the coaching staff have dialled in their selections, the performances on the pitch have moved in tandem. “I’m just looking for performance and for the boys to understand the way that we’re trying to play. Tooting and Mitcham is around the corner, so now it’s about performance and sticking to our structure, ultimately implementing everything we’ve done in pre-season.” “I think there has been a good energy from the Burnham game. Burnham, Chessington and Hook, the first half of Sutton United I wasn’t very pleased with but overall the energy has been very good; we look lively, we look sharp, and may long it continue!”  Corinthian-Casuals 2-2 Sutton United Pre Season Friendly Saturday 12th July 2025 Report and Photos - Stuart Tree (photo set here) More images from Andy Nunn here. Corinthian-Casuals came from 2-0 down to achieve a worthy draw against a youthful Sutton United side in 30 degrees of heat on Saturday. Rafael Barbosa and new signing Rae Bailey-Allen put Casuals on level terms with the latter scoring a wonderful individual top-corner strike. And Shea Cascoe Rogers had a sure-fire penalty waved away late in proceedings which would’ve completed the comeback, and thus had to settle for a 2-2 scoreline. The result sees Corinth’s pre-season continue to progress well, but they face their toughest test on Tuesday night as they travel to Step 3 Basingstoke in their own back yard.  “Things are coming on quite nicely, but I wasn't really that pleased with the first half performance,” said Manager Mu Maan after the game. “I think we were slow out of the blocks against a young, energetic Sutton. They are a good side. Also, it was roasting hot which played its part. But second half, we looked more like the team that that we're trying to be and I think we were very well structured. “We came from 2-0 down so it was good to see that fighting spirit. We were 2-0 down against Burnham and came back from that to level the score too. It’s a good sign to have that mentality, but I'd rather be in front than behind in the first place. “Gabs and I had a word with the boys at half time, just about having a structure as we looked a little bit disjointed. Sutton were full of energy. They'll run for 90 minutes! So, we had to remind them to be disciplined with their position. It's a hot day, and you can't get dragged around the whole pitch. We really improved on that in the second half and got our rewards. “This was a good test. Tuesday at Basingstoke will be tough! I’d rather get tested against higher levels. No disrespect to Burnham or Chessington who we have already faced but Basingstoke are two levels higher. Croydon Athletic at home here on Saturday too will again show us where we are and where we need to be.”  Chessington & Hook Utd 0 - 1 Corinthian-Casuals Pre-Season Friendly Tuesday 8th July 2025 Report and Photos: Stuart Tree (full set here) Additional photos from Andy Nunn here. Mu Maan was delighted in the continued progress of Corinthian-Casuals’ preparations for the new season as his side defeated Chessington & Hook, keeping a clean sheet in the process. Speaking of the defensive performance, Mu quipped “You work from the back. If we don't concede goals, we won't lose games.” That’s not to take away from the attacking threat Casuals maintained throughout the ninety minutes. The game had ‘glorified training session’ written all over it, played within the setting of Chessington’s back pitch. Golden sun cast long shadows across a good gathering of Casuals fans, holding plastic pint refreshments and fending off the gnats and nasties – summer vibes. As local an opposition as Casuals can get, this was the ‘Skip It Derby’ – commented by more than one onlooker on the night, due to the fact that both team’s shirts are sponsored by Mu and Mo’s waste removal company. A testament to how much the brothers support local sport. Chessington, who play a step lower and now coached by ex-Casuals boss Tony Reid, proved a tough defensive challenge with their back four and keeper putting in a decent display. And they had to work hard to keep the score down. Though they themselves mustered a decent chance at the end of the first half, forcing a fine first save from the Corinth keeper. Changes aplenty for both sides in the second half once again muted the finesse of what we saw in the first half, but Casuals struck home courtesy of one of Mu’s recent additions. All three goals in this campaign so far, coming from new faces. The home side came closest tapping in, only to see the Assistant Referee’s flag up for offside. Theo Soman also had the ball in the net for Casuals, but that too, was ruled out due to an infringement in the build-up. Despite the park football feel, it was an important run-out for the squad ahead of two tougher tests in the next seven days; first at home to a Sutton United XI and then away to Step 3 Basingstoke Town on Tuesday night.  “More minutes in the bank for us tonight,” said Mu after the match. “We played some great football at times. Like I said against Burnham, I think we got out what we needed to get out of this session. Personally, I thought we could have scored a few more goals, but overall, I’m very pleased. “We could have and should have made the scoreline more convincing. There’s still room for improvement. It could always be better. But listen, it's the second game, and we just continue from here. “Selection for places is a headache, but it's a good headache. We've got some talented boys in there. That’s two games now, that they've come in with high energy. The quality has been good, but there's always room for improvement, and it's for me as the Gaffer to make the decisions as to who starts. “It was great having Tommy Smith in tonight. Players like Tommy are 100% needed in this league. Experience. Also, with players like Quincy Rowe as well, yet to come into the fold. Clayton has been very solid in the two games played so far. And of course, Arsenii, who was a real find last season. You work from the back. If we don't concede goals, we won't lose games. So, I think everything else will come naturally.”  Burnham 3-2 Corinthian-Casuals Wednesday 2nd July 2025 Pre-Season Friendly Report: Josh Lamey Images: Stuart Tree Anticipation emerged from the off-season tranquility as Corinthian-Casuals’ pre-season preparations commenced in rural Buckinghamshire against fellow Step 5 outfit, Burnham. With the dawn of the 2025/26 Combined Counties campaign on the horizon, Mu Maan’s men were put through their paces by The Blues, yet it was a performance full of promise with a combination of familiar faces and trialists taking the game down to the wire. Having had the best part of two months to digest the thrills and the spills of the 2024/25 season, many will agree that the main target was achieved: ensuring stability for this grand old club, as Mu Maan was tasked with steadying the ship following back-to-back relegations. It seemed as though Corinth had adapted perfectly to life in Step 5, with four victories on the bounce propelling them into early play-off contention. However, post-Christmas inconsistencies hindered any chance of a top-five finish, as Casuals ended in 13th place. Attention has now turned to Maan’s second year at the helm, and there were some encouraging early signs despite a 3-2 reverse at Burnham. Two months away from the action had left the Casuals faithful hungry for goals, and they witnessed a first-half stalemate, as both teams went stride-for-stride early doors. The retained Shea Cascoe-Rogers came the closest in a cagey opening 45, but he couldn’t direct a narrowly angled volley home after good work from Trey Masikini on the opposite flank. Despite a dormant start, the game erupted into action in the second period. On the hour mark, the hosts dispatched the opener from 12 yards after a shoulder-to-shoulder in the area resulted in a spot kick, despite Corinthian protests. Burnham then grabbed a prompt second, after their winger arrived at the far post and nestled his first-time finish into the back of the net. Corinthian-Casuals found their feet again and, taking the fighting spirit from one season to the next, were able to fashion a comeback, with two goals from trialist forwards, both of which were coolly dispatched – one a smart swivel and finish, the other a smart counterattack. However, a deserved draw was snatched away from Maan’s men approaching the final whistle, as the referee blew for another penalty for the hosts. The striker, placing his penalty the opposite corner to his first, made no mistake in sealing pre-season victory for his side. “They were a good side, so it was important to see our fitness levels,” reflected Masikini. “But Mu [Maan], Gabs [Odunaike] and Rich [Blackwell] have been running us into the ground so it was good to see where we were at.”  Following Corinthian-Casuals’ first pre-season outing at Burnham on Wednesday, Manager Mu Maan spoke to Stuart Tree following the match, where off-field events (a catastrophic fire at his business premises) had overshadowed the gaffer’s week. But in his eyes, it wasn’t going to deter him…
