Tooting and Mitcham United 0 Corinthian Casuals 0 – 29 July 2025 Report

Match Report

Goalless draws are an odd beast in football, just about the only sport in which they can come about. There is a tendency to look at a scoreless game and immediately draw the conclusion ‘that must have been a load of rubbish’. It is probably the case, more often than not – and I’ve seen enough of the turgid variety down the years to not bother arguing the fact. But it is also the case that there can be high quality, entertaining 0-0 draws (just as there can be mind-numbingly awful games which finish 2-2), and this was certainly one of those as both sides bobbed and weaved, and jabbed for their openings, like a couple of seasoned classical boxers looking for that one moment when the opening shows itself for a swiftly executed knockout blow.

That it didn’t arrive was not for the want of trying, and both managers will be pleased with their charges’ defensive showings, and for their respective goalkeepers who both made telling contributions at critical points to ensure both teams departed with a point on the board.

It was the visitors who edged the opening exchanges, though, and carved out the first sight of goal when Shea CascoeRogers was put through by a nice flick, but with the goal at his mercy, he shot wildly over the bar. Andre Coker had provided the flick, and it was he who plundered the next effort, only to fire tamely into the arms of Toby McKimm.

The Terrors began to assert themselves more as the game progressed, and on the stroke of half-time were unlucky when, after a mini game of head-tennis in the box, Conor Melody crashed his header against the bar.

The chess match continued in the second period, yet it was Casuals again who came closest to opening the scoring when a buccaneering run by right-back Zack Ejeta saw him take on and beat multiple home defenders, before Toby once again came to our rescue with a smart stop.

After another Casuals attack had been thwarted by the side-netting, the Terrors’ best chance of the evening was carved out by new signing Lewis Jackson, who played a neat little one-two in the middle of the park, ran onto the return and fired in a dangerous cross at pace which was headed just over the bar by the ever-eager Shay Brennan.

The major talking-point came in the last few minutes; Casuals pushed forward and forced a succession of corners, from the last of which a huge roar erupted at the visiting end of the ground when Coker wheeled away in triumph, having forced the ball over the line in a goalmouth scramble. His exuberance was short-lived though, as was that of his teammates, when he realised the referee was in consultation with his assistant – our own version of the VAR check. Thankfully, the assistant was on the ball, and spotted (as our picture clearly shows, right) that it was Coker’s hand which had applied the finishing touch to the move. The ‘goal’ was ruled out, which solicited much frustration and dissent from the Casuals (non) scorer – so much so that he was given his marching orders, and the visitors finished with ten men. There was scant time for Tooting to take advantage of the numerical advantage, though, with the final whistle being blown shortly after, and both of these south London rivals were off the mark in what each hope will be a successful campaign ahead.

Team Lineup