Molesey 1 Woking 3
Surrey Senior Cup
1st March 2016


A brace from John Goddard and a first Woking goal for Shaun Jeffers was enough, in the end, to see the Cards move into the semi finals of the County Cup.

On an increasingly cold and blustery evening and a poor playing surface Molesey worked extremely hard to make it a difficult night for their more illustrious visitors. As the game wore on and the temperature dropped so tempers became rather more frayed and the match became ever more scrappy and fractured.

Garry Hill started with Nick Hamman in goal and a back four of Jake Caprice, Captain Joey Jones, loan signing Joe Robinson and Chris Arthur. The midfield had Godfrey Poku and Matt Butcher in centre field with Alex Smith and John Goddard (pictured) out wide. A returning Shuan Jeffers partnered Joe Quigley up front.

In an uneventful first period the only goal threat came early on from Goddard. He cut in from the left and his drive from the left edge of the box came back of the post. The ball rebounded off Jeffers and again onto the post and away.

Early on Goddard looked the most likely source of goal opportunities as he regularly beat his marker. He combined well with Quigley to see another shot saved by the feet of keeper Allen.

At the other end Hamman was called into action when Stanislaus found himself with space and Jones caught up field. Robinson’s cover and Hamman’s quick reaction was enough to snuff out the danger.

Half-time: Molesey 0 Woking 0

Molesey, currently going well in the Ryman League Division One South, appeared happy to sit back, let Woking have the ball in midfield and attack on the counter. This, coupled with their often robust approach to defensive duties, had worked well for the first half. But after only six minutes of the second period the Cards were ahead.

A mix up at the back with Allen coming off his line to clear a looping ball into the box resulted in the ball headed away awkwardly to Goddard. The midfielder returned the ball with interest lobbing the ball from twenty-five yards over the keeper and into the net.

The lead was short lived. Goddard and Butcher’s poorly worked short corner routine found numbers of Woking players stranded up field as the Moles worked the ball forward quickly. The ball was eventually squared to an unmarked Samuels who volleyed the ball home from the edge of the box for the best goal of the night.

Inevitably the equaliser galvanised the hosts and their small but vociferous band of supporters. But as they pressed forward to capitalise on their goal so gaps began to appear at the back.

Jeffers found himself through on goal but his chip did not beat an advancing Allen. But the young forward was again involved as Elliott brought him down in the box. Goddard stepped up to convert the resulting penalty smashing the ball home, high into the net.

The final quarter of the game became ever more disjointed with substitutions, bookings, angry appeals from the home bench and frequent stops for free kicks.

In the final minutes of added time Jeffers added a third. Quigley charged down Allen’s attempted clearance and squared the ball for Jeffers to tap into an empty net.

A win will help a side currently low on confidence after four straight losses but the result was not as convincing as the score-line might suggest. Moseley, to their credit, never stopped battling and the Cards will be pleased to see the back of these particular Moles as they move into the last four of the competition.


Woking: Nick Hamman; Jake Caprice; Chris Arthur; Joey Jones (Andrew Mills 73); Joe Robinson; Godfrey Poku; Alex Smith (Bruno Andrade 73); Matt Butcher (Keiran Murtagh 65); Shaun Jeffers; Joe Quigley; John Goddard

Unused Substitutes: Giuseppe Sole; Luke Terry

Goals: Goddard 51, 68; Jeffers 90

Molesey: Liam Allen; Joe Pratley Jones (Ashby Charles 79); Luke Elliott; Craig Lewington; Ollie Robinson; Rob Sheridan; Tom Windsor (Dre Grobler 73); Ross Chalke; Reis Stanislaus; Charlie Samuels; James McShane

Unused Substitutes: Ato Okai; Axcel N’Goy

Goal: Samuels 54

My MOTM: John Goddard was, as so often this season, the Cards most potent goal threat.