Report

To say manager Iain McNaught was slightly disappointed with this result is an understatement: “For the third game in a row the Casuals did not get the reward their efforts warranted. In possibly the most one-sided game we’ve played in recent memory, we dominated proceedings almost start to finish, only to end up sharing the points with our hosts”.
Indeed the locals were indebted to a last gasp equaliser to earn a point.
The Casuals’ play was measured and precise for much of the first half but their impatience and frustration grew the longer it remained goalless.
Cundill, Findley and Hodgson went close before the break, while afterwards the Casuals’ continued dominance again went unrewarded. Findley went close from distance, while Hodgson and Cundill saw several good chances either saved or dragged wide.
Eventually, the locals’ frustration manifested itself into increasingly desperate (and sometimes reckless) challenges, which in turn allowed the hosts to gain a foothold in the game. And it was Haltemprice who took the lead direct from a corner when poor marking on the near post allowed the ball to sail in.
Stung, the Casuals continued to press forward. Campbell’s first touch let him down, allowing the keeper to save, while Dawson and Hodgson also went close before United at last gained their just desserts; ‘Biff’ McNaught celebrating his 650th Easington appearance by heading home powerfully from yet another corner.
Easington pressed for a winner. Findley again fired just off target; Hodgson was denied from a free-kick by a stunning save then hit the post with another effort. And the locals’ day was just about summed up when, following superb work on the right by Kris Akam, Green’s effort struck the inside of the square post and somehow rebounded out,.
At the other end, keeper Ben Akam was largely inactive until beaten by a speculative long range effort. 2-1 and suddenly it appeared the Casuals would get nothing from a game they had bossed.
In desperation they pushed more men on but still trailed as they entered “time-wasting time”. The extra seconds proved decisive as Campbell forced home the equaliser with almost the final kick of the game.
Afterwards, Maccer conceded that “in truth this felt like a loss” before complimenting his team on the overall quality of their football. He reserved special praise for his milestone-making brother, along with Darren Dawson, Jodi Stow and MoM Kris Akam on “his most effective game yet”.
Casuals: B Akam, J Stow (P Tomlinson, 80), I McNaught, D Campbell, L Green, K Akam (J Wray, 80), D. Dawson, A McNaught, M Findley, D Cundill (K Johansson, 70), K Hodgson