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Matches between these two sides are rarely uneventful and this match had no shortage of incident and goal-scoring opportunities. Whyteleafe, seeking their first points of the season, dominated proceedings before and after the dismissal of a visiting defender but struggled to make the game safe and almost let the visitors back in at the end.
Michael Riley was busy in the opening minutes of the first half feeding some good crosses in to Ricardo Williams and Gary Tyson. Williams, looking more confident match by match was almost through on 8 minutes but an excellent tackle by Dale Hennessy snuffed out the chance.
Whyteleafe thought they had made the breakthrough on 13 minutes. A deep cross, this time from Alhajie Jabbie was met by the head of Williams who played the ball back across the goal for Sean Rivers to nod in. Unfortunately Rivers was judged to have been offside and the goal was disallowed.
Two minutes later, Rivers was on the receiving end of a vicious challenge by Casuals' defender Ryan Hughes and after discussing the incident with his assistants the referee showed Hughes a red card.
Whyteleafe maintained their pressure but played more of a considered passing game to stretch the remaining 10 visiting players.
Casuals' keeper, Colin Harris, was able to keep out a low Williams drive on 24 minutes and a minute later Jabbie had a good run and shot on goal but his effort was blocked. Casuals had the post to thank on 35 minutes when a through ball rebounded off one of a melee of players in the box and rebounded off the upright and out to safety.
Another bad Casuals challenge, this time on Smith, resulted in a free kick but this was wasted as Steve McNamara spooned it out of the ground on 38 minutes. The closing minutes was the half saw 'Leafe up the pressure on the visiting defence with a long range shot from Jabbie troubling Harris and an Adam Broomhead free-kick which whistled inches beyond the far post in injury time.
The long overdue breakthrough came just before the half-time whistle in rather fortuitous circumstances. A ball played into the box was handled by a Casuals defender and the referee didn't hesitate to award a penalty. McNamara stepped up and blasted the ball low past Harris to take the lead.
Whyteleafe maintained the pressure straight from the start of the second half. A terrific through ball from Williams should have let in Riley but his first touch let him down and the ball span through to Harris.
The second goal came on 58 minutes. Harris failed to make meaningful contact with a firm McNamara corner. Broomhead headed the ball back in from the back post and Rivers scored from close range to double the lead.
Several substitutions midway through the half may have loosened the grip that Whyteleafe had on the match and, rather out of the blue, on 76 minutes, David Tucky popped up for the visitors beating Broomhead and Tolfrey to the ball and made 2-1.
The remainder of the matched was tense. Although 'Leafe continued to enjoy the better of the chances, Corinthian-Casuals were beginning to look hungrier and won a couple of corners in the dying minutes of the match. But their endeavours came to nothing and the final whistle was met with a sigh of relief from the home supporters.
Whyteleafe: Tolfrey, Hudson, McNamara (Castrechino), Rile, Broomhead, Goodchild, Tyson (Barry), Smith (King), Rivers, Williams, Jabbie. Unused Sub: Lapierre.
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