Academy Bulletin | U18s move closer to title

Upcoming Fixtures – Week commencing 8th April 2024

Monday 8th April
14:00: Welling United U19 v Woking U19; National League Alliance – Academy South
Eltham Goals, Eltham Palace Road

Wednesday 10th April
12:00: Bromley U17 v Woking U17; National League Alliance – Division E
Bromley FC, Hayes Lane
12:00: Woking U19 v Maidstone United U19; National League Alliance – Academy South
Westfield FC, Woking Park

Thursday 11th April
19:30: Woking U23 v Cobham U23; Suburban Football League – Premier Division
Knaphill FC, Redding Way

Monday 15th April
19:45: Camberley Town U18 v Woking U18; Isthmian Football League – Youth West Division
Krooner Park, Camberley

For up-to-date information on fixtures refer to the Woking Football Club Academy twitter page.

Match Reports – Week commencing 1st April

Wednesday 3rd April
Woking U19 2 - 2 Eastleigh U19

National League Alliance – Academy South; Woking College, Rydens Way
A notable comeback from 0 – 2 down against a strong Eastleigh team who are second in the league, especially as the under 19s had lost their previous game 0 - 6.
Woking started well, and were very much in the game, before Eastleigh took the lead on 33 minutes. Lewis Williams receiving the ball back from a neat one-two, before hitting a firm drive in to the far corner.
Harry Newbould came close to equalising, putting a good shot just wide, but Eastleigh made it two within five minutes. Liam Webber heading home when given a bit too much space from a corner.
Woking responded well, Jamie Hilton winning the ball and forcing a good save with his shot from outside the area. And on 40 minutes they were back in the game, Eastleigh failed to decisively clear a corner, Ethan Gold’s fine pass picked out Kjay Bailey, and he hit the ball across Dylan John, the officials unmoved by Eastleigh’s appeals for offside.
Half-time: Woking 1 - 2 Eastleigh
Alex Rihoy had had treatment for a knock to his ankle shortly before half-time and was replaced by Ollie Mason for the second-half. Woking withstood strong Eastleigh pressure, and it was midway through the half before they had sustained pressure on their opponent’s goal.
Newbould, Mason and Lui Edwards were all involved in half-chances as Woking sought the equaliser. The goal came through Aiden Payne-James on 71 minutes. Ollie Mason played Aiden in, with Archie Gallagher just unable to intercept the pass, and the finish was a clean hit past John.
Both sides sought a winner, and there were further promising attacks, although nothing came of them. Gold made a fine goal-saving challenge on Ollie Erdinc before he could get his shot away, whilst Charlie Robertson’s rocket misfired, with his shot going wide.
Aidy Silverstein replaced Harry Newbould, who looked to have an uncomfortable groin injury, with Gold moving into midfield.
There was time for a rather unsightly gathering of players pushing one another and holding each other back, with Malachi Dotse and Ollie Mason booked for their troubles, but all was friendly enough at the final whistle. A well fought game, and a well-earned draw for Woking, who battled through when Eastleigh had the upper hand.
Woking: Harry White, Charlie Robertson, Harrison Stevens, Ethan Gold (c), Jayden Wynter; Jamie Hilton, Kjay Bailey, Harry Newbould (Aidy Silverstein 87), Alex Rihoy (Ollie Mason 46), Aiden Payne-James, Lui Edwards. Unused subs: Lewis Myrtollari, Jayden Langford, Keion Vassell.
Goals: Bailey 40, Payne-James 71.
Eastleigh: Dylan John, Liam Webber (c) (Ethan Quarchioni 57), Archie Gallagher, Ieuan Turner, Ethan Gee; Bailey Honeysett, Malachi Dotse, Nathan Rogers (Ollie Erdinc 53); Lewis Williams, Reggie Hodan (Ryan Chavez-Munoz 63), Leo Downing. Unused subs: Josh Stream, Fin Du Port.
Goals: Williams 33, Webber 37.

