WOKING 3 GRAYS ATHLETIC 1
13 SEPTEMBER 2008
Woking finally got their stalled season under way with a decent 3-1 win over fellow strugglers Grays Athletic. I use the word ?decent? rather than ?good? as anyone who witnessed the first half will have seen the problems that are still all too evident with possession, passing and taking advantage of given opportunities.
Woking?s reasonably bright start to the first half was brought to a shuddering halt in the 9th minute, as Mark Molesley slammed home an opening goal for Grays after being given enough space to park a fleet of HGV?s, as he ran in towards Woking defence. Molesley could have scored again a couple of minutes later but for an athletic save from the excellent Pidgeley in goal.
The rest of the first half is best forgotten to be honest. Woking reverted to an ineffective ?hoof ball? with occasional classy touches from Lambu and Marum, whilst Grays huffed and puffed in the midfield but produced little threat up front.
Half-time: Woking 0 Grays Athletic 1
As appears to be the pattern this season, Woking seem to have two teams for each match and play one half as a passing, thoughtful and dangerous entity and the other half as a brigade of ?hoof it and hope? headless chickens. Luckily, we got the former team for the second half.
Domoraud equalised, from Bunce?s excellent cross, after just three minutes. After more pressure from Woking, Lorraine made it 2-1 to the Cards, on the hour mark, after his flying header connected beautifully with a nod back across the box from another fine corner from Bunce. Things were looking much better all over the park, with the defence neutralising Grays?s breakaway attacks and the midfield keeping the ball on the deck and passing it around.
For a while Grays stepped up the pressure themselves with a decent effort from Welsh, before Ledgister nailed their last hopes of getting an equaliser by despatching a beautifully-weighted shot 15 yards out from the goal, sending the KRE into raptures and the Grays bench into despair.
All in all, there was a lot to be pleased about from Woking?s performance in the second half. We just need to be more consistent across the whole 90 minutes and, with luck, this win should help boost both self-confidence and belief for next week?s tough fixture with Ebbsfleet.
Woking 3-5-2: Pidgeley, Lorraine, Hutchinson, Miles, Lambu (Konan 85), Sole, Quamina, Marum (Pattison 84), Bunce, Williams, (Ledgister 76), Domoraud
Subs not used: Worner, Sam-Yorke
Grays 4-5-1: Flitney, Ashton, Stuart, Wilnis, Sloma (Welsh 59), Bailey, (Campana 84), Ide, Cogan, Thurgood, Molesley, Taylor (Reid 70)
Subs not used: Gier, Arnold
Attendance: 1619
Sponsor?s (IMA) MOTM: Liam Marum (pictured)