WOKING REDS 1 ASHFORD TOWN (MIDDX) 2
Dennis North
12:00am, Tue 13th May 2008
Southern Youth League Championship Final.
Monday 12 May 2008
It was extremely disappointing that two sides that had performed so well over the season to reach this final had to play on such a dreadful pitch surface. It was nigh impossible to play any kind of passing football and both teams had to resort to smashing long balls and hope for the best. Although both sides gave their all, it was difficult for both teams to find any sort of rhythm and from the spectators point of view it must have been a very poor spectacle.
Woking could have gone 1-0 up with just 3 minutes gone as Martin O'Halloran fed a cute ball into the path of Jason Cachia, Jason attempted to lob the keeper who somehow managed to carry out a two staged save as he palmed the ball away.
Ashford took the lead on 25 minutes following a hotly disputed penalty, then with a minute of the first half remaining a free kick found Gavin Miller winning the aerial battle in the Ashford box and this time as the ball fell to Jason Cachia he made no mistake as he lofted the ball into the Ashford net.
The second half was somewhat better as both teams finally settled to the pitch conditions and Woking had two or three chances to go ahead but good goalkeeping and the pitch divots conspired to keep the scores level.
In the end just as the game appeared to be going into extra time a diminutive Ashford striker (was actually 18) latched onto a ball at the far post and managed to hit the ball into the ground and Nic Taylor could only watch as it ballooned over him into the net.
Full Time Woking Reds 1 Ashford 2
The Woking Reds (based at Merrist Wood) have a small squad which consists mainly of 1st year boys who have been with us for just one season. They have done fantastically well to win the Southern Youth League West Division Title and were unlucky to end up the losers in this game.
Squad roll call:
Ade Adetunji, Jason Cachia, Brad Cann, Josh Coke, Michael Dean, Michael Dunnet, Matt Ferdinando, Sean Gadsby, Conor Geoghegan, Ashley Groombridge, Kane Harrington, Louie Howell, Nic Ignatiou, Ashley Lloyd, Alex Lumley, Gavin Miller, Martin O'Halloran, Bashie Sainetti, Jodi Sayers, James Snishko, Stuart Souter, Chris Tancock, Nick Taylor, Curtis Wayne.
