Women's Report | Cards miss out on top three finish

Woking missed out on a place in the top three after defeat on the road to AFC Stoneham. Despite a hard-fought display, the Cards were unable to take anything away from a feisty encounter.

Charlotte Kennan put the visitors in front inside the first three minutes of the game after being played in by Hayley Giles. The number nine beat the ‘keeper with a great strike with her first effort of the game.

Just two minutes later, Gaby Hobday had the ball in the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed due to offside, however, upon further reflection, it seems to have been a bad call by the AFC Stoneham management staff, acting as ‘lino’ for the afternoon…

From this resulting free-kick, the hosts brought the ball forward and found the back of the net to make things all square. With Amy Jenkins unavailable, Sophie Burgess stepped up to put the gloves on and did herself and the team proud with her performance.

Shortly before the half-hour mark, Stoneham took the lead for the first time after winning a flick-on from a corner. There was not much Sophie could do in goal, after a well-worked set-piece routine.

Laura Mitchell had been nursing an illness throughout the game and was another player committed to playing for her teammates on the day but was ultimately substituted mid-way through the first half by head coach John Katz on the sidelines.

HT: AFC Stoneham 2-1 Woking

In the second half, a mistake at the back from Helen Brown allowed the home side to counter and they made it count to double their lead. The ball was finished with some venom past Sophie in goal.

Jasmina Vanvoorem came on around the hour mark for her first appearance for the first team this season, replacing Nichola Marr. However, Nichola returned to the game just 11 minutes later, swapping with Hayley.

This fixture had history from the original game back in October and it carried on through to March with many late challenges from both sides. A lot of words were exchanged too, resulting in both Efrosyni Theocharous and a Stoneham player receiving yellow cards.

Charlotte gave the Cards hope in the final ten minutes when she pulled a goal back inside the six-yard box, but it wasn’t to be for her side on the day.

FT: AFC Stoneham 3-2 Woking

With this result, Woking now occupies fourth in the league standings and will most certainly finish the season there, unless for a monumental collapse in their final league game on the road to Fleet Town, which is yet to be re-arranged. But until then, attention will now turn to next Sunday's SRWFL Chairman’s Cup Semi-Final at Woking College against Long Crendon.

Woking Starting XI: Burgess, Marr (60) (71) (83), Cotter ©, Mitchell (35) (83), Underhill, Theocharous, Nichol, Ogle, Hobday, Giles (71), Keenan

Subs: Brown (35), Vanvoorem (60)

Attendance: 61

Player of the Match: Gaby Hobday