Match Report | Cards comfortably beat Shaymen

FC Halifax Town 0 Woking 4
Vanarama National League
1st October 2022

Woking comfortably overcame FC Halifax Town in a 4-0 victory at the Shay on Saturday in the Vanarama National League.

An early first half goal from James Daly, added to by an own goal from Kian Spence gave the visitors a 2-0 lead at the break.

A quickfire double from Reece Grego-Cox with less than 15 minutes to play condemned the Shaymen to defeat.

The Cards remain in 7th in the league while Halifax dropped to the foot of the table.

Darren Sarll made just the one change to the starting eleven that overcame Solihull Moors at the Laithwaite Community Stadium last weekend, with Jim Kellermann returning to the side and Jermaine Anderson dropping to the substitutes bench.

Joe McNerney and Ethan Wady also returned to the matchday squad, replacing Jack Roles (illness) and Sid Nelson.

The Cards started strongly, causing problems from the outset. Daly linked up with Amond in the third minute to get into the box, but Sam Johnson did well to push it wide as the number eight tried to jink around the goalkeeper.

Grego-Cox then had a very good chance three minutes later when he was found by a Kellermann cross, but he could only divert his effort over from close range on the stretch.

However, the visitors would eventually take the lead three minutes after. Amond cleverly beat the offside trap to latch onto a ball over the top of the Halifax defence. He lifted the ball back into the middle towards Grego-Cox who acrobatically hooked it towards Daly who headed home into an empty net.

With just 17 minutes played, the Cards doubled their lead. Daly was involved again, receiving a quick throw before driving into the box. His shot was initially blocked by Johnson before the ball rebounded back off the retreating Kian Spence and rolled into the back off the net.

Kellermann picked up knock with half an hour played, with Jermaine Anderson coming onto replace him.

Anderson was straight into the thick of the action, helping create another excellent chance for Woking on 34 minutes. Lofthouse played a one-two with the substitute down the right before putting in a low ball. It deflected off a Halifax defender, onto the post, before Grego-Cox somehow put the ball wide from close range.

In the 45th minute, Jamie Cooke’s header skimmed off the top of the Woking bar, in Halifax’s best chance of the half.

A disgruntled Halifax home support greeted the half-time whistle with boos.

Half-time: Halifax Town 0 Woking 2

Amond came close to his first Woking goal again ten minutes into the second period. Wilkinson’s set-piece was met by the head of the forward but agonisingly saw it come back off the angle between post and bar.

When he got his next opportunity, he remained unselfish to tee-up Grego-Cox to finish off an excellent move. Ince turned nicely to on the edge of the box before feeding it into Amond. He calmly took it in his strike and played it to Grego-Cox to sweep into the bottom corner with his left foot, with 15 minutes to play.

Less than three minutes later, the Irishman made it a brace. Ince shifted the ball inside the area well to create a shooting opportunity for himself. His shot was parried by Johnson before Grego-Cos pounced onto the loose ball to tap in from close range.

In the final minute of the 90, Summerfield hit the post with a left-footed shot from just inside the box for the hosts.

The Shaymen were not very pleased at the sound of the final whistle, a polar opposite to the travelling Cards support who had a great day out in West Yorkshire.

Full-time: Halifax Town 0 Woking 2

Halifax Town: 1 Sam Johnson; 3 Jack Senior, 5 Jesse Debrah, 8 Kian Spence, 9 Mani Dieseruvwe, 16 Jordan Keane ©, 19 Jamie Cooke, 20 Harvey Gilmour, 22 Festus Arthur (4 Luke Summerfield 56’), 24 Same Minihan, 35 Osayamen Osawe (21 Milli Alli 31’)

Unused subs: 2 Tyler Golden, 15, Tom Clarke, 25 Jordan Slew

Bookings: Dieseruvwe 35’, Arthur 54’

Woking: 13 Craig Ross; 3 Josh Casey ©, 4 Scott Cuthbert (5 Joe McNerney 60’), 6 Luke Wilkinson, 12 Dan Moss; 8 James Daly, 17 Jim Kellerman (23 Jermaine Anderson 30’), 24 Rohan Ince, 2 Kyran Lofthouse; 9 Reece Grego-Cox (29 Jake Vokins 79’), 10 Padraig Amond

Unused subs: 1 Ethan Wady, 7 Ricky Korboa

Referee: Scott Simpson

Attendance: 1845

Man of the Match: Rohan Ince. Battled all afternoon in the middle and was influential in the final two goals.