Worthing v Corinthian Casuals - Match Thread

[Keithsson]

A tad early in the week I know but recovery from a particularly violent winter tummy bug has provided a bit of unexpected free time in an otherwise busy week. It also affords the early opportunity to point you in the direction of a TV programme involving our opponents tomorrow night. You may have seen it already but I know I haven't and by complete chance it's terrestrial premiere occurs just before our fixture...

Brothers in Football (ITV 11.05pm Thursday) - IMDB

That'll more than cover the history of Corinthian Casuals for me. Bringing it right up to date this is Casuals second season in the IPD since promotion, they finished 17th last season during which we beat them 2-0 at home and drew 1-1 in our final away game. 

This season they've fared even worse so far and currently sit rock bottom of the league with just seven points from fifteen games. Their first win didn't come until two weeks ago, a 3-1 victory at Stortford. After that they returned to business as usual with a defeat at Leatherhead but then took a hugely creditable 1-1 draw last week at Hornchurch. They may be bottom but they are fighting, and if they can give Hornchurch a scare with their home record they are more than capable of taking points from us too.      

IPD table - Link

Form wise they are 17th for home and away form over the last six games (so higher placed than the two teams we beat this week). They also sit 17th for away form, again pointing to the fact that they are picking up and playing better than their rock bottom league placing would suggest. 

We are 7th in the overall standings for current form, 6th for home form. That seems at odds with the general impression of our home performances but the stats don't lie and I guess we have saved our worst recent home performances for the cup games. 

IPD form (last 6 home and away) - Link (toggle through for respective home/away tables)

Saturday fixtures...  

Bishop's Stortford v Lewes
Cheshunt v Merstham
Margate v Potters Bar Town
Worthing v Corinthian-Casuals

This is a much reduced set of fixtures due to it being the next round of the FA Trophy. Consequently we can't drop any places and just a point will see us climb to 3rd. I would argue that a point against the bottom team, even with them showing a slight 'dead cat bounce' effect would be very disappointing. No if's, no but's, we need to be winning this game. 

Complacency will again be the killer for us here if we take anything for granted. They've got the Sudbury game off their shoulders with two wins on the road but that should not signal a green light to tinker with selection and/or drop our intensity again. The vast majority of our support only see the home performances and they've been patchy to say the least. It is fantastic that the highly dedicated fans who travel the region are rewarded with winning performances but, to put it bluntly, the bills are paid by the home crowd and a show needs to be put on for them too.

I know it's a bit ranty so if I am being unduly harsh please slap me back down but it has been a LONG time since the Lewes and Bognor games set the bar high for home performances. Brightlingsea Regent was getting back up there but for every one of those games we've had a H*rnchurch, a Leatherhead, a St Albans, an East Thurrock and a Sudbury. Given that two out of three of our highest gates for the season are already behind us an average gate of 883 is surely down on this time last season. That can only be down to these stuttering home performances and they need to stop. We can't/won't win every game, no-one expects that, if you lose to a better side or a 'worldie' having given everything you can accept it. Too often though it's due to failure to compete, a reduced intensity, a feeling of taking things for granted or in a couple of shocking cases outright white flag surrender. 

I've banged on long enough now, bottom line is we've got to be as 'bob on it' for the bottom team in the league as we would be for the top team.

To that end I hope and trust that Buddy wasn't involved at Bowers because he's being saved for Casuals. He simply doesn't do lack of intensity and it's infectious so fingers crossed for his name in the starting line up. Beyond that very little change from the winning sides this week should be a given. Lloyd played no part at Bowers after limping off at Wingate so may perhaps be out.

Go and put a smile on the face of the home support too lads.  

Come on you Rebels!         

[Keithsson]

[leatherboots]

Good programme on ITV on Thurs evening, Brothers in Football, charting the history of Corinthian Casuals. I would recommend it, it's on ITV hub, catch up.

[Keithsson]

Hinch on today's game - Club Site

[Keithsson]

2-0 up at half time. A Ricky blaster after good work by Reece was immediately doubled by Reece himself after a total dogs dinner was made by their defence of a long GK from Carl.

That error from Casuals aside we have created all the chances... most for us (we've hit the metalwork twice) but we've also created several chances for the opposition too.

This has been far less comfortable than the score suggests but if we can reduce the errors and keep up the tempo we should go on and put this to bed.

[Keithsson]

And that's how it ended.

3 points and up to third. A win is a win but it was hard work in the end.

Anyone happen to know why we swapped dugouts?

[jules]

My aspirations before were a minimum of 3 points and a clean sheet. Job done. Fairly routine win in the end and we should have had more against poor opposition. Re sitting in the wrong dug out, we also warmed up pre match at the 'wrong' end. Mind games from Adam, perhaps, making it feel like we are the away team in an effort to replicate the away form at home? Just guessing.

[wwrebel]

Fair assessment from Keithsson above that I agree with.
A welcome clean sheet and 3 wins in a week.
Regarding the change of dugout I believe it is so Adam can be nearer the half way line.

[Keithsson]

We'll see which theory is correct I guess if the dugout swap becomes permanent.

A final observation from me regarding the opposition. Having watched the documentary and seen what they are about and the struggles they endure as genuine amateurs, they were fantastic today.

They never gave up and were in the game right to the very end, their fans were far greater in number than the majority who come here too. I wish them the best of British and hope very much they manage to stay up.

[Keithsson]

...and that'll be that from me for a few days so the shop will need watching until after next weekend.

The door is of course always open but I'll leave a spare key under the welcome mat just in case. Oh and remember, no more than two Rocks fans at any one time unless accompanied by a responsible adult

[wwrebel]

youtu.be/NdBNRfS9rqk

Highlights

[Roger]

I have enormous respect and more than a little affection for the Casuals going back to the days they counted Jimmy Hill and my old County captain Doug Insole among their VP's. I think they are an inspiration to all of us and their community involvement is something we can only aspire to. They've clearly gained support - I'm used to seeing 3 men and a dog (literally but where was the dog) - and their supporters were vocal and friendly, a credit to the club. The only disappointment - they weren't wearing their famous and unmistakable kit.

In Danny Bracken they have one of the very best keepers at this level and he's always good for a chat and a joke with the fans behind the goal. And did they need him yesterday. I've never seen him have a poor game against us.

Nobody's mentioned it but how refreshing it was to see what I considered an excellent refereeing performance. Mr. Pike tried to keep the game flowing in what were testing conditions, trying to play advantage but bringing play back if none materialised and keeping the cards in his pocket unless absolutely necessary. I didn't see him get any major decision wrong.