Academy Bulletin | Cards out of Academy Cup

Academy Bulletin for Fixture Week Commencing 18th December:


Upcoming Fixtures – W/C 18th December

Wednesday 20th December

14.00 – Woking U19 v Welling United U19, National League Alliance, Academy South

Westfield FC, Woking Park (this fixture is to be confirmed)



Thursday 21st December

19.30 - Woking U18 v Bedfont Sports U18, Isthmian Football League, Youth West Division

Knaphill FC, Redding Way



Match Reports & Results: Week commencing 11th December

13th December, Oxford City U19 3 - 1 Woking U19
National League Academy Cup, 1st Round
Court Place Farm, Marsh Lane

Having reached the final last season there was optimism that Woking could again go on a cup run, but it wasn’t to be.

Woking started brightly enough without really creating anything more than half-chances, and then encountered a problem on 19 minutes - Jamie Hilton realising that he was not going to win the ball did his best to pull out of the challenge but still caught his opponent, and received a yellow card for his troubles.

Woking re-arranged to reduce the chances of a second booking for their holding midfielder, and looked to be getting the upper hand. On 27 minutes Lui Edwards found himself running in on goal with a chance he would usually convert, but Thomas Russell in the Oxford goal was able to push Edwards’ shot away for a corner.

Then came the decisive spell of the game, with Oxford scoring three goals in eight minutes in the run up to half-time. On 36 minutes Brayden Daniel was able to tap in from a few yards when Louie Sullivan’s parry from Mekhai Bessasa-Grant's shot fell at Daniel’s feet.

Two minutes later it was 2-0, but not without questions being raised as to why the linesman didn’t flag for what looked to be the offside position of Ryan Sheppard as he tapped in at the far-post from Bessasa-Grant's cross.

On 43 minutes the roles were reversed, Sheppard’s excellent pass from midfield putting through Bessasa-Grant to hold off his man and fire home. Woking could perhaps have worked harder to prevent the situation they found themselves in, but Oxford’s movement at pace had proved difficult to defend against.

Half-time: Oxford City 3 – 0 Woking

Finding themselves in an ‘all-or-nothing' situation, Woking made three changes and within five minutes looked to have got a goal back. Ryan Scott’s neat far-post finish from Kjay Bailey’s cross looked comfortably onside, but the referee surprised many by not over-turning the linesman’s flag. The same linesman having now surprisingly ruled against Woking on two occasions.

Woking continued to take the game to Oxford, but were not creating any clear-cut chances – Tom Gardner heading narrowly wide from a Scott corner on 71 minutes being as close as they came as Oxford maintained their lead.

Woking did get a goal back on 75 minutes, Scott again providing a fine ball across the area, which Ben Mitchell was on hand to poke home from inside the six-yard box. With Oxford squandering chances to re-establish their three-goal cushion another Woking goal could have made for a nervous finish, but the nearest they came was a chance falling to an off-balance Bailey who unfortunately missed his kick.

Things may have been different if the crucial decisions had not gone against Woking, but the Cards find themselves back to concentrating on the league, which they currently find themselves bottom of.

Oxford City: Thomas Russell, Alvin Gerald, Caleb Moir, Luke Alexander, Freddy Joyce, Aydin Ulas (Kian Duggan 65), Jayden Carbon © (Charlie Bacon 55), Finlay Beckett, Mekhai Bessasa-Grant, Ryan Sheppard (Rafa Dos-Santos 80), Brayden Daniel. Unused subs: Tyrae Njogu, Yogev Ben-Yishay.

Goals: Daniel 36, Sheppard 38, Bessasa-Grant 43.



Woking: Louie Sullivan; Harrison Stevens (Jayden Wynter 46), Tom Gardner, Jack Matton; Ryan Scott ©, Ollie Mason, Jamie Hilton (Alex Rihoy 46), Aiden Payne-James (Kjay Bailey 46); Harry Newbould (Lewis Mytollari 68), Ben Mitchell, Lui Edwards. Unused sub: Harry White (GK).

Goal: Mitchell 75.


14th December, Haywards Heath Town U18 v Woking U18

Isthmian Football League, Youth West Division

Match Postponed