Match Report | Cards well beaten by Latics

Woking 1-3 Oldham Athletic
Vanarama National League
14th September 2024

Michael Doyle made one change from the side which defeated Wealdstone in midweek, with Harry Beautyman starting instead of Jermaine Anderson, who took his place on the bench. Deon Moore, back from international duty with Guyana, also returned to the bench, joining the likes of Charley Kendall and Jamie Andrews.

The visitors lined up with former Woking full-back Jake Caprice starting; he joined the Latics from Burton in the summer. They left prolific striker James Norwood on a packed bench with former Preston North End forward Joe Garner.

In glorious sunshine at the Laithwaite, Dale Gorman kicked Woking off towards the KRE, but it was the visitors who looked to make a fast start. After a break down the left was disrupted, the ball fell to skipper Tom Conlon, whose low shot travelled comfortably wide of the bottom corner.

Twelve minutes in, Oldham had the lead. Good play down the left-hand side from Mark Kitching saw his cross glanced into the bottom right corner by Josh Lundstram.

Woking were unable to advance into the penalty area for much of the half, being wary of a number of Oldham set pieces. After a Reagan Ogle long throw was met by the head of Mike Fondop, a block prevented the goalbound effort, before the following corner ended in Conlon firing into the side netting after nice play on the left-hand side.

Good play from Matt Ward saw him play in Tom Leahy, whose burst towards goal saw him line up a shot, but he just lost his footing at the crucial time.

Despite having much of the ball following the Oldham opener, Woking were unable to create much and, when they did create, it was sub-par to what was required in front of goal.


Half-time: Woking 0-1 Oldham Athletic

Four minutes after the break, another Ogle long throw was deflected into the path of substitute James Norwood, who had the simplest finish of his life on the goal line, and Woking had a mountain to climb.

Michael Doyle responded with three changes in a six minute spell, as Charley Kendall, Jermaine Anderson and Jamie Andrews replaced Leahy, Conte and Akinola. Kendall’s impact was almost immediate, as good work from Lewis Walker saw him hold up the ball, before the substitute’s strike was well saved by Mat Hudson.

Woking had a golden opportunity to score with 68 minutes gone. Great work from Kendall saw him and Beautyman combine, with the latter finding Walker. He took his time but fired agonisingly wide on his left foot with the goal gaping.

Out of absolutely nothing, Kendall scored potentially Woking’s goal of the season. With 76 minutes gone, he fired into the top corner from 30 odd yards to give the Cards hope.

However, Oldham scored their third literally straight from kick-off. Fondop controlled a long ball, held off defenders before slotting into the bottom corner.

Norwood should have sealed the game and all three points when he rushed in on goal minutes later, but he was superbly denied by Jaaskelainen.

Oldham saw out the game comfortably for a deserved three points. A reality check for Michael Doyle against a side who will hope to be up there, having invested heavily in their squad.




Woking: Jaaskelainen, Moss, Harries, Dyche, Conte (Anderson 55’), Beautyman, Gorman, Akinola (Andrews 55’), Walker (Moore 81’), Ward, Leahy (Kendall 61’)

Subs: Webber, Wynter, Kelly-Evans

Bookings: Andrews 94’

Goals: Kendall 76’

Oldham Athletic: Hudson, Ogle, Kitching, Monthe, Lundstram, Fondop, Conlon, Raglan, Gardner (Norwood 45’), Caprice (Uchegbulam 72’), Hammond

Subs: Moloney, Hogan, Hobson, Garner, Dolan

Bookings: Hudson 82’

Goals: Lundstram 12’, Norwood 49’, Fondop 77’

Attendance: 2,373

Sponsors’ Man of the Match: Charley Kendall