Match Report | Cards in memorable comeback over Heed

Woking 3-2 Gateshead
Vanarama National League
27th February 2024

Michael Doyle made six changes to the side held to a 1-1 draw by Wealdstone on Saturday, with Scott Cuthbert, Dion Kelly-Evans, Jayden Luker, Ricky Korboa, Rohan Ince and Tunji Akinola out of the starting 11.

Of those six players, all but Cuthbert and Ince made the bench, and in came Dan Moss, Manny Oyeleke, Luke Wilkinson, Timi Odusina, Jermaine Anderson and Charley Kendall, with Kendall making only his second Woking start following his goal on Saturday.

A fast Woking start saw Charley Kendall’s appeal for a penalty turned down by referee Aaron Farmer, with the referee in fact booking Kendall for an apparent dive. But inside just three minutes, a quick corner from Kendall was powered home by the head of Lewis Walker into the bottom right corner to give the Cards a dream start.

But there was to be a swift response for the Heed on 14 minutes when Marcus Dinanga had the freedom of the six yard box to direct his header past Jaaskelainen and into the bottom corner.

After a quiet period of play, a good interception from Curtis Edwards on the half hour mark saw Kendall tee up Walker, but the bounce of the ball just deceived him. A swift Gateshead counter saw Dinanga tap home from close range, but the flag was swiftly raised and his frustration earned him a yellow card.

But Gateshead did take the lead on 36 minutes when a through ball was misjudged by Jaaskelainen and his defence. Callum Whelan did well to nip in and round the keeper, before poking home.

A strike from Kain Adom that sailed over Jaaskelainen’s crossbar was all that happened until the break, with Gateshead in the ascendency, as basic defensive errors were Woking’s undoing.

Half-time: Woking 1-2 Gateshead

After a quiet opening 10 minutes to the second half, a few good blocks from Odusina and Dyche were required to deny first Dinanga and then Adom chances at goal, with the Heed looking comfortable.

On 64 minutes, a shot from Oyeleke inside the box was only parried away by James Montgomery, before Kendall’s shot was somehow blocked over the bar by Adom on the line and behind for a corner, with Montgomery saving from close range following a break of the ball from the corner.

A hopeful cross from Dyche was met by the head of Moss, who appeared to be taken out by a punch from Montgomery, but referee Aaron Farmer said no penalty to the bewilderment of Michael Doyle, his coaching staff and most of the crowd.

With 75 minutes gone, substitute Jayden Luker cut inside and drove towards the edge of the box, where he fired a strike towards goal, with the ball pinging off the top of the crossbar. It would have been a contender for goal of the season.

After Moss was flattened by another Montgomery’s punch, Woking had a penalty on 78 minutes. Charley Kendall dispatched the ball down the middle of the net, and past the dive of the Heed keeper to make the scores level once again.

And the Cards would take the lead in the 87th minute. Pinball in the box, and the ball fell to Kendall, who played in Korboa, and he poked home past Montgomery to send the Woking fans into raptures.

Three minutes into the 12 added on once the 90 were up, a volley from Ed Francis crashed off the bottom of the inside far post, before the follow up was put narrowly wide.

A bizarre injury time period of 16 minutes saw Jermaine Anderson sent off for timewasting, Rob Elliot sent off for kicking Korboa before the full time whistle finally went. A huge result for Michael Doyle and his side, ahead of a six pointer against Kidderminster on Saturday at the Laithwaite.



Woking: Will Jaaskelainen, Dan Moss (Lewis 83’), Josh Casey, Luke Wilkinson, Lewis Walker (Korboa 59’), Manny Oyeleke (Luker 70’), Timi Odusina, Jermaine Anderson, Curtis Edwards, Charley Kendall, Max Dyche

Unused subs: Akinola, Kelly-Evans

Bookings: Kendall 2’, Wilkinson 43’, Moss 52’, Anderson 87’, 101’, Korboa 105’

Goals: Walker 3’, Kendall 80’, Korboa 87’

Gateshead: James Montgomery, Mamadou Jobe, Louis Storey, Joe Grayson (Booty 63’), Kain Adom (Brown 83’), Luke Hannant, Ed Francis, Callum Whelan, Ben Worman, Kieron Evans (McBride 67’), Marcus Dinanga

Unused subs: Hasani, Stott

Bookings: Dinanga 32’, Grayson 51’, Montgomery 78’

Goals: Dinanga 14’, Whelan 36’

Attendance: 1902

Man of the Match: A performance of real promise from Charley Kendall, who kept his cool from the spot and ran the channels brilliantly.