Match Summary - Preston Casuals 4 - 9 MvF Rochdale Socials - 05.07.2025
Preston Casuals Suffer Defeat in what was a game of 2 halves!
Casuals experienced the proverbial "game of two halves" today, ultimately falling to a resounding 9-4 defeat against MvF Rochdale. A dominant first-half display saw Rochdale take a commanding 7 - 0 lead at half time, only for Casuals to come out in the second half with a new set up, a new motivation and despite an overall loss were much the better team in the second half.
The opening 45 minutes painted a picture of a vastly different contest. Rochdale, playing with fluidity made things very difficult for the Casuals. Their midfield dictated play, and their attacking was on full display. Goals flowed freely, with Rochdale finding the back of the net seven times through a combination of incisive passing, clinical finishing, and perhaps a touch of good fortune with a couple of goals. At half-time, the scoreline read 7 - 0 to Rochdale, and the mood in their camp was understandably buoyant, whereas heads had dropped in the Casuals camp, however with a bit of motivation and extra subs added to the mix, things improved..
The second half began with a completely transformed team emerging. Suddenly, the pace, intensity, and sheer desire belonged to Casuals. They pressed higher, tackled harder, and their attacking movements became devastatingly effective.
The Rochdale defence, which had looked so solid in the first half, was finally breached which gave the Casuals confidence as a team. However, Rochdale kept responding to the goals conceded by getting one back of their own. However towards the end, Casuals found an extra gear and took the second half by 4 - 2.
The final whistle confirmed the defeat for the casuals, with the scoreboard displaying a 9-4 victory for Rochdale. While the initial seven goals offered a half-time frustration for the casuals, the second-half performance will undoubtedly be the primary focus of their post-match analysis. It was a stark reminder that in football, a difficult first half is no guarantee that heads should drop, and that momentum, once gained, can be an incredibly confidence boosting motivator.
Casuals now look forward to returning the fixture against Rochdale on Sunday 9th September at 4:15pm.
#upthecasuals #proudtobeacasual
Match Summary - OKFC 8 - 2 Preston Casuals - 29.06.2025
Preston Casuals Suffer Defeat against out friends from OKFC, however the real winner was the Charity that the game was played in aid of!
Casuals recently played a friendly against OKFC, a fantastic group of lads, to raise funds for Acorns Primary School. This cause was particularly important to Knackers player Marc Siddall, whose daughter, Amelia, is moving on from the school. The match was a great way to thank the school for their support and raise much-needed funds.
The Casuals fielded a mix of new faces and regulars, showcasing a balanced squad with pace, power, and technical ability. OKFC also brought a good blend of regular players and those looking for game time. The match was highly entertaining, featuring superb passing, great goals, fabulous saves, and sensational defending.
The Casuals scored two well-worked goals and dug in for the full 90 minutes, creating several chances. However, the OKFC defence and the exceptional goalkeeping of James Barker kept them from scoring more.
It's always an honour to share the pitch with the OKFC lads. While one of our star performers was voted Man of the Match by OKFC, many players put in solid performances. This team is still relatively new, and we continue to improve as a unit with each game. It's early days, but we're consistently getting better. Up The Casuals!
Key performances included Ian for the Casuals, who was solid up front, holding the ball up brilliantly. For the Knackers, Wes and Marc caused havoc in their front line.
Match Summary - Preston Casuals 2 - 12 Blackpool Football Therapy - 31.05.2025
Preston Casuals Suffer their heaviest defeat by a dominant Blackpool side
Casuals endured a torrid afternoon today, suffering a crushing 12-2 defeat at the hands of a rampant Blackpool Football Therapy. From the opening whistle, it was clear that Blackpool had fielded an extremely strong team and this was too difficult for Casuals to overcome.
Casuals started well early on and for the first 15 - 20 minutes appeared to match Blackpool however after this point the tone was set and Blackpool wasted no time in asserting their dominance. Their fluid passing, incisive runs, and clinical finishing saw them race into an early lead, leaving Casuals's defence scrambling and the management scratching their heads on what to do next. Wave after wave of attacks crashed against a strong back line, but the goals flowed with alarming regularity. Blackpool's forwards seemed to be able to find space at will, exploiting gaps and converting chances with ruthless efficiency.
Casuals did manage to claw back two consolation goals, both of which were met with cheers of relief more than celebration from the Casuals bench. However, these brief moments of respite were quickly extinguished by further surges from Blackpool. The scoreline at the end of the game gave the casuals areas for development but was still a tough loss to take.
For Casuals, despite the result it was always fantastic to see the team unity at the end and how everyone came together to just demonstrate what the casuals is all about.
