Woking 0 Bromley 2
Vanarama National League
2nd November 2021
Woking fell to a disappointing defeat in a game in which the main talking points happened mostly off the pitch.
Alan Dowson kept an unchanged side from Saturday’s hard fought win against Altrincham, with several attacking options on the bench, one being Jordan Maguire-Drew, who was looking to get his first minutes for over a month. Andy Woodman’s Bromley side came into this one unbeaten in their last nine games, with Michael Cheek
(as always) the one to watch with 10 goals in his first 12 games.
Woking started the game well, pinning Bromley back into their own half, without creating anything really clear cut. It felt like the Cards were just looking to really get into their groove when one of the floodlights went out. The referee took the players off the pitch whilst the issue was sorted.
Ten minutes of uncertainty followed which involved the PA system playing tongue-in-cheek songs such as “Leave a Light On” and “Electric Avenue”, whilst the KRE looked more like a Take That concert than a football match, with phone torches being used in a rather optimistic attempt to get the game on. The referee brought the players out with the issue solved
(for now).
There were just three minutes of play before the same floodlight went out again. This time it took twenty minutes to resolve the issue, and it felt like deja vu seeing Craig Ross run back to his goal and clap the fans for the third time already, when only eighteen minutes of the match had been played.
As expected with all the delays, the game failed to get going for much of the first half, with Bromley resorting to Chris Bush’s long throws to try and break the deadlock. George Alexander hit a dipping shot which Ross had to parry out for a throw in.
Craig Ross was called into action for the first time when James Alabi found space and aimed for the near post, but Ross made a smart save. Then it was Woking’s chance to come forward, as Tahvon Campbell did well to enter the box, but his shot could only find the side netting.
Billy Bingham lunged into Tahvon Campbell just outside the Bromley box in what looked like a nasty tackle which left the Woking forward needing treatment. Bingham picked up the first yellow card of the evening. Half time came shortly after, a game that had failed to ignite after the issues with the floodlight.
Half-time: Woking 0 Bromley 0
Woking began the second half much like they had started the first, on the front foot. Josh Casey managed to put a perfect cross into Max Kretzschmar, but his header was comfortably saved by Mark Cousins.
Woking’s best move of the match was to follow, with Tahvon Campbell playing a perfect through ball to Rohan Ince, who delayed his shot until Omar Sowumni could get in and block it. It was a chance that Woking had to take - the crowd knew it was a massive missed opportunity in such a tight game.
James Alabi almost scored a fluke goal when his deflected shot dropped just over the bar and onto the roof of the net, before Max Kretzschmar hit a free kick in a dangerous position just over the bar.
Jamar Loza came on for the ineffective Inih Effiong, who just couldn’t get into the game, as Bromley took off Luke Coulson and Billy Bingham for Haji Mnoga and Jack Cawley.
Loza had a rare chance to shoot but hit a tame effort straight at Cousins, before Bromley worked the ball down the right hand side, with
Moussa Diarra losing out to James Alabi, who squared for George Alexander to tap home from close range. A disappointing goal for the Cards to concede.
Immediately, the tireless Kretzschmar and Josh Casey made way for Jordan Maguire-Drew and Tyreke Johnson as Woking looked to rescue the game, but minutes later it was game over.
A flat corner from Chris Bush was met by substitute Cawley who was unmarked, 2-0 Bromley and game over.
Woking created some of their best chances of the match afterwards, Campbell getting a header on goal which Cousins had to tip over the bar. Maguire-Drew put in some teasing corners, something Woking have been lacking recently, and Solomon Nwabuokei, imperious all night, finally had a shot on goal, which Cousins had to tip over.
Woking’s captain rises to meet the ball
David Holmes
The Cards will feel like the game was a missed opportunity to climb further up the table, but a professional job was done by Bromley and Andy Woodman’s side look like real promotion contenders. Woking have ten days to recover before a trip to struggling Southend, as they look to finally find some consistency after six wins and seven losses in thirteen games
Woking: 13 Craig Ross, 2 Kyran Lofthouse, 3 Josh Casey (Tyreke Johnson 80’), 4 Tom Champion, 6 Moussa Diarra, 8 Solomon Nwabuokei, 9 Inih Effiong (Jamar Loza 63’), 10 Max Kretzschmar (Jordan Maguire-Drew 80’), 16 Louis Annesley, 19 Tahvon Campbell, 24 Rohan Ince
Unused subs: Tarryn Allarakhia, Kane Thompson-Sommers
Bookings:Max Kretzschmar 75’
Bromley Mark Cousins, Billy Bingham (Jack Cawley 73’), Chris Bush, Omar Sowumni, Luke Coulson (Haji Mnoga 63’), Michael Cheek, James Alabi, Liam Trotter, Byron Webster, Harry Forster, George Alexander (Jude Arthurs 82’)
Unused subs:Reice Charles-Cook, Louis Dennis
Goals: Alexander 78’, Cawley 86’
Bookings: Bingham 40’
Referee:: Scott Tallis
Attendance: 1,885
Sponsor’s Man of the Match: Solomon Nwabuokei once again put in an excellent performance in midfield.
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