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Same old story. Lots of nice passing play but no end product, apart from a cracking goal by Dan Summers after fine work on the left wing by Jordan Clarke. Casuals equalised midway through the second half and also hit the bar and post. Shooting must be a priority at practice this week, especially for Billy Marshall who missed a hat-trick of chances.
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Yes, we're going to get much the same coments as our recent games as again we retained posesion quite well, but failed to punish the oposition whilst in the ascendency. Despite missing Quarm and Alimi from our engine room I thought we were pretty solid in the midfield and managed to stretch their back four often enough. And, as stated above, we had ample chances to score more. Apart from the Marshall chances there were probably 2 or 3 other shots from inside the box which failed to test the keeper.
Perversely I'm still enjoying the season so far as by and large our football has been good to watch. I'm just waiting for us to click in front of goal and put someone to the sword.
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Fully agree with 59er. Nobody will be more disappointed than the squad after the effort they put in.
As Scoop Pigott still seems to be away:
Corinthian Casuals v Tooting & Mitcham
Saturday 20th September 2014
Referee: Mr C. Williams
Tooting came up against a Casuals side enjoying the heady heights of 2nd place in the table and including 4 ex Terrors seeking a solid 90 minute performance after frustratingly dropping points in recent games by conceding late goals.
And they heavily dominated possession during the first half, confidently moving the ball from wing to wing at the back before launching breaks down the flanks or through the middle using the dribbling skills of Newton, Clarke and TJ.
This saw the Casuals forwards Byatt and Wilson-Dennis forced to crab backwards and forwards across the pitch without hardly a touch of the ball and their midfield packed and solid where Hall was his usual authoritative self.
It was Tooting that created the first clear chances when a series of 3 consecutive short corners saw a shot deflected over and then a save by Bracken at his near post from Gordon.
Soon after Smith was forced to come out sharply to smother well at the feet of the dangerous Spencer after a Cheadle block tackle deflected in to his path.
During the first 30 minutes the game was patient overall control for us and quick breaks for them. But the deadlock was broken in the 29th min when TJ slid a ball in through the inside left channel where SUMMERS took it and twitched cleverly to leave two Casuals defenders on their backsides before swivelling to shoot low in to the opposite corner.
A really finely worked goal from our front man now restored to the side after concussion.
Half time 0 – 1
Casuals nearly equalised just minutes in to the 2nd half when Spencer picked up a half cleared header and drove a fierce shot on to the crossbar.
The Terrors then created their own chance when Marshall chipped forward centrally to Summers requiring Bracken to rush out and half clear with his head/shoulder. The next ball forward saw TJ clear but he was offside being now goalside of the keeper.
Clarke then dribbled from just outside his own box until he was finally stopped by a slide tackle in the box at the other end. A second goal was needed to put this game to bed.
And it looked as if TJ might provide it when supplied with the ball wide right by Summers. Three glorious, bamboozling step overs followed but the resulting shot went over the bar.
Somewhat oddly Casuals then took off Spencer but proved they could still be dangerous when Byatt put over the bar a sharp chance from a second consecutive corner.
And they did even better in the 65th min when Bettache skipped past a half challenge down the left and dribbled to the goaline. Twice it seemed certain he would cut the ball back for strikers in the middle but he ended up shooting low to the far corner.
Now the game opened up with both sides pressing for a winner. And Newton created the first of 3 good chances frustratingly spurned by Marshall who lifted his shot over the bar from inside the box.
The Zebra clad Terror faithful then watched in horror as a Casuals cross bounced of Cheadle, then Smith and then the post before returning to the arms of Smith.
At this point Pinnock and Wright replaced Clarke and Nkoma with Tooting still pushing hard for a winner and a valuable 3 points.
But it was Byatt who found himself free to head the ball from a deep cross by Hodges right to the heart of the Terror goal mouth. Thankfully his header was directed straight in to the arms of the grateful Smith.
Alimi now replaced Summers and Marshall pushed further forward.
And shortly afterwards it was Marshall who blazed over when it seemed almost easier to score (a phrase easy to trot out from our side of the touchline!) after Newton dribbled in to the box to shot and Pinnock recycled.
And to his evident frustration Marshall repeated the trick just before the end from what looked even closer after Pinnock had cut in from the left and pulled the ball back to him right in front of the goal. Surely he will score from there. Surely…… It was not to be.
Another game where the team did more than enough to pick up 3 points.
Solid in the back 4, well organised in midfield and numerous attacking options.
Three games earlier in the season saw a four goal tally. And very soon one of our opponents is going to suffer that same fate. It is coming.
Tooting & Mitcham
Paul Smith, Tom Jelly, Nathan Gordon, Harry Knock (Cap), Jordan Cheadle, Colin Hartburn, Jordan Clarke (Sol Pinnock), Bill Marshall, Dan Summers, (Bashiro Alimi) Howard Newton, Tinashe Nkoma (Laim Wright).
Subs not used: Harvey Cheadle, David Graves
Corinthiam Casuals
Danny Bracken, Niall Wright, Jordan Vidal, Lee Hall, Joe Hicks (Cap), Danny Dudley, Juevan Spencer, Mahrez Bettache, Jamie Byatt, Carl Wilson-Dennis, Dave Hodges.
Subs: Jason Turley, Danny Green, Mason Welch-Turner, Michael Fahm, Michael Salako.