Academy Bulletin | Week Nineteen
Ian Tilley and Holly Porter
4:55pm, Mon 23rd Dec 2024
Upcoming Fixtures – The next academy fixtures are in the week commencing 6th January 2025
Monday 6th January
19:45 - Metropolitan Police U18 v Woking U18; Isthmian League - Central Division
Imber Court Sports Club, Ember Lane, East Molesey, KT8 0BT
Wednesday 8th January
14:00 – Woking U19 v Dorking Wanderers U19; National League Academy – South Division
Westfield FC, Woking Park
14:00 – Boreham Wood Blues v Woking U17; National League Alliance – Division E
Meadow Park, Broughinge Road, Borehamwood, WD6 5AL
Thursday 9th January
19:30 – Woking U18 v Hanworth Villa U18; Surrey FA U18’s Youth Floodlit Midweek County Cup
Knaphill FC, Redding Way
For up-to-date information on fixtures please refer to the Woking Football Club Academy X (twitter) page.
Information is also available on the fulltime.thefa.com website.
Match Report and Team Details – Week commencing 16th December 2024
Wednesday 18th December 2024
Oxford City U19 2 - 1 Woking U19; National League Academy Cup – First Round
Court Place Farm, Marsh Lane
Report from Holly Porter
Two trips to Oxford in two weeks for the u19s saw a repeat of the most recent National League Academy South fixture (in which City triumphed 2-0), this time in the League Cup.
City got off to a strong start, showing their attacking threat within the opening stages of the clash. A burst forward in the third minute, with the City attack getting around Jacob Farr and into the box before it was defended, was an early warning for the travelling side of the Hoops’ ability in attack. A fist from Mikey Verga eliminated the threat from the corner, but it wasn’t long before City were on the break again.
Just minutes later, Caleb Moir went on a driving run forward, which resulted in a corner for the home side. With the initial shot from the corner blocked, Woking failed to clear the danger, and a shot from Charlie Bacon on the left-hand side of the box flew past Verga to give City a 6th-minute lead.
Continuing this momentum, City looked set to make it two in the 9th minute, with Bacon turning in the box, and getting his shot away unchallenged, but Verga was equal to it.
Woking grew into the game, with a decent chance to equalise in the 11th minute after Leo Christophers’ ball looped over the top for Jalil Page to run on to. Initially well-defended by City, the ball fell for Tom Dryer whose effort went over the bar, with no real threat to Thomas Russell’s goal.
Despite a few promising moves forward, the next clear-cut chance for Woking came after Henry McDonald went down just outside the box, winning a free kick. A low effort from McDonald went under the wall, but Russell read the attempt well and was able to collect the ball without much trouble.
Straight down the other end, City showcased their threat on the counterattack once again, flashing the ball across Verga’s goal, but with no one there to get the final touch. In the 22nd minute, Verga was called into action again, after City found themselves through on goal Verga came out and blocked the shot with his legs, limiting the damage for Woking.
Just moments later, Bacon charged forward again and, after originally being beaten, Charlie Sweeney recovered well to put in a tackle that, for the moment, eliminated the threat.
After several City attacks, Farr and Dryer combined down the left-hand side to start an attack of their own. The cross from Farr was turned in from close range by Christophers in the 26th minute, which wiped out City’s early advantage.
City, however, did not drop the threat. Verga was forced into another save with his legs in the 30th minute after another corner from City, and another City corner in the 34th minute saw a header flash just wide.
Woking went close to going ahead in the 38th minute, with a great cross into the box from Dryer finding Page, who was putting Russell under high pressure. The touch from Page, however, wasn’t enough to find the back of the net, and the home ‘keeper collected.
Moments later, Seyi Akinwalere charged forward, with the City defence throwing themselves in front of the ball to successfully block the shot. Involved in attack again, Akinwalere flashed a ball across the face of the goal in the 43rd minute, but no one was there to get the final touch. He then received the ball in close range and tried to slot one into the far post, with the shot going narrowly wide.
In City’s final chance of the half, Verga had to make another save, with the resulting ball threatening to go anywhere, but in the end it was defended for a corner.
Three minutes into stoppage time, Woking had the final move forward of the half. Lucas Boxall won the ball back and passed to Akinwalere, but a poor touch saw City win the ball back, actioning the half-time whistle.
Half-time: Oxford City 1 – 1 Woking
Woking started the second half well, firstly with a chance for Page to make an impression on goal. In the 48th minute, Verga put a promising ball forward, which Page closed down, but the ball ran all the way through to Russell.
Dryer made his impression on the Oxford defence early in the second 45, making two strong tackles in quick succession which set him on his way forward, but both were flagged as a foul by the linesman.
In the 54th minute, McDonald put a good ball into the box after a great run forward, but Boxall couldn't get there to get the final touch. Just moments later, Boxall won a free kick just outside the box, presenting Woking with another good chance to go ahead. McDonald stood over it again, but this time was less of a threat to Russell’s goal, as the ball went all the way over the top of the box and out of play.
In the 60th minute, Boxall made another run forward, but the cross was overhit and, much like the previous free kick, the ball went over the top and out of play.