Blackpool showed their class at the end when their manager came over to the Casuals and spoke to them about the result and explained why they went with the team they did and further more to this gave a confidence boosting talk.
We look forward to the reverse fixture against them on Saturday 23rd August 2025 where Casuals will look to get a better result than the one from today.
#upthecasuals #proudtobeacasual
Match Summary - MvF St Helen's Socials 3 - 2 Preston Casuals - 25.05.2025
Preston Casuals Suffer Narrow Defeat in a very windy meeting on Merseyside against MvF St Helen's Socials
Match Summary - Preston Casuals 5 - 6 Cricket Guys - 12.04.2025
Preston Casuals Suffer Narrow Defeat in High-Scoring Thriller Against The Cricket Guys
In an exhilarating match filled with dramatic twists and turns, Preston Casuals were edged out by The Cricket Guys with a final score of 6-5. The game was a showcase of attacking prowess and defensive resilience from both sides, keeping fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.
The Cricket Guys dominated the early stages of the match, creating numerous scoring opportunities. However, it was Casuals who struck first with a goal by John, assisted by Dezza and Mickey. The Cricket Guys responded quickly, capitalising on their chances and taking a 3-1 lead into halftime.
The second half saw Casuals come out fighting. John scored his second goal, narrowing the gap to 3-2. The match then turned into an end-to-end goal fest, with both teams finding the back of the net in quick succession. The Cricket Guys extended their lead to 5-3, but Casuals responded with an Ash penalty, making it 5-4.
Despite Casuals' relentless efforts, The Cricket Guys managed to score their sixth goal, putting them in a commanding position. John's fourth goal of the match brought Casuals within one, but time ran out before they could find an equaliser.
Key Players and Future Matches
Despite the loss, Casuals' defenders Dan Seed and Chris Ashcroft delivered standout performances, making crucial tackles and interceptions. Goalkeepers Kyle and James also made vital saves to keep the scoreline from escalating further.
John's four-goal haul earned him the well-deserved man of the match accolade.
Next weekend, Casuals will participate in an 11-a-side in-house game before facing their cross-town rivals, OKFC, in a highly anticipated match.
#UpTheCasuals #ProudToBeACasual
Match Summary - AFC Bamber 9 - 5 Preston Casuals - 15.03.2025
Thriller at Parklands High School: Casuals Edged Out in 14-Goal Goal-Fest
With plenty of people in attendance to watch this clash of AFC Bamber v Preston Casuals, a show needed to be put and and they will not have been disappointed as they were treated to an absolute goal-fest on, as Casuals fell to AFC Bamber in a breathtaking 9-5 defeat that will certainly increase the confidence of the casuals. While the Casuals ultimately came up short, the sheer attacking spectacle on display had everyone excited from the first whistle to the last.
The game started at a frantic pace, with the players from both teams playing end to end, however it was the Casuals who took an early lead within the first 12 minutes through John Booth, who took a decent pass from Chris Ashcroft to score the Casuals first competitive goal away from MvF and In House games. Chris Alston then followed up with a second goal within 2 minutes to make it 2 - 0 to the casuals.
What followed was a flurry of goals from AFC Bamber, who scored 3 goals within a 10 minute period to take the score to 3 - 2 in their favour, this was followed by 2 more goals before the break to take it in 5 - 2 at Half Time.
With a great team talk from Graham and the contribution of others, Casuals went out revitalised and pushed for more goals and as with the first half, the second half did not disappoint. Firstly, Griff scored a superb goal from about 25 yards to reduce the deficit, however no sooner had the match kicked off did AFC Bamber make it 6 - 3, but Casuals kicked off and done an AFC Bamber of their own by going straight up to make it 6 - 4 through John Booth. Craig Newsham then got his name on the score sheet with a superb goal which all started from a short corner which was played back to him for him to curl it in from outside of the box. bringing the score to 6 - 5. Despite everyone fighting to the end, AFC Bamber scored 3 goals within the final 10 minutes to finish a 14 goal thriller and to end the game 9 - 5.
Despite the result, this is one of the best performances that has been seen in a while, the group chat afterwards had mentions of great play by Mike Coombes, Lee Coxon, Tony Holt & Paul Stokoe.
However with 2 goals to his name John Booth was deservedly named as Man of the Match for Casuals.
We go again in 4 weeks time with a home game against The Cricket Guys.
#UPTHECASUALS
Match Summary - Casuals Black 4 - 2 Casuals White - 01.03.2025
Blacks Triumph 4-2 in Thrilling Six-Goal Casual Match
A captivating performance from both teams resulted in an exciting match filled with attacking flair and dramatic moments. The six-goal thriller showcased exceptional attacking football that also challenged the defenders.
