Women's Report | Goals galore for Cards

Woking came out monumental winners in their first home league game of the calendar year, smashing Rushmoor by 11 goals to one. A first-half hat-trick from Helen Ogle, added by a second-half hat-trick from Gaby Hobday, was just a small talking point from an otherwise dominant display at the college.

The Cards have been well known for starting quickly in games this season and this was once again the case as just five minutes in, Bianca Underhill found Kaitlin Howard with a brilliant corner and the skipper headed home to score on her first appearance since coming back from a week’s absence.

Five minutes later, it was two, as Charlotte Keenan cut in from the right-hand side and curled a beautiful shot into the top left-hand corner. The number nine, who was moved out to the right for this game, proved how good of a decision it was by the management. Poetry in motion.

Gaby showed promising ability during the first half and wasn’t going to continuously be denied for the duration of the game, due to the way she was playing. Her first chance came when she bent a shot from the right, but it missed the target by just a fraction. Her second opportunity came when the number 11 did well to intercept the defence, before just putting a shot past the post.

However, it was three just 20 minutes in as Déjà vu struck. An almost identical goal to the first came when Bianca’s corner landed on the head of Kaitlin, who this time had to deal with a goal-line scramble, before tucking the ball home. An early brace for the captain.

Another goal followed shortly after as this time Helen got her name on the scoresheet as she slotted the ball past the ‘keeper in custom Ogle style. The ball found the bottom right-hand corner, just like it has done on so many different occasions this season.

If you thought four goals in 25 minutes was a lot, try five in 27 minutes, as Helen grabbed her second in just a matter of minutes. This time the number seven picked the ball up outside the box and fired home into the roof of the net. A goal Sheena Nichol would have been proud of.

After all of Gaby’s hard work in the early stages of the game, the rewards paid off as she got her first goal through brilliant team play. On the rare occasion Rushmoor made it into Woking’s half, the possession was turned over by Fran Cotter who continued her run into the box after playing a ball out wide to Kaitlin. The cross was eventually played in and an intelligent dummy from Fran allowed the ball to land at the feet of Gaby who then converted her chance to make it six.

There was still time for another before half-time and this time Helen grabbed the first hat-trick of the season after a superb ball over the top of the defence from Sheena, found her with time and space to finish and make it seven. That now takes her tally to 14 goals in 14 games across all competitions.

HT: Woking 7-0 Rushmoor Community

In the second half, it was business as usual as the pressure continued to be applied, without an ounce of rest. The only small disappointment from a pretty perfect display was conceding just before the hour mark. The league’s top goal scorer managed to carve out a chance and smashed the ball past Amy Jenkins in goal. Apart from that, the goalkeeper wasn’t brought into action for the remainder of the game.

Shouts for offside were ruled out by the referee when Gaby scored her second a few minutes later. All of her goals (that still count) so far this season have come against Rushmoor, both at home and on the road.

She became the second person to not only score a hat-trick this season but also in the game when she scored another right after her second thanks to a perfect ball from Helen. Gaby stretched her leg out to beat the ‘keeper a put her name in the hat for who would take home the match ball.

Woking’s first substitution of the game came when Helen Brown replaced debutant Bryony Gibbs, promoted from the Development Team and rewarded with a start from the off.

The Cards were into double digits for the first time this season when a great pass from Charlotte found the ever-so-ruthless Gaby to score her fourth and final goal of the game. A sensational performance from an extremely talented player. Her four goals and two assists saw her of course be voted Player of the Match by her fellow peers.

Louise Curr and Hayley Giles joined the fun later down the line, replacing Sheena and Kaitlin. Kaitlin returned however five minutes later, swapping with Gaby.

The floodgates were finally closed after Charlotte made it eleven with ten minutes to go. A well-executed ball from Kaitlin found the number nine who got her second of the afternoon.

Gaby saw out the last few minutes after replacing Charlotte in what was the last action of a chaotic but dominant game in Surrey.

FT: Woking 11-1 Rushmoor Community

The Cards biggest win of the season sees them climb up to fourth in the league table and regain their big goal difference that was lost after the Selsey game was wiped. A statement to the rest of the league is one thing but the confidence in the team right now is enough to take on anyone and there’s no better time than next Sunday when the team travels to league leaders Havant & Waterlooville. It’s set up to be a great game and if it’s anything like the reverse fixture then it will be another feisty encounter!



Woking Starting XI: Jenkins, Gibbs (66), Cotter, Mitchell, Underhill, Nichol (71), Theocharous, Ogle, Howard (71) (75), Hobday (75) (82), Keenan (82)

Subs: Giles (71), Curr (71), Brown (66)

Attendance: 28

Player of the Match: Gaby Hobday