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| Glenn Cockerill's get out of jail free cardWoking 2 Burton Albuon 2: 20 August 2005 The scoreline may say 2-2 but Burton outplayed the Cards for the best part of 80 minutes and it was two late, late goals that allowed them to get out of jail. I say outplayed but it wasn't even that hard to do because we were so woefully inept at times that they were handed the game on a plate. Both goals were more defensively shocking than well worked and although the visitors did have to put the ball in the net, it wasn't exactly a hard task to do, though having said that our strikers would have done the best to try and miss them. A harsh view maybe but you can't turn up for the big games such as Stevenage at home and expect to win the less attractive fixtures without the effort, which seemed strangely lacking today. On a high from Tuesday, the start was positive, the Cards looked reasonably threatening. One fantastic passing move went from the right to the left to Justin back heeling past two players and Evans setting up an in running Blackman who fired past the post. They looked in control and on top yet all was undone by a ridiculously simple goal from Albion. They got down the Woking left and Andy Todd set-up Jon Shaw in the area who had time to calmly take the ball down on his chest, have a cup of tea*, and place a well hit volley into the roof of the net while Macca and Karim were busy watching. From then on, the Cards looked lost, the back line was all over the place, the midfield misplacing passes and failing to provide adequate protection and although the front two battled away, the service they got was poor and they weren't on the ball when it was delivered. Frustration wore in, long balls seemed the only ammunition towards the Burton defence and it was too easy to counter. Lloyd Blackman flew in with a horrible lunge that deservedly won him up a yellow card. Matters got worse on 32 minutes, Shaun Harrad produced a pinpoint and brave header that finished up in the corner of the net. A Woking defender should have got their first, just as one should have stopped the header back in and the cross should have been closed down. It was well taken but too easy. Way too easy. At half time, the team didn't get much of a response from the fans for what was an appalling first half. Time for another inspired GC speech and although the Cards didn't come out all guns blazing there was an improvement - but then, that wasn't hard. Almost straight away Richards was set-up but could only hit it straight at the keeper' as he so often does, minutes later and Fergie broke through one-on-one and eased himself around the keeper'. The goal was gaping but his pass/shot rolled agonisingly between the post and Richards and nobody in the crowd or team could believe he had missed it including Fergie himself. The Cards kept battling, long shots were fired in - Reed went close with an excellent right-footed effort and Fergie almost broke clear again but couldn't get a shot away. The entrance of Craig McAllister has to go down as a brilliant substitution. He gave the team a different outlet, winning balls in the air, producing a linkman, capable of holding up the ball and putting others in. As well, as having a poacher's instinct, that came in very handy as Selley's 86th minute free kick was poorly hit and deflected into his path. He calmly side footed it into the top of the net and grabbed it straight out trying to get a second. Despite a better second half, we didn't deserve a point and a last minute equaliser especially as cruelly as it came. McAllister's flick through was handled but not deliberately at all and although the crowd and players gave a halfhearted appeal even they must have been surprised when the referee pointed to the spot. Selley did cut this one a little fine, cannoning it back off the post and into the net, but he still scored and that's all that matters and the Cards had rescued a last minute point. *may not be factually correct. Woking (4-4-2): Man of the match: Craig McAllister Attendance: 1,692 |
