Gilroy Hat-Trick Gives Cards Victory

Woking 5 Pakistan International XI 0
Pre-Season Friendly
1st August 2010

This unusual pre-season friendly brought a lively and imaginative crowd to Kingfield, the majority of which spurred a Pakistan XI on at every opportunity with screams and shouts every time they made their way near the Cards' penalty area, let alone went close to scoring a goal of any kind. However, Woking were far too strong for their opposition and stormed into a 3-0 lead after just fifteen minutes as Dave Gilroy (pictured) showed his prowess in front of goal with a well taken hat-trick. In a more end-to-end second half, a lively Moses Ademola added two more with a couple of excellently placed finishes.

The Cards started brightly, the returning Alan Inns, looking very comfortable alongside Joe McNerney in central defence, heading over an early corner before Moses Ademola got the better of Azza Anwar and set up Gilroy just inside the area, who sent a fierce drive past keeper’ Yousuf Butt and into the bottom corner of the net after just nine minutes. Two minutes later and Inns latched on to a loose ball before curling a sublime through ball into the path of Gilroy, who got their ahead of Butt before the two collided and referee Jarnail Singh pointed to the penalty spot. Gilroy stepped up himself and calmly slotted the ball into the corner to grab his second of the match.

Pakistan XI looked like they had pulled a goal back in the 13th minute when Adam Karim latched onto Naveed Arshad’s through ball and played the ball past Ross Worner and into the net but he was adjudged to have been offside. Bilal Butt blocked Craig Faulconbridge’s goalbound effort before Gilroy finished his quick-fire 15 minute hat-trick with a simple finish after Aswad Thomas had scampered down the left and clipped the ball into the penalty area. Moments later and Faulconbridge headed Sam Hurrell’s excellent cross wide of the target.

As the half continued Adam Karim headed a free-kick wide, Thomas saw a long-range strike from a free-kick deflected over and Gilroy headed wide from inside the area. Ademola had one of the better chances when he got in behind Shabir Khan after an excellent first touch off Thomas’s long ball to him, but he clipped the ball harmlessly wide from a good position. Pakistan XI had chances before the half-time whistle. Amjad Iqbal’s neat through ball set up Adam Karim but he was denied by a flying Worner before Adnan Ahmed struck a fierce effort over from outside the area.

Half-Time: Woking 3 Pakistan International XI 0

The second half was a quieter affair but there was still some enterprising attacking play from both sides and Graham Baker gradually changed his team around, bringing on Daniel Sintim, Ola Sogbanmu, Matt Pegler and triallists Toby Little and Daryn Hennessy as the half went on. Jerome Maledon had the only real chance of note at the beginning of the half, storming into the area in the 50th minute before striking a low shot wide of the target.

In the 65th minute, Joe McNerney went close to getting on the scoresheet twice in quick succession. First, his powerful strike from a tight angle was cleared away by Yousuf Butt and then his header from Ademola’s cross bounced agonisingly across the goal line before being cleared. Pakistan XI threatened to pull one back but the closest they came was to force Pegler into a good save when Aneel Azeem shot at goal after good work from Shabir Khan.

Woking added a fourth in the 80th minute, Hurrell playing Ademola through on goal and he eventually clipped the ball past the keeper. The visitors kept going, though, and somehow Naveed Arshad didn’t force the ball home from close range after a neat pass from Aneel Azeem, Pegler making an excellent fingertip save. Ademola finished the rout in the 89th minute when he won a loose ball with an excellent slide tackle before expertly curling the ball into the far corner after Gilroy’s initial attempt had been blocked by Amir Prem.


Woking: Ross Worner (Matt Pegler 73), Ricky Anane, Aswad Thomas (Toby Little* 45), Mark Ricketts (Jerome Maledon 34), Alan Inns (Daniel Sintim 53), Joe McNerney, Moses Ademola, Francis Quarm (Daryn Hennessy 63), Craig Faulconbridge (Ola Sogbanmu 67), Dave Gilroy, Sam Hurrell

Unused Sub: Andy Forbes

*Triallists in italics


Pakistan: Yousuf Butt, Bilal Butt, Shabir Khan, Amjad Iqbal, Atif Bashir, Yaqub Butt, Azza Anwar, Adnan Ahmed, Adam Karim, Naveed Arshad, Fraaz Ahmid

Subs: Amir Prem, Atif Afzal, Shani Qayum, Steve Collins, Ayaz Uddin, Kashif Siddiqi, Aneel Azeem


Attendance: 1201