Ademola secures three points

The Cards found it somewhat hard going this afternoon against a resolute Worcester City, who were making their first-ever appearance at Kingfield. Following the, at times, creative, fluid and vibrant displays against Welling and Chelmsford, this was a much more low-key, somewhat dogged performance, with a headed goal from Moses Ademola, in the second-half, his first for the club, being enough to secure all three points for the Cards.

The only changes to the squad today were the inclusion of new signing Craig Watkins on the bench, together with Jerome Maledon, returning from injury, so the Cards started the game featuring the same eleven who began the previous game against Chelmsford.

The Cards nearly got off to another dreadful start courtesy of some slack marking, similar to the Welling game, but on this occasion Ross Worner spared the same defender’s blushes by coming to his aid and making two excellent blocks to prevent Worcester taking the lead. Much to everyone’s relief, the ball was eventually scrambled away.

Perhaps this acted as a wake-up call, because immediately, it was then the Cards’ turn to look dangerous, when Moses Ademola was just thwarted by the keeper’s finger tips, when trying to lift the ball over him, having been played in by Sam Sloma.

After these two early opening exchanges, the remainder of the half was a somewhat subdued affair, with the Cards failing to find any real rhythm in order to break down an obdurate Worcester defence, which was well marshalled at the back by the experienced Wayne Daniel. In fact, in the thirty-fifth minute, were it not for Ross Worner’s alertness in reading the position and coming off his line quickly, former Card, Rob Elvins, might have put the away team ahead, but the Cards’ keeper just beat him to the ball to clear his lines safely.

The closest the Cards came to breaking the deadlock was almost on the stroke of half-time, when Harry Arter from a good central position just inside the box, drove narrowly wide.

Half-time 0-0

Graham Baker made a tactical change at the beginning of the half, switching the wide men around, so Luke Medley, who’d barely got going in the first-half, swapped over to play on the left, with Sam Sloma operating down the right flank.

Despite this change, the Cards still struggled to work any meaningful openings, with the only real threats to Worcester’s goal coming from the head of Tommy Hutchinson, who was slightly unlucky to see a powerful effort go just over the bar in the fifty-sixth minute.

However, slowly but surely, the Cards began to find more room, urged on from midfield by Mark Ricketts, and their endeavour was finally rewarded in the sixty-second minute. Aswad Thomas managed to put over a high looping cross and, although, Mace, in the Worcester goal, looked favourite to claim it, somehow, Ademola, with an impressive leap, got there first to head home from almost point-blank range.

With Worcester forced to changed their tactics, although in truth they looked no more threatening, Graham Baker made a couple of substitutions, bringing on Sam-Yorke for Medley and Craig Watkins for Sole. In fact, both substitutes played a part in the closest the Cards came to stretching their lead, when, following good interplay between them, Sam-Yorke forced Mace into a good save from close range.

Despite a slight scare following a rather bizarre back-pass from Sam-Yorke from midway inside his own half, the Cards successfully managed to see out the rest of the game to record their first home win of the season.

It wasn’t pretty at times, and for large spells of the game the Cards struggled to get their passing game going. However, three points and a clean sheet isn’t to be sniffed at. Other positives today include an increasingly assured-looking Ross Worner, a solid defensive midfield performance from Mark Ricketts and a lively-looking and hard-working display from Moses Ademola in attack.

Woking: Worner, Anane, Thomas, Hutchinson, Sinclair, Medley (Sam- Yorke) Ricketts, Arter, Ademola, Sole (Watkins), Sloma
Unused Subs: Maledon, Moone and Sintim

Booked: Sam-Yorke

Worcester City: Mace, Ward, Wilding, Clyde, Daniel, Kemp, Walker, Adaggio, Elvins, Butler (Moses-Garvey), Dinsmore
Unused Subs: Heeley, Bridges, Fitzpatrick and Spencer.

Booked: Butler, Wilding

MOTM: Moses Ademola

Attendance 1120.