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| Woking 2 Northwich Victoria 3: 23rd February 2008 Scorers After a disappointing 3-0 defeat at Farsley Celtic, Frank Gray made changes bringing in Gindre, Gasson, Quamina, Lambu and Sole and dropping Batt back to right back for a much more attacking line up. Which didn't really work. Gray said after the game that he thought we were pulled all over the place and lost shape and I have to agree despite wanting a more attacking look. The first thirty minutes really was a non-event bar one real chance for each team. Do you want to know another thing that doesn't really work? Zonal marking. I've never been a fan but listening on the radio to the last couple of games it seems to be a problem. This was confirmed after six minutes. With everyone marking space in the area Northwich played it short and suddenly man of the match Michael Welch was meeting a long looping cross that should have been perfect for defenders. He made no mistake and found the top corner, giving Gindre no chance. The Vics looked geed up by the goal where as the Cards seemed void of any confidence and the visitors controlled the match without creating any chances. After fifteen minutes it became more of a scrappy affair but still, opportunities were few and far between. On 23 minutes, Marvin ran at the defence and squared it in the area for Gez but he had to backtrack and he could only hit his shot into the keeper'. The Cards got back in the game in the 31st minute when Marv finally had a decision go his way, winning a free kick out wide on the edge of the box for shirt pulling (which actually looked rather doubtful). Gez duly stepped up to smash in a typically vicious free kick and Marv diverted it past Lewis Edge and into the back of the net. The half picked up after that and both teams had chances. Batt was nearly caught out right from the kick off and allowed Lee Steele to get in and finish only for it to be disallowed for a dubious handball. Woking broke almost immediately and the after a scramble in the area the ball fell to the ever dangerous Morgan who brilliantly took it down on his chest and tried to curl it in the far corner but put it just wide. A couple of Sole free kicks caused problems, one end up with Gasson lashing wildly over but it was the Vics who came closest to a second goal in the 41st minute. Danny Williams latched onto a ball down the right and turned the ball into the area where Steele evaded the defence only to have his low close range drive brilliantly stopped by Gindre. The flurry of action at the end of the first half was not continued after the break and other than a wild effort from Joel Byrom, an easily saved long range drive from Pattison and a tame header from Hutch following a Lambu cross all in the space of a four minute spell, chances were few and far between. On 64 minutes, Hutch was booked for a nasty challenge on the halfway line and Northwich made changes, making a double substitution on 66 minutes to add to another earlier in the half. It paid off. Moments after Marum had replaced Norville, substitute Michael Byrne volleyed a long-range effort just wide and then on 74 minutes a long throw caused havoc in the area. The ball was flicked on at the near post and fell kindly for Steele who rifled the ball into the bottom corner to make it 2-1. Frank changed things again and put on Gray for Pattison and suddenly the Cards spluttered into life. On 79 minutes, Bunce rifled in a long drive which was easily saved and on 81 minutes Liam broke through but Edge did well to come out of his goal and close him down and he deflected away his shot. A flurry of chances continued, Marum had a cross blocked by what appeared to be a hand and after he flung in the rebound Gez had a goalbound header saved. At the other end, Byrne hit a terrific low effort rebound off the post before the Cards broke and Gez volleyed wide. On 88 minutes, Hutch was ruing missing a header following a great cross from Gray but in the 89th minute, Woking struck thanks to an awful goal kick from keeper' Edge. Emergency striker Hutch and Marum managed to capitalise and the latter broke away before coolly tucking it over the onrushing keeper' to snatch what appeared to be a rather undeserved draw. Except it didn't because in the third minute of stoppage time the Cards conceded a free kick on the edge of the box when Batt fouled and Michael Welch stepped up to lash a humdinger of a piledriver into the corner of the net. Woking couldn't feel that aggrieved either as their performance was far from what it can be and the Vics scrapped for every ball where as the Cards seemed surprisingly flat. Marv had to win man of the match for actually looking dangerous but generally, the whole team was disappointing. Frank was, as usual, as honest as usual admitting how poor the performance was though I really wish he would stop this zonal marking nonsense as its clearly not working. Woking (4-4-2):
Gindre; Batt, Hutchinson, Gasson, Bunce; Lambu, Pattison (Gray 76), Quamina, Sole; Norville (Marum 72), Morgan.
Man of the Match: Marvin Morgan - just always a threat. Moment of the Match: Michael Welch's 93rd minute humdinger of a free kick. Attendance: 2,672. |
