Hythe Halted By Late Casuals Equaliser

A deft equaliser in the 88th minute saw Corinthian-Casuals’ midfield maestro Mu Maan grab his third goal in three games and earn his side a replay at Hythe Town in the Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. That’s the only description I can use to report the possession in the first half as Casuals and Hythe mostly shared the ball equally, with only a few chances for either side. Despite the equal possession, it was the visitors who seemed to use their share for the better as Danny Bracken and his back four were busy in keeping the blue shirts of Hythe from scoring. An explosive counter attack was the highlight for Hythe as Bracken stretched to palm the ball away following a powerful effort. The conditions in Tolworth were far from ideal as the wind disrupted set-pieces and long kicks, perhaps prompting tactical changes from both sides. It was only half-chances for the hosts, who seemed to possess an initial burst of energy and potential before being halted in their tracks by Hythe, or making the wrong decision. At half-time, neither team had made an overwhelming impact- it was 0-0. Coskun Eskim would make his first appearance of the season as the midfield regular from the previous campaign returned at the break, taking the place of the cautioned Tommy Smith in defence. As the second 45 started, the Casuals contingent hoped that significant improvements had been made at the break, but there was no sign of anything notably different until the 59th minute… where Hythe took the lead. A goal that was irritating to concede, yet also unfortunate, no.5 Mitchell Dickinson leaped into the air alongside Casuals’ keeper Danny Bracken, but the blue shirt prevailed over the no.1 as the ball bounced into the empty net. Celebration for Hythe, confusion for Casuals. Bracken picked himself up and saved Casuals from going 2-0 down moments later as the keeper valiantly palmed an accurate shot away from goal. For the next twenty minutes, it would prove to be a game of half-chances and scrappy play. However, as time went by, Corinthians gained more confidence and had most of the chances in the final ten minutes. Then, in the 88th minute, the pink & brown army struck gold. Dos Santos was located on the edge of the area when he was shoved to the ground by a blue shirt, but play continued as the no.10 looked for options. Masterfully tricking Hythe’s Sam Adams, Dos Santos passed the ball to Mu Maan whilst looking into the other direction- buying time for the midfielder with possession. Maan left Dickenson for dead as he turned past him before unleashing a piledriver into the goalkeeper’s bottom left corner. The man of the moment reeled away in celebration as manager Bracken put a fist into the air in jubilation and relief. Another late goal from Mu Maan had saved Casuals. With a few minutes left to play, Corinth attempted to grab a winner, but time was against them as the referee blew for full-time at King George’s Arena. Hythe’s 59th minute opener was cancelled out by a cool finish from Mr. Mu Maan. The draw meant that a replay was in order, and Hythe Town would host the deciding fixture at the Reachfields Stadium on the following Tuesday evening. Would James Bracken’s pink and brown army be able to progress to the next round of the Emirates FA Cup at the second time of trying?

Photo credit: Stuart Tree

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