HAYES & Yeading United claimed the seventh annual Jimmy Hill and Geoff Harvey Memorial Tournament title at their first attempt on Sunday and host club Corinthian Casuals’ boss James Bracken was well pleased with what he saw from his side.
United boss Mickey Lewis’ new look side made the final after beating Casuals 3-1 on the Saturday and went on to beat Hampton & Richmond Borough 4-2 in Sunday’s final at King George’s Field.
But Bracken was able to reflect on the tournament with pride as Jamie Byatt and former Sutton United man Jerson Dos Santos scored the goals that gave Casuals a third place finish with a 2-0 win over Tonbridge Angels.
Back in the swing: Corinthian Casuals Jamie Byatt was on target against Hayes & Yeading United and Tonbridge Angels over the weekend
Angels lost in the Ryman Premier League play-offs last term and the Casuals chief saw plenty from his men to suggest they have learnt enough from last season’s Ryman Division One South campaign to maintain a successful play-off bid of their own this time around.
“Results from this are not the be-all and end-all, but obviously we want to win every game and that’s how we’ll always approach them, mostly because I don’t think I know any other way.
Back of the net: Former Sutton United man Jerson Dos Santos in action for Corinthian Casuals over the weekend. He scored against Tonbridge Angels on Sunday
“Against Tonbridge Angels, I thought the first half, we were excellent. We played some great football, got ourselves in charge of the game and put ourselves 2-0 up.
“Then we got through the second half with good control albeit a little conservatively with a few tired legs creeping in towards the end.
“It’s the first of the friendlies as well so I expect a lot of improvement over the coming weeks but I’m optimistic.
Calm before the storm: Niall Wright, left, in action before his head injury suffered against Hayes & Yeading United
“I know what we’ve got in our squad and I’m pleased with it.
“We’re never looking to go backwards so forwards for us is a play-off place. There’s a couple of teams who’ve come into our league with reportedly decent budgets.
“I’m told that they will be a threat, but it’s all to play for.”
Worrying times: Players look on as Corinthian Casuals' Niall Wright receives treatment for a serious head injury at King George's Field on Saturday
He added: “What we and the boys learned from last year is this isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon and in 62 or 63 games’ time, we’ll see where we end up.
“We’ll be ready for it. I don’t see any reason why we can’t make the play-offs as a minimum.”
Delay: Corinthian Casual Niall Wright's head injury caused a 45 minute delay at King George's Field on Saturday
Casuals will face Thamesmead Town in the FA Trophy preliminary round at King George’s Field on October 8.
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