Woking win again
6:59am, Wed 24th Mar 2010
WOKING 3 v HAMPTON & RICHMOND BOROUGH 1
23rd March 2010
ALAN WORTH
PINNEY SETTLES IT AS WOKING MAKE IT TWO WINS ON THE SPIN
It must be some time since Graham Baker has fielded both an unchanged team and unchanged subs for two consecutive matches. And playing some attractive football in difficult conditions his Woking side came up with three more goals, three more points and moved themselves into ninth place in the table.
On a greasy pitch with the rain falling throughout the first half, both sides might have been excused avoiding the passing game and taking a more direct route to goal. Once settled, however, Woking began to play some impressive passing football that left the visitors under constant pressure and providing little real goal threat themselves.
At the start it was Hampton’s diminutive striker Lawrence Yaku who caught the eye, skipping past Daniel Sintim to set up a cross that beat everyone as it flew across the goalmouth. But after five minutes Harry Arter’s shot, after a Thomas ball into the box had been punched away by Lovett, was deflected just past the Beavers’ post.
On 17 minutes Ross Worner had to get down quickly to hold a Dundas shot at the near post and again the big forward, a minute later, got away from Ricketts but his shot was well wide. But that was as good as it got in the first half for Hampton as Woking piled on the pressure. Sintim’s excellent ball into the box found Ademola with his back to goal. A quick turn followed but Moses’s shot flew over the bar. Craig Faulconbridge and Gez Sole then combined with a quick one-two but Gez was unable to get his shot away as he was surrounded by Hampton defenders. A flicked header from Faulconbridge then almost found Sole inside the box but again Hampton managed to scrape the ball away.
Woking were now playing some excellent one-touch football, maintaining possession and, with quality crosses raining in from both flanks, a first goal looked to be inevitable.
The opener finally arrived on 38 minutes and yet again it was Craig Faulconbridge who broke the deadlock, stooping to nod in Ricky Anane’s superb cross at the far post. Woking continued to create chances, with a Moses header over the bar from another great Sintim cross and a fine curling effort from Harry Arter. Woking fully deserved their lead at half-time.
HALF TIME – Woking 1 Hampton & Richmond 0
The Cards again started brightly enough in the second half, with Gez Sole’s inch perfect pass to Ademola dissecting the Hampton defence but Moses was unable to get his shot away. After six minutes of the second half Ademola had the ball in the net but was adjudged to be offside and was then subjected to further disappointment as referee Mr. Saliy booked the striker for playing on after the whistle.
On 52 minutes Harry Arter was taken off with what looked like a painful leg injury to be replaced by Charlie Moone (pictured). The Cards now moved to a five-man mid-field but, with Arter missing, Hampton gradually began to get back into the game. Beadle, on for Yaku, played in Hodges but Tom Hutchinson made a fine interception and averted the danger. Hodges again found himself in an excellent position after good work from Tarpey but Ross Worner was out of his goal quickly to smother the ball. Tarpey then followed up with a sharp turn and shot that was over the bar.
As Woking struggled to get back into the game and allay any fears of a Hampton equaliser the nerves suddenly disappeared. Moses’s quick feet made him space out on the left flank and his dangerous cross was met by Pinney, now on for Faulconbridge. The young striker controlled the ball but it was Charlie Moone who emerged from the scrabble of players to plant the ball into the net from close range. The relief was tangible but it only lasted for seven minutes.
Having created very little in front of goal, the visitors suddenly pulled a goal back. After some sloppy defending Ross parried a Hampton shot and substitute Yarnie was on hand to tap in from close range. Cue a nervous final ten minutes.
Gez almost settled things immediately with a fine run into the box only for his shot to be deflected away for a corner. But, finally, Nathaniel Pinney wrapped things up with a superb solo effort. He latched on to a long ball out of defence, beat defenders with his pace, cut in from the right, nodding the ball into the box, and nut-megged the advancing keeper to score Woking’s third and secure all three points.
A welcome second win, then, in four days with seven goals scored as Woking continue to reassert themselves. With the arrival of Craig Faulconbridge, three goals in three games, and renewed confidence in front of goal the Cards now appear to be back to something like the form that saw them in second place at the end of January.
MATCH DETAILS
SCORERS: Woking – Faulconbridge 38, Moone 75, Pinney 89
Hampton & Richmond – Yarnie 83
BOOKED: Woking – Sinclair 27, Ademola 51, Anane 57
Hampton & Richmond – Hodges 27
ATTENDANCE: 803
HALF-TIME: Woking 1 Hampton & Richmond 0
MOTM: Tony Sinclair
WOKING LINE-UP: Ross Worner, Daniel Sintim, Aswad Thomas, Mark Ricketts, Tom Hutchinson, Tony Sinclair, Ricky Anane (Jerome Maledon 79), Harry Arter (Charlie Moone 52), Craig Faulconbridge (Nathaniel Pinney 69), Moses Ademola, Giuseppe Sole
UNUSED SUBS: Billy Hussey, Nicky Nicolau
HAMPTON & RICHMOND BOROUGH LINE-UP: Lovett, Robinson, Matthews, Jeffrey, Inman (Kajor 72), Wells, Lake, Dundas (Yarnie 81), Hodges, Yaku (Beadle 55), Tarpey
UNUSED SUBS: Quashie, Roffey
REFEREE: O. Saliy
ASSISTANT REFEREES: L. Marshallsay, C. Evans