Marlow U23 1 – 1 Woking U23, Marlow won 4 – 2 on penalties
Suburban League Cup Plate, Quarter – Final; Alfred Davis Memorial Ground, Oak Tree Road

Woking were placed in this competition for eight of the teams knocked out in the first round of the League Cup, having lost 11 – 10 on penalties to Flackwell Heath.
The Cards took the lead through Keion Vassell in the 57th minute, but Marlow drew level when Adam Belahcene won a penalty on 63 minutes, substitute Thomas Craft scoring from the spot.
Marlow then won 4 – 2 on penalties, Billy Hunt making it 4 – 2, before Yaw Wollie made the final, and decisive, save from Harvey Brook.
Marlow: Yaw Wollie, Cole Gough (Brighton Morrison 62), Louis Jack, Billy Hunt, Luke Mantle (c), Zack Rogers (Tayfun Sen 50), Alex Dimmock, Oliver Goff (Joshua Harris 60), Kane Hughes, Stanley Woodley (Thomas Craft 60), Adam Belahcene (Daniel Wajid 80).
Goal: Craft 63 (pen).
Woking: Bob Honey, Alvaro Picon, George Elston, Tom Gardner, Charlie Sweeney; Chris McCormick, Keion Vassell (Saadiq Bangura-Kerr 75), Henry McDonald (Fynn Lawrence 60), Lewis Myrtollari (Harvey Brook 55), Ben Mitchell, Matt Farrelly (Jayden Langford 60). Unused Sub: Mikey Verga (GK).
Goal: Vassell 57.
Referee: Neil Rolland.

Thursday 4th April
Woking U18 4 – 1 Beaconsfield Town U18; Isthmian Football League – Youth West Division
Knaphill FC, Redding Way

Woking came from behind to go four points clear at the top of the table, to put pressure on Camberley Town ahead of their game against Bedfont Sports on Thursday (11th April).
On another wet evening, with thunder rumbling, and after half-chances for both sides, Woking looked to be getting into their passing rhythm when they fell behind to a somewhat preventable goal. On 22 minutes Rasharn McDonald-Baptiste found himself with time to turn and shoot from the edge of the area, and saw his effort beat the dive of Mikey Verga and nestle in the bottom corner.
It took Woking just five minutes to even the scores. Stanley Kyle hitting a screamer from outside the box into the top corner. Unfortunately, Tom Dryer was forced off at this point with the ankle injury he had received when he was kicked by Will Smith earlier in the game, but the introduction of Harvey Brook was certainly not going to make the defenders’ evenings any easier.
Woking were getting on top, and on 35 minutes Brook did well to get on the end of a good passing move, but saw his shot go wide. Two minutes later JJ Young put Woking ahead, hitting an unstoppable drive from just inside the area, to finish off more good team play.
Woking continued in the ascendency, without creating any more clear chances, and were able to defend effectively enough when required.

Half-time: Woking 2 – 1 Beaconsfield Town

Woking started the second-half brightly with Brook particularly troubling the Town defence, and the Cards forced Leighton Rudd to make two superb saves, including one off the line, to stop his team from falling further behind.
Woking were playing well, largely in the Beaconsfield half, and creating half-chances, whilst still defending well when called upon, the ‘offside trap’ proving a useful tool.
A fine passing move gave Woking a two-goal cushion on 71 minutes. Lucas Boxall applying the finish, tapping home JJ Young’s pass across the six-yard box. Woking were now able to make changes, both to personnel and positions, without disrupting their control of the game. The most welcome being a return to competitive action for Ellis Byrne, having been out with the broken fibula he suffered in January.
And it was Byrne, tackling back from his unfamiliar forward role, that set Woking on their way to a fourth goal. Tommy Seale picked up the ball from Byrne’s challenge, and his through ball put in Boxall to fire in to the corner. A fine team goal to complete the scoring for the evening.
The game now became rather open, with both sides coming close to adding to the scoreline. Verga maintaining his concentration to make a good save from a Maks Jarzabek drive, and Ben Smith clearing off the line when Verga was beaten. Louis Pask and Byrne had chances at the other end, but the game was to finish 4 – 1.
So, pressure on Camberley, who, due to Woking’s much greater goal difference, need to defeat Bedfont on Thursday to take the season to a final game decider at Camberley on Monday 15th April.

Woking: Mikey Verga, Louie Pask, Ben Smith, Aidy Silverstein, James Orton; Tommy Seale, Tom Dryer (Harvey Brook 28), Lucas Boxall, JJ Young, Sam Brittain (Alvaro Picon 71), Stanley Kyle (c) (Ellis Byrne 79). Unused subs: Harry White (GK), Harrison Stevens.
Goals: Kyle 28, Young 37, Boxall 71, 80.
Beaconsfield: Leighton Rudd, Bisrat Yilma, Louie Stowell, Monty Money, John Manga; Reece Kendall, Elias Grant, Will Smith (Maks Jarzabek 46); Rasharn McDonald-Baptiste, Jamil Yusuf, Stanley Geraghty. Unused sub: Tommy Dymott (GK).
Goal: McDonald-Baptiste 22.
Referee: Benjamin Frape.

