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Match Report | Maiden O'Brien strike earns Cards a hard fought point

William Bewsey
5:03pm, Sat 11th Jan 2025
Yeovil Town 1-1 Woking
Vanarama National League
11th January 2025

Woking travelled to Somerset in one of only two National League fixtures to survive the cold snap, with Neal Ardley making just one change to the side that started against Maidenhead United ten days ago. There were several changes from the most recent line up against Radcliffe on Tuesday night, with just three of the same starters. Matt Ward missed out due to an injury suffered in training.

As for Yeovil Town, they welcomed back loanee striker Ciaran McGuckin after he returned from Rotherham United earlier this week, and also had former Woking midfielder Charlie Cooper, son of manager Mark, in the team.

Woking got the game underway through Jamie Andrews, with the Cards shooting towards a boisterous home end. The first chance went the way of the Glovers just shy of the ten minute mark when a superb through ball from former West Ham forward Frank Nouble was just dragged across goal by Sean McGurk from a tight angle.

A spell of possession from the Cards eventually led to former Yeovil midfielder Dale Gorman firing a shot just wide of the near post via the aid of a deflection. Nouble continued to cause problems, producing a cross that had to be nudged away from McGurk at the back post after 20 minutes.

Yeovil took the lead right on the stroke of half time when Charlie Cooper picked out Aaron Jarvis at the back post, who looped his header past the diving Will Jaaskelainen and into the back of the net.

A rare moment of quality in a first half with few chances to separate the sides at the break, with Ardley looking to see an improvement in the final third after the break.


Half-time: Yeovil 1-0 Woking


Woking started the second half strongly, with Jermaine Anderson shooting wide after good play from Beautyman and Effiong.

Ardley rolled the dice midway through the second half, bringing on Aiden O’Brien for his debut alongside Lewis Walker, with Vincent and Anderson making way. He was also forced to replace Dion Kelly-Evans with Ben Wynter after the former picked up a knock.

This seemed to bring Woking to life, with Walker forcing a clearance after his low cross reached the danger zone, before Beautyman’s shot from distance was deflected over.

Yeovil nearly doubled their lead when fantastic play from McGurk saw him curl a shot towards the far corner. The ball clipped the post as it flew wide of the Woking goal.

There was a debut goal for the Cards and an equaliser after 74 minutes when excellent play from Walker saw him turn inside the box, but just as he was about to shoot, it was nabbed by O’Brien, who nailed a strike past Ollie Wright and into the bottom corner.

Cian Harries and McGuckin collided with the latter looking to go through on goal, but much to the dismay of the home crowd, referee Paul Johnson saw nothing in it.

Somehow Woking didn’t have a second goal when a Gorman corner was met by Harries and flicked on at the near post, but the ball hit the inside of the post and rolled across the goalline before being cleared.

Yeovil launched a late assault in stoppage time, with a couple of soft penalty shouts waved away, but Woking would take a point back to Surrey.
An excellent second half showing from the Cards at a tough place to go, with O’Brien’s first goal securing a valuable point when no one else around Woking played.








Woking: Jaaskelainen, Chicksen, Harries, Akinola, Kelly-Evans (Wynter 58’), Gorman, Vincent (Walker 67’), Beautyman, Anderson (O’Brien 67’), Andrews, Effiong

Subs: Webber, Lewis, Jones, Ince

Goals: O’Brien 74’

Bookings: Beautyman 54’

Yeovil Town: Wright, Cousin-Dawson, Wannell, Jarvis, Nouble (Smith 71’), McGavin, McGurk (Maddox 83’), Sims, Cooper, Bernard, McGuckin (Greenslade 90+4’)

Subs: Gould, Worthington, Borges, Hughes

Goals: Jarvis 45+1’

Bookings: Cooper 3’, McGavin 38’, Cousin-Dawson 59’, Sims 61’

Attendance: 3188 (213 Woking fans)

Man of the Match: Tunji Akinola was excellent once again at centre back, commanding his area and helping see out the game.

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