Women's Report | Cards in goalless draw to end the year
Benjamin Parker
2:03pm, Mon 11th Dec 2023
Woking were held to another draw against Bournemouth Sports Reserves in the space of just under a month, in a goalless affair at Woking College. Neither team was able to break the deadlock, although it was the home side who would have left feeling as though they deserved more.
It was a very slow start to the game, with neither team able to hold onto the ball for long periods. That final pass was lacking for both teams and no real threats were caused on either goalkeeper.
The Cards made two substitutions, seven minutes apart during the first 45 minutes, with Trudy Bryan-Kerr and Ellie Boddy, replacing Sian Hardaker and Charlotte Keenan.
It took half an hour for the first shot on target to be registered and this fell to Kaitlin Howard on the left-hand side of the box, but her effort was well saved.
The only other main talking point from the first half was when Bianca Underhill found Helen Ogle with a great delivery on the right, but the formers header was caught by the ‘keeper.
HT: Woking 0-0 Bournemouth Sports Reserves
During the break, the hosts made four changes seeing Gracie Price, Sophie Burgess, Alicia Christie and Charlotte all replace Sheena Nichol, Efrosyni Theocharous, Gaby Hobday and Frances Cotter.
Helen had another headed effort in the second half and this time it went over the crossbar. It came from a brilliant solo run from Kaitlin down the right-hand side, something she is no imposter too
Three more substitutions followed in a 15-minute period were once again there wasn’t much action to report. These changes saw Sian, Sheena, Trudy and Gaby swap with Trudy, Bianca, Charlotte and Laura Mitchell.
Two final opportunities for Woking to take the lead came in the last five minutes of the game when Gaby tested the ‘keeper with a low drive to win her team a corner. That resulting set-piece found Kaitlin but her effort was remarkably saved by the Bournemouth goalkeeper, whose outstretched hand managed to tip the ball past the post.
Fran came back on in the 86th minute, replacing Sophie and in the next phase of play, the visitors nearly completed a smash-and-grab as they caught Woking sleeping at the back, however, they weren’t able to convert the golden opportunity.
Efro also came back onto the pitch, changing with Sian in the host's final substitution, but the game ultimately finished as it started.
FT: Woking 0-0 Bournemouth Sports Reserves.
Some may see the two games against Bournemouth as four points dropped, while others will see two valuable points gained plus a third clean sheet of the season. Whichever way you look at it, the Cards extend their unbeaten run in the league to seven games and will look to continue that in the new year.
Woking Starting XI: Jenkins, Hobday (46) (75), Cotter (46) (86), Mitchell (75), Underhill (65), Hardaker (24) (60) (90), Theocharous (46) (90), Nichol (46) (65), Ogle, Keenan (31) (46) (75), Howard ©
Subs: Christie (46), Bryan-Kerr (24) (60) (75), Boddy (31), Burgess (46) (86), Price (46)
Attendance: 37
Player of the Match: Kaitlin Howard