Greenwich Borough (0) 0
Corinthian Casuals (2) 3 Uzun 23 Udonaike 36,52
Attendance: 375
Admission: £5 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 70/8,375
Fifty three weeks to the day, I saw Greenwich Borough 3 v 4 Corinthian Casual for one of the highlights of the 16-17 season. With the teams meeting each other at exactly the same stage of the Play Off competition. Could history repeat itself and give us a memorable occasion. Regrettably, the answer was a great fat NO!!...
Greenwich Borough 0 v 3 Corinthian Casuals -Isthmian Division 1 South Play Off Semi Final
Prog 40 pages (basically a photo album) £2.00 - Admission £10.00 - Att 375
...Though there was a reoccurring theme as the visitors won to set up a Clash of the Casuals on Saturday with their leisurely named counterparts from Walton on Thames.
Whereas the equivalent contest captivated throughout, for the majority of this it was standard Isthmian League fayre coupled with the obligatory 19.52 kick off with the teams emerging at 19.46 (after the officials had been standing at the approach of the tunnel for fully two minutes), then we had the necessary huddle and just when we looked as if we may get going, the two teams changed ends. The swooping Parakeets flying over the ground along with Reed of Sidcup voiced their obvious disapproval,
The only occasion when the hosts had the better of play was in the opening minutes as Dembele on two occasions located space on the right, with the second opportunity provided by an unselfish pass from Paul leading to a perfectly connected half volley which Williams in the Corinthian Casuals goal did extremely well to fly to his right and push away.
The pattern of play was dictated though by the visitors opener from one of those penalties when you seriously have to question the judgement of players. Decent long ball over the top from Maan set up Odunaike with a clear run on goal, McEntagart in the Greenwich goal did well to block but the ball was reclaimed momentarily by Odunaike turning away from goal. With no conceivable danger though and right on the edge of the area, Odunaike had his legs taken from under him and the man in black pointed instantaneously to the spot. Perfectly taken penalty by Ozun straight down the middle as McEntagart dived to his right.
After taking the lead, it was remarkably easy for the visitors to preserve as there was little in the way of a discernible response from Greenwich. The second goal ended the match as a contest as the home defence was once again caught out by a long ball from Maan over the top allowing Odunaike the simple task of placing a shot wide of the onrushing but hopelessly underprotected Greenwich keeper.
Their berth in the Play Off final was secured early in the second half with another goal that could easily have been avoided as a woefully short back pass from McLean was a wrapped up and delivered gift for Odunaike who once again placed his effort wide of McEntagart with ease,
The final forty minutes were an exercise for the visitors in playing down the minutes, Greenwich had plenty of possession but completely failed to utilise and all they created was a litany of halfish chances which were of little consequence. The sense of Greenwich frustration was borne out in the final minutes with an assault of a challenge from Aikhionbare which not surprisingly earned him an early trip to the dressing room. I am sure that the visitors will have a much more testing time in their final than what they encountered here.
Reasonable turn out of 395 but at least half had traversed the South Circular and what puzzles with the visitors was the large number of geezerish Sarf Lahndon accents accompanying the flags and banners. Great support but for a club rooted in the ethos of Public Schools and (sh)amateurism. Answers on a postcard.
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