Corinthian-Casuals match report
match report by Phil Murphy
Two quick-fire second half goals from Sam Dowridge and Ricardo Thompson led Corinthian Casuals a 2-1 victory over Kingstonian and dragged K’s into the thick of an Isthmian League relegation battle.
It was a much-improved Casuals from the side defeated by K’s in the Surrey Cup, but they almost made the worst possible start when Joseph Boachie capitalised on poor defending. Casuals stopper Callum Coulter made a smart save, however, on a day when he was to prove almost unbeatable.
K”s enjoyed the better of the first half, with Boachie at the heart of everything good for Spencer Knight’s men. The number 10 flashed wide from a quickly-taken Chevron McClean throw-in, and then worked a chance for Jacob Bancroft, who couldn’t quite hit the target.
Half-Time: Kingstonian 0-0 Corinthian Casuals
Slow out of the blocks in the first period, the visitors started the second half brightly and within five minutes of the break Sam Dowridge converted a Zack Chislett cross from close-range to give Casuals the lead.
Just two minutes later Nathaniel Pinney teed up Ricardo Thompson who fired a rocket past Rob Tolfrey from the edge of the box to double the advantage.
With K's reeling, Casuals could and should have put the game beyond doubt. Pinney benefitted from some lax defending but fired over when bearing down in front of goal and Dowridge went past Tolfrey but couldn’t convert with the goal gaping.
While Knight's men were by no means firing on all cylinders, Casuals had goalkeeper Callum Coulter to thank for maintaining the two-goal margin. Coulter first got down superbly to save from Dudley at a corner, before pushing a sweetly struck Sean Bonnett-Johnson effort wide of the post.
At the other end, Casuals retained a threat, with the lively Dowridge twice going close. First, he blazed over on the counter, before forcing a smart save from Tolfrey at the near post.
At the other end Skura and Owens found themselves in increasingly advanced positions as K’s sought to reduce the deficit, but Owens couldn’t find a finishing touch after the ball flew around the visitors’ box in a frantic finale.
Three minutes from time, Boachie, K’s best performer on the day, gave K’s hope, when he snuck in front of his man to convert a lowly struck McClean cross at the near post.
With five minutes of added time to find an equaliser K’s threw caution to the wind with Tolfrey joining the attack at one set-piece but it was to no avail as Casuals dug in to see K's fall to a deserved defeat.
Kingstonian: Rob Tolfrey, Michael Abnett, Chevron McLean, Declan Skura, Danny Dudley, Tyrese Owen, Jacob Bancroft, Sean Bonnett-Johnson, Great Evans, Joe Boachie, Joshua Ogunseye.
Subs: Kwesi Ntim (for Great Evans, 67m), Lee Lewis (for Joshua Ogunseye, 58m), Dwight Pascal (for Michael Abnett, HT), Iker Noguera Leon, Jake Eales.
Corinthian-Casuals: Callum Coulter, Zac Chislett, Joseph Halsey, Ricardo Thompson, Trey Masikini, Simba Kudyiwa, Sam Dowridge, Tom Jackson, Jack Mead, Luke Stokoe, Malakai Hyman.
Subs: Nathaniel Pinney (for Jack Mead, HT), Lewis Croal (for Trey Masikini, 75m), Kraig McLeod.
Goal scorers: Sam Dowridge (50m, 0-1), Ricardo Thompson (52m, 0-2), Joe Boachie (88m, 1-2)
Attendance: 336
