WOKING 1 EXETER CITY 1

Woking 1 Exeter City 1
25 September 2007

After two games that most Cards fans would rather forget, Woking hosted last year?s play-off finalists, Exeter City. After the disappointment of the last two games, Cards fans would have been hoping for at least something out of the game, or at least to see us survive 90 minutes with 11 men on the field. Marvin Morgan came back into the starting line-up in place of Joe Gatting, and Frank Gray welcomed back Paul Lorraine after his suspension.

The game started slowly, with neither team taking it by the scruff of the neck. But it was the visitors who had the first real chance of the evening. Jamie Mackie, who looked lively all game, fired in a low cross through a sea of red and blue shirts. It was missed by everybody, and Gindre would have been pleased to see it edge its way past the post, and out for a goal kick.

The game needed a goal, and it never really looked like coming. Jamie Mackie had two successive shots, and Steve Tully put a half chance over the bar. After 22 minutes, we finally had a goal. Paul Lorraine was the man, but unfortunately it was in his own net. Jamie Mackie played a low cross, and rather than hooking the ball clear, Paul mistimed his kick, and it shot past Nick into the net. Lorraine, who did not have one of his better games, looked distraught, but the KRE was there to pick him up, and the Cards battled on.

The game continued to be quite uninspiring, and the home side registered their first real opportunity on goal on 33 minutes. Paul Hakim managed to evade two defenders, but failed to get the ball anywhere near the goal.

Five minutes later, and the same player beat the same defender, and put the shot about as far away from the goal as the previous attempt. And the Cards were almost made to pay as the Grecians? captain, Matt Gill, nearly lobbed Gindre, but saw the ball sail over the bar. The Cards must have been grateful for the whistle as they went into the break just one goal down.

HALF-TIME ? WOKING 0-1 EXETER CITY

Woking, unchanged, did what they?ve done best so far this season, and came out of the blocks all guns blazing in the second half. Marvin Morgan looked to work his magic, as he weaved between two defenders and won a free-kick just outside the area. The free-kick was knocked out for a corner, and the danger cleared.

Minutes later and the Cards had another corner. Tommy Hutch headed the ball back across goal, and Paul Hakim produced a superb bicycle kick that looked goal bound. As the home fans were about to start celebrating a wonderfully-crafted goal, the ball was headed clear off the line. With almost an hour gone, Exeter very nearly got a second. Jamie Mackie managed to get past Tom Hutchinson, and fire in a low hard shot. This time Gindre was equal to it, and used his feet well to clear the ball.

Just as things were starting to look brighter for the home side, the game reverted back to the pattern of the first half, with Exeter happy to keep possession, and catch Woking on the break. And on 70 minutes Exeter really should have sealed the game. Mackie again did well down the left and managed to feed the ball to Adam Stansfield. With the goal beckoning, he tried to put the ball in as hard as he could, and got it all wrong, sending it over the bar.

Frank decided it was time for a change, and he introduced Joe Gatting, for the hard-working Matt Pattison. Bradley Quamina was the next to try his luck but hit a rather tame shot wide of the goal. With time running out, Woking fashioned another opportunity. Goma won a free-kick just outside the area. With everyone piled forward, Kevin James was left free on the edge of the area. He received the ball, and sent in a low cross. The ball was scrambled clear to Jay Gasson, who picked out Lorraine brilliantly. With the goal at his mercy, and the chance to make up for his earlier mistake, he blazed the ball out of the ground, and that really summed up his evening.

With three minutes left, Woking really had to go for it, and Tom was sent up front, and within minutes he set up the equalising goal. A long ball was sent to the far post and Hutch flicked it on. Both the visiting keeper and Marvin Morgan went for the ball, with Marv getting there first to sweep home. All of a sudden Woking looked dangerous, and looked like they might win it. And in the 90th minute they gained a corner. Lorraine again must have thought that he was about to grab the points for the Cards, but Mariott pushed the ball away.

In the last minute of added time, the Cards won another corner, and this time the ball was powered into the net by Joe Gatting. As the home fans were sent into raptures, it looked like three points again. However, the referee saw something that nobody in the ground saw, and disallowed the goal and gave the free-kick to Exeter. The most puzzling thing was that not one visiting player, or fan, complained about the goal.

The result was probably a fair one, and the Cards can go into Saturday?s game at Northwich on a high. Let?s hope we can get two wins before we travel to Broadhall Way to meet our friends from Stevenage on Tuesday week.

Woking: Nick Gindre, Paul Lorraine, Tom Hutchinson, Jay Gasson, Goma Lambu, Bradley Quamina, Kevin James, Matt Pattison (Joe Gatting, 71), Danny Bunce, Marvin Morgan, Paul Hakim

Subs not used: Carl Gibbs, Jerome Maledon, David Shin, Giuseppe Sole

Bookings: Paul Lorraine, Kevin James

Attendance: 1448

Sponsor?s MOTM: Jay Gasson (pictured)