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| Woking 0 Whyteleafe 1: 26th March 2008 Scorers The Surrey Senior Cup, basically, for us, the reserves cup, the invaluable chance to give the youngsters and fringe players a run out. Except this year, there isn't really much of a reserves. The fringe players are the youngsters and there's not really enough of them to make a full team. You'd think we might have a good chance of winning it then? Well, no because now it's a bunch of players who aren't really there to impress and don't really care that much (in my opinion, anyway). They only just sneaked past Walton Casuals and while the performance against Sutton was a little more convincing, tonight they never looked like they really wanted to win and seemed to think they would, it was this complacency that proved their undoing in the end. It was a rubbish first half. Tedious, boring and although after a lively Whyteleafe start, Woking dominated possession they didn't really do anything with it. The only action worthy of any note in the first half an hour was a Sole cross which was almost turned goalward by Marum and long shots from Lambu and Sole, both of which looked more likely to hit the corner flag than the net. The best chance fell to the visitors when Steve Causon met Sam Clayton's corner at the back post and headed just wide. Finally, 38 minutes in, Woking created an actual opportunity. Batt burst forwards on the counter attack and found Sole in space who looked certain to score, one-on-one with the keeper' but he pulled his shot wide of the post. A couple of minutes before half time and Moses Spencer saw his header loop wide of Gindre's post though it never really looked like creeping in. The second half was a more entertaining affair and as time went on the Cards looked more like scoring, presumably because they didn't want to spend any more time on a bogged down pitch getting increasingly wet due to the constant rain. It was the visitors that had the better early chances though, Clayton forcing Gindre into a near post save on 49 minutes and Robbie Smith forcing him into another save moments later which he had trouble gathering. On 56 minutes, Joel Greaves forced Gindre into another save before Clayton hit an ambitious effort from outside the area, which the Card's keeper had to leap high to his right to keep out. Frank Gray brought on Morgan and Norville for Lambu and Marum and both livened things up. In the 66th minute, Batt had his long-range effort fumbled by the keeper and the Cards won a corner, which produced an almighty scramble. Ruby rose to head against the bar and he had a second attempt at it which was heading goalward before being blocked with Norville trying to kick it in before the keeper' finally gathered. On 71 minutes, Sole had a go from outside the area and it looked to be heading for the top corner but it skimmed the bar on the way over with possibly a helping flick from the keeper'. On 78 minutes, Whyteleafe had a great chance to take the lead when Alhajie Jabbie was put through but instead of running at goal he tried a ridiculously audacious lob over Gindre, which went miles over. The Cards were still strutting around like they would eventually score and Pattison had a swerving long range shot saved before substitute Sean Rivers had a similar attempt at the other end. Woking continued to create half chances. After Norville's blocked shot looped high in the air, Morgan hooked it goalwards from a tight angle but a combination of keeper' and post kept it out. With time running out Sole smashed a good chance high into the KRE before Morgan had a great opportunity to win it. He darted through on goal and managed to muscle off his marker but the keeper' managed to stop it with his feet to keep it out. At the end of three minutes of injury time, Woking pushed forward one step too far and the defence was all at sea when a ball forward found Clayton unmarked and through on goal. With Hutchinson in pursuit and Gindre off his line, he tucked the ball underneath the keeper' and although Hutch dived after it he could not prevent it going over the line. Thirty seconds later and the Cards were out. Oh dear. Congratulations Whyteleafe, who deserved their win and had a couple of decent players especially goalscorer Sam Clayton who always looked a threat. From the Cards point of view it was very poor, half-hearted performance and even though it was only the Surrey Senior Cup, it should have been better. Much, much better. On a slightly more positive note, I do like Jerome, another a good find from the youth academy. Woking (4-4-2):
Gindre; Batt, Ruby, Hutch, Gasson; Gray (Quamina 79), Maledon, Pattison, Lambu (Morgan 60); Marum (Norville 63), Sole.
Man of the Match: Sam Clayton Moment of the Match: Well, the goal. There wasn't a lot else. Attendance: 279. |