Friday 5th April
Boreham Wood U19 1 – 2 Woking U19; National League Alliance – Academy South
Boreham Wood FC, Meadow Park, Broughinge Road

A second game in three days for the under 19s, and a result to have them thinking about how high up the league they may be able to finish. Woking rotated the squad with the number of games, injuries and responsibilities to the clubs of dual-registered players catching up with them to some extent. A real positive being Ellis Byrne playing the full game back in his familiar midfield role.
Woking again started brightly, an area in which they have improved, and fought well to gain the upper hand in what was a rather scrappy game in windy conditions. Byrne unlucky to hit the bar with a drive from the edge of the area.
Boreham Wood were very much in the game, and Sebastian Malakai was very close to giving them the lead on 27 minutes, but his shot went narrowly wide.
With Harrison Stevens reading the game well from centre-back, alongside Aidy Silverstein, Woking had a firm foundation, and nearly took the lead on the cusp of half-time. Jayden Wynter did really well to get his cross in, and Jamie Hilton was disappointed to see his side-foot effort from eight yards lift over the bar.

Half-time: Boreham Wood 0 – 0 Woking

Woking also had the better of the second-half, getting into the rhythm of their passing game, and putting their opponents on the back foot, but something special was required to break the deadlock.
The moment was set when Wynter won a free-kick on 67 minutes. Stanley Kyle, scoring superb strikes on consecutive days, hit the ball from 25 yards into the top corner, past Kai Cullum’s despairing drive.
It looked as if it would be plain sailing for Woking from there, but Wood responded well, and within five minutes they had an equaliser. Woking were undone by a ball in behind them, Jonnie Lilley played in Felipe Miguel and his shot across Harry White was just strong enough to go in off of the ‘keeper’s outstretched hand.
Woking responded to this somewhat surprising set-back with the introduction of Bradley Murphy, and ten minutes later Murphy had the winner. Sam Brittain won the ball and Kyle played in Murphy to finish with a great shot across Cullum. A fine finish to a really good move.
Understandably Woking tired, and Byrne did well to persevere through his cramp, and the Cards did well to see out the game through six minutes of added time. A well-earned weekend of rest to prepare to go again on Monday (and Wednesday).

Boreham Wood: Kai Cullum, Adam Morley, Adam Bsikri, Miller Arm, Jonnie Lilley; Daniel Isacc (Hayden Barnes-O'Toole 64), Sebastian Malakai, Pt Djo Ndala; James Kosky, Felipe Miguel, Oleksandr Martyniuk.
Goal: Miguel 71.
Woking: Harry White, Charlie Robertson, Harrison Stevens, Aidy Silverstein, Jayden Wynter; Jamie Hilton (Ollie Mason 64), Jayden Langford, Ellis Byrne, Stanley Kyle, Keion Vassell (Sam Brittain 53), Ben Mitchell (c) (Bradley Murphy 71).
Goals: Kyle 67, Murphy 80.

Loan (Dual Registered Players) watch:
Saturday 6th April
Aiden Payne-James. Forward, 2nd year – Sevenoaks Town: Did not play in 5 – 0 defeat at Merstham.
Owen Crawford, Goalkeeper, 3rd year – Camberley Town: No fixture.
Ollie Mason, Centre Midfield, 2nd year – Ascot United: Played full game and scored in 2 – 3 home defeat to Raynes Park Vale.
Lui Edwards, Forward, 3rd year – Sandhurst Town: A substitute in the 1 – 2 home defeat to AFC Croydon Athletic.
Harry White, Goalkeeper, 1st year – Sandhurst Town: Did not play in the 1 – 2 home defeat to AFC Croydon Athletic.
Jamie Hilton, Centre Midfield, 3rd year - Guildford City: Played 85 minutes in 0 – 2 home defeat to Tooting & Mitcham.
Ben Mitchell, Forward, 2nd year - Guildford City: Played first half in 0 – 2 home defeat to Tooting & Mitcham.
Keiondre Ellis-Vassell, Forward, 2nd year – Guildford City: Did not play in 0 – 2 home defeat to Tooting & Mitcham.
Bob Honey, Goalkeeper, 1st year – Spelthorne Sports: Played in 1 – 4 home defeat to Fleet Town.