METROPOLITAN POLICE 1-0 CORINTHIAN-CASUALS

A solitary Nicky Humphrey’s header just passed the quarter-hour mark made it eight games unbeaten for the Met Police against Corinthian-Casuals in an entertaining Ryman Division One South encounter at Imber Court on Tuesday night.

The game was littered with gilt-edged chances, perhaps aided by some sloppy defending, with impressive keeping from Casual’s goalkeeper Luke Naughton on show to always keep Casuals within touching distance from turning the game on its head.

Causals started the game in a 4-3-3 formation, with Jamal Carr and Kane Sergeant supporting lone striker Glenn Boosey in attack and tucking into midfield when not in possession.

This certainly allowed for a flowing match played in a high tempo throughout.

However, it was the hosts who were first to take advantage in what amazingly proved the only goal of the game.

On 16 minutes, a right wing free-kick 30 yards out was whipped into the visitors' box and the ball was met by a towering header from Humphrey’s to give the Police the lead.

Sergeant almost levelled proceedings after latching on to a knock down - rifling his crisp, left-footed shot just passed the post from the edge of the Police area.

Naughton then somehow saved Casuals from going two down just passed the half-hour mark, when striker Craig Watkins latched onto a low right wing cross and from two-yards out.

His shot was magnificently blocked by the hand of the Casuals number one and eventually scrambled away by his defenders.

The visitors' best chance came two minutes before the break with a swift counter-attack started by Tyrone Myton deep in his own half.

He brought the ball into the Met Police half and played a perfectly timed pass for Boosey, who successful rounded the keeper but couldn’t direct the ball passed the hosts' defender on the goalline, who was able to avert the ball from danger with his head.

Naughton continued to impress in the second half with two smart saves with his feet smothering Watkins further efforts, in what appeared to become a personal duel between goalkeeper and striker.

Even though Casuals always looked dangerous in attack, their killer instinct in the final third seemed to evade them just when needed most in the second period and failed to really test Will Packham in the home team’s goal.

Causals team: Luke Naughton, Jason Turley, Matt Kidson, Wayne Finnie, Byron Brown, Kane Sergeant, Scott Corbett, Tyrone Myton, Sam Robinson (Nicky Ogbanufe), Jamal Carr, Glenn Boosey (Carlon Murray-Price)

SUBS NOT USED: Metwali, Hennessey, Owusu-Bekoe