Comfortable for young Cards

Woking U18 4 Cobham U18 1
FA Youth Cup 1st Round Qualifying
21st September 2010



Woking Academy’s Under 18 side began their FA Youth Cup campaign at Kingfield with a comfortable win against local rivals Cobham.

Matt Howard’s young side included only two players who had featured last season at Charlton – George Frith and Conor Close – but the ‘new’ squad, once they had settled, were generally too strong for Cobham.

It took only six minutes for Woking to open their account and silence the vocal away support. After a quick throw and cross from the right, Adam Bicknell rose to head home unchallenged at the far post. And two minutes later the lead had been doubled. This time it was Jack Mazzone who was on hand to collect a knock down from his strike partner Bicknell and finish with a superb lob over keeper Whitby.

On ten minutes Cobham almost reduced the arrears as Hegarty’s vicious free kick from outside the box clattered against the Cards’ bar. But Woking had made the game safe on twenty four minutes with Mazzone volleying home after a great cross field ball from George Frith to Shane Cheeseman whose excellent cross had created havoc in the visitor’s box.

Half-time: Woking 3 Cobham 0

Within minutes of the restart Mazzone almost had a hat trick when his close range shot was turned away for a corner. It mattered not as on the hour Adam Bicknell headed home his second and Woking’s fourth – a free header from Tim Taylor’s excellent free kick.

Substitute Max Blackmore almost made it five when one on one with the Cobham keeper but his chip flew wide. And as the visitors tired Aaron Turner should have scored from close range after some slick, neat passing from the Academy side.

Cobham never gave up and captain Thomas Hegarty fired a warning shot on seventy-two minutes. His magnificent free kick from well outside the box was acrobatically pushed away by Jordan Kennedy diving to his right. A minute later Cobham did have their consolation goal as Ben May headed home a curling free kick with the Woking defence failing to challenge.

Further chances fell to Woking late on. Conor Close and man of the match Tim Taylor both had opportunities. But this young Cards’ side had done enough to run out convincing winners and now move on to the 2nd Qualifying Round at home against Burgess Hill Town.



Woking: Jordan Kennedy, Aaron Turner, Tim Taylor, Jon Coussens (Niall Wright 59), Josh Frost-Niven, Conor Close, Shane Cheeseman (Max Blackmore 59), George Frith (Ryan Alderman 46), Jack Mazzone, Adam Bicknell, Jordan Mukassa

Unused subs: Aaron McGuigan, Jake Hicks

Cobham: Whitby, Maslin, Petters, May, Thurgood, White, Shorter, Baker, Brannigan, Hegarty, Duckham

Subs: Budd, Ayres, Edge, Turk, Primett

My MOTM: Tim Taylor