Corinthian-Casuals Manager James Bracken was left puzzled after his side were knocked out of the Velocity Trophy on Tuesday Night.

Casuals were held to a 0-0 draw by the Bostik League South Central side with the visitors progressing to the next round following a 4-3 penalty shootout win.

It’s the second cup loss in three days following Corinth’s limp exit from the FA Trophy to Horsham at the weekend.

“I’m not quite sure how we’ve not won,” said Bracken after the match.

“Chipstead had six wins in a row coming into this game but we restricted them to one shot, off target in the whole ninety minutes.

“We’ve had 28 touches in their box, hit the post twice, the crossbar once and cleared off the line numerous times. Even the one that rebounded off the post onto the goalkeeper’s back… that didn’t go in. They lived a charmed life and it didn’t go our way.

“The main thing was to get a positive reaction after our loss at Horsham on Saturday. We certainly got that. In terms of controlling the game, there’s plenty of positives to take.”

The stalemate after 90 minutes was decided by penalty spot kicks. Mu Maan on his 100 competitive appearance for Casuals, and Warren Mfula missing to send Chipstead through to face AFC Hornchurch in the next round.

“Of course, when it goes to penalties, it’s a lottery and one we don’t seem to do very well in,” continued Bracken.

“But once it gets to that point, it’s a by-product for me. Don’t get me wrong; when your season ends on a penalty shoot-out, it’s different but pens in a cup competition, I’ll look at the performance first and foremost.

“Consistency is key now. The performance on Saturday at Horsham was nowhere near acceptable. I didn’t really need to tell them either. They knew.

“Tonight, they knew what they needed to do. They had to put in a more positive display which they did. It’s a shame it wasn’t capped with a win. Realistically, that deserved a 3-0 or 4-0 victory. That would have been a fair reflection on the chances we created alone.

Casuals will look to get back to winning ways on Saturday, but Bracken is aware of the tough ask as his side visits 3rd placed Dorking Wanderers in the League.

“We’ve got a little tough run coming up. Dorking Wanderers are the best side I’ve watched this season, so we’re aware of what we’re going into. But I also know that if we perform well, we can get those three points. We’ll go there to win and if we get it right, we will.”