Entering the last half an hour, City continued the pressure. Verga did well in the 62nd minute to come out of his box and make the ball his, clearing it away from the City attack.
Moments later, Tommy Seale misread the ball on the edge of the City box, allowing City to break forward. The home side, however, lacked the quality needed in the final shot, firing over the bar which kept the scoreline level.
It didn’t stay that way for long, however, as City regained their lead just a minute later. Bacon made a great run forward in the 64th minute and placed a ball perfectly for substitute Mekhai Bessasa-Grant to hit first time and restore his side's advantage.
In almost the perfect response for Woking, Dryer and Boxall linked up in decent play forward to put pressure on the City defence. After the initial attack was defended, Ryan Scott’s effort from the edge of the area went just wide of the top left corner and the search for an equaliser continued.
City came close to three in the 70th minute, with a header that looked to be going wide, but instead, it clipped the post, another warning for Woking.
Another free kick won for Woking in the 71st minute saw Boxall taken down on the right-hand side of the box, with Seale set to take. Seale pulled the ball back to Boxall, who put a promising ball into the box, but yet again the shot was well defended by City, who retained their lead.
In the 76th minute, Verga made a great reactive save to keep his side's hopes of progression in the competition alive. A free kick from midway into the half was sent deep into the back post, with the effort needing to be met by Verga to deny the hosts a third.
Moments later, Woking were awarded yet another free kick as Scott was taken down not far from the edge of the penalty area. Boxall stood over it again, but this time the ball was headed away by City and made its way back to Farr as the young Cards looked to recycle the ball.
Shortly after this, Sweeney went down in the middle of the park, causing a brief stop in play, which resulted in him being substituted, with the injury hopefully not set to be too extensive.
Harvey Brook came on to replace the defender, putting an extra man forward for the final 10 minutes as Woking searched for an equaliser. Another chance in the 82nd minute saw Seale’s corner headed goalward by Christophers, but it was collected well by Russell to deny the visitors.
Still in search of a third, City went close again, this time with Bessasa-Grant, who received the ball from Bacon on the edge of the box, but placed his shot just wide, which made for a nervy final few minutes for City as Woking desperately searched for their equaliser.
In the 88th minute, a ball flashed across the City goal and was just out of Brook’s reach, and straight down the other end City threatened Verga once again. Bacon placed another decent ball into the box, with Verga getting his body in the way of the shot in a great save.
With Woking through on goal in the 90th minute, Russell had to come out to meet Brook’s run. Brook got the ball past Russell on the first attempt, but the home ‘keeper reacted quickly and pounced on the ball on the second time of asking to deny Brook a shot at an empty target.
The 97th minute saw the final chance for Woking to keep their chances in the competition alive. Akinwalere’s cross found Boxall perfectly in the box, but his volley was directed straight into the arms of Russell, in the last attacking play of the game.
The full-time whistle saw the young Cards knocked out of the competition in the first round. The academy returns to action in the new year with four games across the week of 6th January.
Oxford City: Thomas Russell ©, Rafa Dos-Santos, Caleb Moir, Freddy Joyce, Kyron Webb (Edward Odley 89), Endri Stathi (Hamza Al-Jabari 85), Kian Duggan (Mekhai Bessasa-Grant 56), Brayden Daniel (Aydin Ulas 72), Finlay Beckett, Charlie Bacon, Kauan Bitencourt de Oliveira (Josh McConnell 69).
Goals: Bacon 6, Bessasa-Grant 64.
Woking: Mikey Verga, Jack Lewis (Ryan Scott 58), Tom Gardner ©, Charlie Sweeney (Harvey Brook 81), Jacob Farr, Seyi Akinwalere, Leo Christophers, Henry McDonald (Tommy Seale 58), Tom Dryer, Lucas Boxall, Jalil Page. Unused subs: Harry White (GK), Jermaine Young.
Goal: Christophers 26.
Referee: Nigel George.
Loan (Dual Registered Players) watch:
Tuesday 17th December
Harry White, Goalkeeper, 2nd year – Sandhurst Town: Played the full game in the 2 – 1 victory at Epsom & Ewell in the Combined Counties League - Premier Division South (Step 5).
Wednesday 18th December
Lui Edwards, Forward, 4th year – Westfield: Played the full game in the 1 – 1 draw with Hayes & Yeading United in the Isthmian League - South Central Division (Step 4).
Saturday 21st December
Ellis Byrne, Central Midfield, 2nd year - Knaphill: Making his Knaphill debut, Ellis played the full game of the 3 – 1 victory over Camberley Town in the Combined Counties League – Premier Division South (Step 5).
Lui Edwards, Forward, 4th year – Westfield: Played 63 minutes of the 0 – 1 defeat to Harrow Borough in the Isthmian League - South Central Division (Step 4).
Ben Mitchell, Forward, 3rd year - Knaphill: Played the first half of the 3 – 1 victory over Camberley Town in the Combined Counties League – Premier Division South (Step 5).
Byron Mitchell, Forward, 2nd year – Sheerwater: No fixture.