Bowers & Pitsea 1 Corinthian Casuals 0

Isthmian League Premier, Tuesday 31st January

The Len Salmon Stadium was my venue on the final day of January 2023 and it saw an Anthony Papadopoulos header with twenty minutes to go hand Bowers & Pitsea a big three points against relegation rivals Corinthian Casuals in their Isthmian Premier contest.

This was what you could call a six pointer as both sides began the evening in the bottom four, Bowers were fourth bottom with three more points than their opponents who were one place behind, so both knew a win would certainly help their causes of getting out of those relegation spots that was for sure.

The home side knew a win could take themselves out of the bottom four, they were just one point off fifth bottom Wingate & Finchley and two behind Kingstonian, and depending on their results this midweek, a Bowers win could see them leapfrog both of those sides, and they came into this contest off the back of a very good win against Potters Bar Town at the weekend, their first win in any competition since Boxing Day and end a run of six winless games.

Causals themselves were on a run of four straight defeats, this after winning at Kingstonian at the start of the month, so they desperately needed to end this run and grab the points in this one as defeat could leave them further adrift of the safety line above them, which at kick off was four points, and with them having the second worst goal differences in the division, this was even more important for the visitors. 

These two did meet on the opening day of the season and saw Casuals cruise to a 4-1 win, but that was a rare high moment in the visitors season which has only seen them win four more times in the league, in fact they did not win their second game until November, which kind of tells you the season they are having so far, and like Casuals, Bowers struggled to get over that opening day loss themselves and have only four league wins to their name, although Saturday’s win certainly will give them a lift heading into this one.

A first half of few chances came and went, the hosts had the two best chances that did come in the opening forty-five minutes, thumping a long range effort against the cross bar, and then seeing a glancing header from close range go wide of the post, but it wasn't a half full of much quality although it was at least competitive and hard fought, as you would have expected.

The second half followed the same pattern too, the hosts edging the contest but always wary of a dangerous attack from the visitors, and on one such occasion Casuals number nine, Olusola Ayoola, blasted over when in a good position, but Bowers had introduced Funsho (Henry) Sinai and he immediately improved the hosts attacking prowess.

And he should have scored when a cross was mis headed by Emmanuel Oluwasemo but into the path of the dangerous attacker, but he could only fire straight at Callum Coulter, but he was to play a part in the only goal of the contest when after he was fouled the resultant free kick in by Harrison Carnegie saw Papadopoulos get his head to the ball whilst surrounded by a crowd of players and find the net for what was a huge goal.

Funsho (Henry) Sinai should have made the final few minutes comfortable for the hosts when he somehow side footed wide when he just had Coulter to beat, and they were nearly made to pay for not making more of their chances they had created when the visitors nearly headed themselves level in stoppage time, but saw the ball go just the wrong side of the post.

A big win for the home side then, that's back to back wins now and two clean sheets to boot, taking them up two places to 17th and out of the bottom four, two clear of Wingate & Finchley who now occupy that last relegation spot and six clear of Casuals who slip a place to second bottom and are now five points from safety after a fifth straight loss.

Full time Bowers & Pitsea 1 Corinthian Casuals 0