Marist Casuals took on old foes Athletic Weekenders on a poignant day for the Athletic club with the passing of their former player Phil Douglas. The match was preceded by a minutes since impeccably observed by those in attendance.
The Casuals kicked aside sentiment when in the third minute a foray down the right from Cameron Dale saw a superbly teasing cross into the box which defender Tim Waite inadvertently directed past his keeper.
Unfortunately for the Casuals, and as has been the case for much of the season, the good work was rendered obsolete when they switched off and let Weekenders score at the back post after some incisive midfield running.
The desire for a positive attitude after the previous week’s meltdown against Thirsties bore fruit as the Casuals regrouped and got into their work again and midway through the first spell Steve Maguire sent Matt Roberts clear and his swerving drive gave the Weekenders custodian no chance whatsoever.
And it wasn’t long before The Casuals made it 3-1. Cameron Dale again fought and chased and beat the keeper after some persistent work.
Into the second half and with the benefit of a gentle early spring breeze and the famous Wembley slope the Casuals continued where they left off. That’s not to say Athletic didn’t have possession as the Kinnerley brothers continued to create problems in the midfield.
But it was Cameron Dale, in a powerhouse performance, who scored again on 70 minutes to make the game safe for the Casuals. He them spent the remaining 20 minutes clearing the waves of Weekenders attacks as the red men attempted to comeback into the game.
They scored a consolation when Ross Kinnerley scampered through some tired tackles and scored with a fine finish but it was too little too late as the Casuals took the points on an emotional day for the Athletic club.
“Phil would be laughing” a Weekender joked after the game “All that possession and you wasted it, he’d say!” But even Phil knew the value of bulging the old onion bag. And today it just happened to be Casuals day to do just that.
