Cards slip to 8th after defeat at Worcester

Worcester City 3 Woking 2
13 February 2010

The Cards fell to their third consecutive league defeat at St George’s Lane, home of Worcester City, despite being two goals ahead after just sixteen minutes. Graham Baker made just one change to the starting eleven that took on Thurrock last Saturday, bringing in the returning Nathaniel Pinney for Jamie Slabber, but he was left bemoaning poor defending from set plays which saw his side slip to a 3-2 defeat.

Woking were fortunate to survive going a goal behind after just five minutes when the home side had the ball in the net. After Josh Emery saw his shot deflected wide for a corner by Giuseppe Sole, Graham Ward’s corner kick was met by Mark Clyde and his header looped into the net but the assistant referee adjudged that Alfie Carter was standing in an offside position and was interfering with play so the goal was, perhaps harshly, ruled out. After play got underway again, Moses Ademola ambitiously volleyed Woking’s first shot of the match wide of the post.

In the 10th minute, the Cards took the lead with a route one effort. Matthew Wright flicked Ross Worner’s goal kick on to his strike partner Pinney, who managed to get in behind the defence aided by a fortunate ricochet off Shabir Khan. He neatly went round keeper’ Jake Meredith before slotting the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-0. Six minutes later and Pinney turned creator when he chased a ball down in the corner before looping a cross into the area and Sole came charging onto it and produced a thunderous left footed volley past Meredith and into the corner of the net to double Woking’s advantage.

They went in search of a third and could easily have got it when Tom Hutchinson beat Meredith to an Aswad Thomas free kick but there was nobody on hand to capitalise and the ball was comfortably cleared. The home side replied in the 24th minute when Carter fired in a long-range effort but Worner easily saved it. Matthew Wright wanted a penalty in the 29th minute after he clashed with Rob Elvins as a corner came in but the referee, whose performance got more comically awful as the match wore on, making bizarre decisions for and against both sides, gave a free kick the other way.

In the 33rd minute, Elvins was in the thick of it again, this time in the other penalty area, as he pulled a goal back for Worcester. The ex-Woking loanee striker was adjudged to have been fouled by Aswad Thomas just outside the area before getting in between Tom Hutchinson and Jon Boardman to guide Ward’s free kick into the back of the net. Another Ward free kick caused problems in the 39th minute when Worner fumbled and there were cries for a penalty when Thomas clashed with Elvins before Carter skewed an effort wide.

The home side were unlucky not to get an equaliser in the 40th minute, a long throw into the area eventually falling to Aaron Farrell, but his seemingly goalbound effort hit Hutchinson in the face, stopping a certain goal. Just before and after the half time whistle, Pinney had the ball in the back of the net again for the Cards but he was adjudged to have been offside both times. In the 56th minute, Ademola managed to get away down the right side and his cross was headed wide by Harry Arter from on the penalty spot.

On 63 minutes, Delano Sam-Yorke came on for Wright before Emery had a volleyed snapshot turned behind by Worner. Ward curled in the resulting corner and Rob Elvins rose worryingly unmarked to give the home side an equaliser after 65 minutes. Sole managed to escape down the left in the 69th minute but nobody could capitalise on his low cross and things were going from bad to worse for the Cards at the other end when Carter almost managed to steal in following a poor headed backpass from Jerome Maledon but thankfully for him Worner was on hand to get a crucial touch.

Worner could do nothing in the 74th minute though when a long throw into the area was poorly dealt with by the Woking defence and was eventually headed back into the danger zone by Farrell. Carter took full advantage as he swivelled well to hit an excellent volley into the back of the net to complete Worcester’s comeback. The Cards didn’t really look like making any sort of reply after that and it was Emery who went closest to another goal before the end volleying wide of the target in the last minute.

For once the Cards took their chances in front of goal but careless mistakes at the back cost them dearly as they conceded from a free kick, a corner and a long throw in. The defeat sees them slip to eighth in the table and Woking can’t afford to carry on this poor form if they want to end up in the playoffs. Baker will be hoping that he can get the influential Mark Ricketts back as soon as possible, who had clearly been in a huge miss in the last three matches.


Woking: Ross Worner, Tony Sinclair, Aswad Thomas, Jerome Maledon, Tom Hutchinson, Jon Boardman (Ricky Anane, 74), Moses Ademola, Harry Arter, Matthew Wright (Delano Sam-Yorke, 63), Nathaniel Pinney, Giuseppe Sole

Unused subs: Sam Sloma, Nicky Nicolau, Jamie Hand

Booked: Moses Ademola

My MOTM: Nathaniel Pinney (pictured)

Attendance: 607