Corinthian Casuals 0-2 BSFC Match Report

27.10.2021 20:53

Corinthian Casuals 0-2 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report 26/10/21

Bishop’s Stortford’s third consecutive away game ended in victory, with Jake Cass getting a first half brace in a 0-2 win at Corinthian Casuals. Cass was an early substitute for Frankie Merrifield, who suffered a dislocated shoulder. The result moves the Blues up to fifth in the Pitching In Isthmian League Premier Division, with seven points from the three away games, and unbeaten in the last five.

Jonny Giles saw his free kick curl wide of the post early on after a foul on Frankie Merrifield, and Ryan Charles’ low shot went just wide after he cut in off the right wing. Johnville Renee made a great tackle near the halfway line to prevent the Casuals’ attack advancing any further, and he crossed to Charles whose header was saved by Daniel Bracken. The best chance of the half for the hosts fell to Jack Strange who cannoned a half-volley off the crossbar from Ben Cheklit’s deep free kick, only for the referee’s assistant to flag for offside against the defender. Giles had another free kick but hit the wall with a more powerful effort, before Cass made a driving run into the box and was clipped by Strange as he lined up to shoot. Cass stepped up and dispatched the spot kick as Bracken dived the wrong way. Charles’ cut back to Anthony Church at the back post was deflected wide for a corner, from which Cass had a header blocked on the goal line. The Blues were able to increase their lead before half time, with Cass sliding in to divert Church’s low cross from the left in at the near post.

HT 0-2

Warren Mfula came off the bench for Casuals at half time, and he looked most likely to get them back in the game with a goal. His diving attempt to meet a cross with his head didn’t come to anything but any contact on it would have reduced the deficit to one goal, before Strange side-footed wide from a corner to the near post. A free kick in a wide position by Giles was initially cleared, only for the second cross to be headed goalwards by Church, but it was deflected for a corner. Mfula did manage to meet the next cross, but was unable to keep his header on target, before Casuals’ skipper Bracken lost concentration when coming to catch the ball – first from a Giles free kick, but his defenders bailed him out with Cass and Jimmy Wallace both having shots blocked, and again from the resulting corner, with Church fouling a defender as he attempted to nod home. Into injury time at the end of the match, and the hosts piled on the pressure as they pushed to get back in the game. Archie Edwards was on hand to make a brilliant flying block from a powerful shot, before Giddens made a great save to deny an effort from the right side of the box. Kieran Cadogan – who scored the winner against Hornchurch on Saturday – was unable to keep a volleyed attempt on target from a right wing cross, as the Blues preserved the clean sheet.

FT 2-0

The Blues return home, hosting Lewes on two Saturdays in a row, firstly in the FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round on 30 October, before a repeat of the tie in the league on 6th November.

TEAMS

Corinthian Casuals XI

1 Daniel Bracken (c)

2 Jack Tucker

3 Andrew Mills

4 Ola Williams

5 Jack Strange (Yellow card 33’)

6 Alfie Bendle (Sub Mfula 46’)

7 Coskun Ekim (Sub Paratore 46’)

8 Kieron Cadogan

9 Emmanuel Mensah (Sub Pinney 82’)

10 Ricardo Thompson