“Football takes my mind off it. It’s what I love,” said Maan at full time. “When I’m here, doing what I love, I don’t think about anything else. Despite a 3-2 loss on paper to fellow Step 5 side Burnham, Mu found the early run-out productive. “Pre season is about fitness, sharpness and getting the boys to understand how we want to play. We achieved some of that. There was some good football at times. I thought we were the better team. “The play started to break up a little when we made all those substitutions, but from my point of view, as a management team, we got exactly what we needed to get out of tonight. “I was saying to Gabs (Gabriel Odunaike – Asst Manager), that the boys performed well. We looked solid, especially in the first half. I know we conceded three goals, but two of those were penalties. One was debatable, the other was a penalty to be fair. But overall, we played some nice football.” “We had a few missing tonight who’ll be involved in the Chessington and Hook match next Tuesday. That’ll be about finding the right balance. Two of the new signings, Tommy and Quincy weren’t playing, but will be involved next week, I’m sure. We actually had a few youngsters in tonight. I thought Theo (Soman) played especially well. We’ve got some talented boys in there and we’ll head to Chessington on Tuesday in a positive mood.”  Corinthian-Casuals 1-2 Epsom & Ewell
Combined Counties League Premier South Tuesday 25 March 2025 Report: Josh Lamey Images: Andy Nunn Casuals’ final home game of the season ended in defeat to Epsom & Ewell in a final game between landlords and tenants before the Salts move on this summer. We’ve seen a trilogy against Epsom this season, beginning with the pre-season Stella Lamont Trophy, in which the tenants reclaimed the silverware via a penalty shoot-out. Then, in August, Reyon Dillon glistened in a bright Bank Holiday triumph for Casuals as we ran out 2-1 winners. That result had ignited a four-game winning streak, but results have since taken a turn for the worse and Casuals were disappointed not to turn their form around in our last home game – a 2-2 draw against Chipstead in which we had led 2-0. However, last weekend’s 2-1 friendly win away at Knaphill ensured that Casuals fans at least celebrated Non-League Day with a victory. The anticipation was ascending around the ground prior to kick-off, with Casuals fans absorbing the final few hours in home territory for the campaign. They were almost treated to a timely opener on 14 minutes, when former Corinthian shot-stopper Sami Nabbad’s scuffed clearance lacked the power to beat Michael Onovwigun who played in an unmarked Jonathan Gjoshe. But Nabbad recovered well to smother the full-back’s effort. The Salts got their first clear-cut chance of the evening on the half-hour mark, by which point the game was back and forth like a pendulum. Winger Luke Miller – whose six goals have undoubtedly contributed to his side’s relegation battle – cut in from the right with the intention of adding another to his tally, but his effort bounced back off the foot of the post. Corinthian-Casuals had held their own for long spells, with centre-halves Arsenii Protsyshyn and Warren Morgan influential in preserving the first-half clean sheet. Although, the Corinthian rearguard looked destined to be broken just prior to the interval, when an onslaught of Epsom & Ewell strikes were bravely blocked on the line. The 232 in attendance – regardless of who they supported – would have been content heading into the break with a respectable half for both sides and enough chances to please the neutral. Most of the crowd had barely had enough time to return to their seats before Casuals looked their lively selves once more. Player-assistant manager Gabriel Odunaike played his third game since swapping the touchline for the turf, and it was his textbook hold-up play that allowed Ben Cheklit to dart through and finish with finesse down to Nabbad’s left, firing the hosts ahead. Despite this, the lead dissipated just 10 minutes later when Murillo Bernardes failed in his pursuit of a bouncing ball sent over the top by Craig Dundas, leaving Luke Miller with the simple task of nodding into an empty net. Some start to the second period, but an unnecessary blow for Corinth. Casuals fans had heads in hands amid fears that history would repeat itself, and those worries became reality on 62 minutes. Miller was pulling the strings in Corinthian territory once again, yet this time he was impeded in the area by Marcos Dos Santos, and the Fans’ Player of the Season was hastily shown his second yellow. Epsom & Ewell captain Adam Grant slammed home an unsaveable penalty, sending a portion of the crowd into jubilant cheers. The question that everybody found themselves asking was whether there was enough time for Casuals to rescue a point at the death once again. A dancing Denis Travin forged a path into the area late before finding Dillon, but the final chance of the game went askew. Corinthian-Casuals: Bernardes, Protsyshyn, Onovwigun (Travin 68), Morgan (Dillon 45), Gjoshe (Cheklit 45), Dos Santos, Adelakun, Masikini, Falodi (Pilonetto 61), Cadogan, Odunaike |
© 2025 Corinthian-Casuals Football Club
King Georges Field, Queen Mary Close, Hook Rise South, Tolworth, Surrey, KT6 7NA.
King Georges Field, Queen Mary Close, Hook Rise South, Tolworth, Surrey, KT6 7NA.