For the second consecutive season, Greenwich Borough’s promotion hopes were ended with play-off disappointment at home to Corinthian-Casuals.
Last season’s match was a titanic encounter with the visitors edging home 4-3. This time around, Casuals cruised to a 3-0 victory..
Their pace up front, combined with some Greenwich defensive howlers ensured that it would be they who hosted Walton Casuals in the play-off decider.
Becka-Kah Dembele hit a free-kick wide of the near post for Greenwich before Mu Maan fired well wide for Casuals from thirty yards.
Some Dembele trickery gave him the chance to fire in a shot across the face of goal that the in-rushing strikers were unable to touch home.
Rian McLean tried his luck from fully forty yards and Gareth Williams parried upwards before catching.
Once more Dembele looked a threat when cutting in but he fired well over.
However, slightly against the run of play, Casuals went ahead. A long through ball sent Gabriel Odunaike away. Michael McEntegart came out quickly to block but as Odunaike chased back for the loose ball Callum McGeehan made a clumsy tackle and took the Casuals striker down. A penalty was awarded and Josh Uzun stepped up to send McEntegart the wrong way.
Another long ball brought about Casuals’ second goal. Jack Strange hit the ball long and Odunaike outpaced the Borough back line and slotted home.
Jack Barham pulled back to Sam Corne but his first time shot was saved superbly by Gareth Williams to keep Borough at bay.
Six minutes into the second half Casuals added a third. A sloppy back-pass from Danny Fitzsimons was read by Odunaike and again he gave McEntegart no chance with an accomplished finish.
Maan curled over from twenty yards before Greenwich won a series of corners as they tried to get back into the game. Fitzsimons flashed a shot wide when one was only half cleared.
They huffed and puffed but couldn’t blow Casuals’ house down. Omari Hibbert cut across goal but screwed his shot wide before Travis Gregory was unable to hit the target with a free kick.
When Williams saved a Gregory long shot, Borough knew it was not going to be their night and their misery was compounded in injury time when substitute Junior Aikhionbare was dismissed for a lunge on Warren Morgan.
Greenwich Borough: McEntegart, Paul, Carle (King-Elliott 59), McLean, Fitzsimons (Aikhionbare 81), McGeehan (Hibbert 46), Pritchard, Corne, Barham, Gregory, Dembele.
Subs not used: Dukali, Fuseini.
Corinthian Casuals: Williams, Walker, Morgan, Daly, Strange, Ekim, Odunaike (Smith 90+1), Maan (Byatt 90+2), Ottaway, Uzun (Brown 81), Antonio.
Subs not used: McAllister, Murray.
Referee: Marc Meeten
Assistants: Simon Cutler and Zoltan Konkoly
Attendance: 375
Greenwich Borough:
Goalscorers : None
Yellow cards: Barham, Gregory.
Red cards: Aikhionbare
Corinthian Casuals:
Goalscorers: Uzun Pen (22), Odunaike (36) and (51)
Yellow cards: Antonio, McLean.
Red cards: None
Greenwich Borough star player: Bradley Pritchard
Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.