Match Report | Cards beaten by League One opposition
William Bewsey
9:18pm, Tue 23rd Jul 2024
Woking 0-2 Reading
Pre-Season Friendly
23rd July 2024
Woking returned to the Laithwaite with a friendly against League One Reading. Michael Doyle lined up with three home debutants in Ben Wynter, Cian Harries and Dale Gorman, with Harry Beautyman and Jacob Jones notable absentees.
As for Reading, they had former Card Jayden Wareham on the bench, bringing a total squad size of 23 for the fixture.
The game began with Reading dominating possession, forcing the Cards’ back three into action on a few occasions. First to get involved was Ben Wynter, the first summer signing for Woking crucially intercepting from Basil Tuma as he looked to pull the trigger.
Dion Kelly-Evans put in a couple of crunching challenges on two Reading players, the versatile defender was playing in midfield but covering plenty of ground in the process. Some good work from Wynter down the right hand side nearly gave Charley Kendall a chance to go around David Button, but he lost his footing at the crucial time.
Woking’s trialist ‘keeper was forced into action by Sam Smith after a neat through ball set him in on goal, but the effort was denied and regardless, Smith was offside anyway. There was then time for a Dale Gorman free kick to force Button into a save before the first half came to an end.
Half-time: Woking 0-0 Reading
After just short of an hour, Reading opened the scoring with an emphatic strike from Jayden Wareham. The former Woking striker received the ball just inside the box and drilled it into the near post.
Reading then changed almost their entire team, with Woking bringing on Timi Odusina and a trialist for the impressive Dale Gorman and Cian Harries. Charley Kendall was then replaced by a trialist shortly afterwards.
But the away side continued pushing, and after superb work from substitute Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan to turn inside the box and be fouled, he squeezed his effort past the trialist keeper despite his best efforts to palm away.
A big save was required once again from the trialist keeper after Femi Azeez was in on goal, denying the attacker down to his left.
That was that, with Reading comprehensive winners in the end, but some good minutes in the tank for Michael Doyle’s men ahead of a trip to Salisbury on Saturday.
Woking: Trialist, Moss, Wynter, Harries, Dyche (Odusina 62’), Lewis (Smith 80’), Kelly-Evans, Akinola, Gorman (Trialist 61’), Kendall, Walker (Trialist 80’)
Reading: Button, Rushesha, Ryan, Stickland, Dean, Craig, Senga, Elliott, Tuma, Camara, Smith
Goals: Wareham 59’, Ehibhatiomhan 75’
Attendance: 2635