The match began with a frenetic pace, both sides eager to take control. The Blacks drew first blood with Ash Doughty's impressive strike from outside the box. The Whites responded strongly, equalising with Tom's excellent goal. The first half continued with a back and forth momentum, both teams creating opportunities. Despite a chance for the Whites to take the lead just before halftime, the 1-1 scoreline accurately reflected the first half's intensity.
The second half saw strong play from both teams. The Blacks once again took the lead with Ash D's second goal. True to their nature, the Whites never gave up, with Mike Denny's top-bins strike from 25 yards levelling the score. The fantastic atmosphere was topped off by two late goals for the Blacks one from John, and third for a hat-trick for Ash D, securing a 4-2 victory for the Blacks.
Casuals: The True Winners
The true winner of the match was the Casuals. Every player displayed great effort and embodied the spirit of the Casuals. The Casuals continue to grow and improve with every match.
Overall
Gratitude is extended to Graham Templeton for organising the fixtures and providing this opportunity. Thanks also to captains Lee Coxon and Ian Lewis for selecting balanced teams, managing pitch time and substitutions effectively, ensuring all team members received substantial game time.
Man of the Match from Blacks to Whites: Tony Holt
Man of the Match from Whites to Blacks: Ash Doughty
Match Summary - MvF Warrington Socials 4 - 0 Preston Casuals - 09.02.2025
Despite demonstrating excellent play throughout the game, the Casuals ultimately lost 4-0 to MvF Warrington Socials. Warrington took a 2-0 lead into halftime, capitalising on strong challenges and good play. During the first half, there were numerous opportunities that Casuals could have had to get on the score sheet, however it just wasn’t to be.
The Casuals emerged from halftime reinvigorated by a positive team talk and began the second half on the offensive. As a friendly game we like to keep the friendly aspect to this, however Warrington could have easily had a player sent off for stopping an attacking chance for the Casuals, however with so many numbers rushing back it was very difficult to determine if it was the last man who brought Mickey down, but the referee opted to award a free kick and carried on with 22 men on the pitch.
The Casuals were unable to capitalise on further opportunities, including Chris Ashcroft hitting the bar from an in swinging corner, Lee swinging at the ball when Warrington failed to control it but sent it very wide of the goal and both Mike and Tony having opportunities saved by the Goalkeeper.
Warrington scored two additional goals in the second half, with some element of luck involved. However, this does not detract from the quality of their game at times.
At Full-Time, the final team talk showed how much we have progressed as a team and are improving as each game comes, Graham described it as the best performance we have put on yet as a team and with 5 more fixtures planned over the coming months, it won’t be long before Casuals find their confidence in front of goal and do what we do every Tuesday and Sunday.
Will Brown was deservedly awarded the Man of the Match Award, however this was a very close contest with our selected captain for the game Dan Seed, who really stood tall at the back and made life difficult for Warrington and made some very good last ditch challenges.
#UptheCasuals
Match Summary - OKFC 9 - 0 Preston Casuals - 26.01.2025
So tonight 16 of us turned up at Penwortham Priory to face the fantastic OKFC, as the game began Ian Lewis managed it very well from the sidelines making subs as and when required, keeping the formation in line and ensuring players were placed where they needed to be......
The first 20 minutes saw the Casuals really dig in and keep the OKFC lads quiet and for periods were the better team out there, however the experience of OKFC came into play and with 2 goals from set pieces and 2 quick fire goals before the break the Casuals went in 4-0 down....
As the second half began once again the Casuals started well but as the experience of OKFC came into play they were creating some superb chances, and with some beautiful balls into the box Casuals were on the back foot and by the end of the game lost by 9 goals to nil.....
Are the lads disappointed?, are they pointing the finger?, have the lost their confidence?.....
That would be an Absolute NOT! The lads have left heads held up high knowing that in comparison to our last game we have made big steps forward, the team are coming together more and this was really demonstrated in a number of parts of the game....
We are gelling better as a team and the fitness and the game of a lot of the players really showed tonight....
Huge thanks to Old Knackers Football Club for being fantastic hosts as always...
Coming up we have 11 aside games against -
Warrington Socials (February)In house game (end of Feb or beginning of March date TBC)Man V Fat Boston Socials (March)Cricket Guys (April)
If there is any teams following us who would like a game then please drop us a line and we will see if we can arrange anything, if you already have and we haven't gotten back to you then please send us a quick reminder and we will get straight onto it....
But as always.....