Cards progress after extra time

Woking U18 4 Burgess Hill Town U18 1 (after extra time)
FA Youth Cup 2nd Round Qualifying
4th October 2010



Woking’s young guns needed extra time to see off a resolute Burgess Hill and progress to the next round of the FA Youth Cup. In a game that they dominated overall, Woking struggled to find a way through the visitors’ well-organised defence and it was only in the added thirty minutes of extra time that the young Cards side finally made their superiority count.

After twenty minutes Woking had almost managed to break the deadlock. Jack Mazzone’s excellent run through the heart of the visitors’ defence ended with his shot from the edge of the box crashing against the cross bar and ballooning away to safety. On half an hour George Frith broke out of defence to link with left-sided midfielder Jordan Mukassa. His ball into Mazzone provided the front man with a great opportunity but his looped shot was parried away by Betts in the visitors’ goal.

Against the run of play Burgess Hill took the lead with Aygate heading home a good cross from the right. Woking continued to create chances with George Frith at the heart of most of the Cards' attacking threat but were unable to breach the visitors’ stubborn defence.

Half-time: Woking 0 Burgess Hill Town 1

As the second half developed so Burgess Hill managed to get themselves more into the game with some neat passing football but it was still Woking that carried the major goal threat as they looked for an equaliser. Frith’s lobbed pass to Bicknell saw the forward turn quickly but Betts was down smartly to save his shot.

On sixty-five minutes the Cards finally managed to level things up with Jake Hicks, on for Max Blackmore, crashing the ball home after a goalmouth scramble. It was no more than the home side deserved.

Further chances fell to Woking – a Bicknell cross just headed clear, a deflected Frith shot brilliantly turned away by Betts and a Turner free-kick finding Mazzone at the far post - the forward’s header directed down and goalwards but hacked away by a relieved Burgess Hill defence.

And, finally, with seconds remaining Hicks had a great opportunity to seal victory. With the goal gaping, his shot squirmed agonisingly off the side of his boot and away for a goal kick.

The Cards dominated extra time and it was no surprise when they finally took the lead. In the best move of the match Mazzone fed Mukassa, now operating down the right, and his superb cross was met by Bicknell at the far post. He made no mistake with his header.

During the second period Woking continued to push forward despite several players suffering from cramp. Adam Bicknell, one of those now struggling, was still able to limp into the box and slide home substitute Adam Bellmaine’s cross into an empty net to make it three and a fourth was scored two minutes later. This time it was Jack Mazzone who cut in from the right to fire home a long-range effort.

So Woking’s Academy side move on and into the next round of the competition where they will play either Worthing or Leatherhead at Kingfield.


Woking: Jordan Kennedy, Aaron Turner, Tim Taylor, Connor Close, Josh Frost-Niven (Adam Bellmaine 57), Ryan Alderman, Max Blackmore (Jake Hicks 62), George Frith (Jonathan Coussens 87), Jack Mazzone, Adam Bicknell, Jordan Mukassa

Unused subs: Victor Borode, Aaron McGuigan

Burgess Hill Town: Betts, Fenton, Blythe, Lockyer, Stillwell, Ford, Chaston, Aygate, Cook, Tregear, Daniel

Subs: Joan, Ballemy, Dunkley, Dunkerton, Fawsett

My MOTM: Connor Close