BRAVES SEE OFF CASUALS DESPITE SECOND HALF COMEBACK

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Casuals took on long time rivals Braves on Ground Two on Saturday. The Braves franchise has moved home base once more &ndash; this time to new outfit Rivercity Football Club. The name may be different but the faces are the same.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And so was Casuals start to the game. Outplaying Braves early on a defensive mistake saw Rivercity&rsquo;s Mondi score a hugely lucky deflected goal on 12 minutes. Then to rub salt into the wound an agile save from stand in keeper Paul Maguire saw him stretchered from the field with a suspected broken wrist.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In a very unbravelike way, striker Big Colin tapped with ball in while the keeper lay in agony on the ground. Paolo di Canio would not have approved.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Steve Maguire took over in goal but couldn&rsquo;t cease the first half onslaught from Braves as they scored lucky goal after lucky goal while Russ Eades buried a header from a corner to take the Casuals into a 1-6 half time scoreline. A saved penalty from Andy Gilberd only helped to keep Braves in the ascendency.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The second half saw the Casuals regroup in a superb fashion and take the game to Braves. A howitzer from Andy Gilberd and a fine strike from Ivan Gomez saw a second half turn-around as the Casuals deservedly pulled the score back to 3-6.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">A Braves player was sent off for swearing at the ref as tempers frayed late on, but the Casuals couldn&rsquo;t make any more inroads. And at full time word came through that Paul Maguire was in a cast with a suspected broken arm &ndash; and if so could be out for some time.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The loss will be hard to take as the Casuals were not the worst team on the field. A matchup against a resurgent Athletic Weekenders next Saturday will test the Orange and Blacks with both Maguires and Brendan Haughian absent.

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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">However, a wounded Casual is a dangerous animal. Extremely dangerous.

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