WEYMOUTH 0 WOKING 1

Weymouth 0 Woking 1
19 January 2008

Woking picked up their fourth away win of the season at the Wessex Stadium this afternoon, just edging out Weymouth thanks to a fine late strike from Marvin Morgan. The Terras hit the post in the first half and missed an absolute ?sitter? in the second half but Marvin?s clinical finish proved to be the decisive piece of action. The win moved the Cards up to 16th in the table and 14 points clear of the relegation zone.

The Cards? side was unchanged from the one that started last Saturday?s game against Aldershot Town in the FA Trophy. The Terras fans must have been a bit puzzled as a team wearing an Argentina strip took the field to roars of ?Norway, Norway? ? accompanied by Norwegian flags (Aldershot fans, please note!) ? provided by Woking?s noisy Norwegian contingent (with a few honorary Norwegians thrown in). See picture!

Weymouth threatened immediately as a through ball was threaded through to Anton Robinson in the box but he was foiled by Matt Pattison?s timely intervention. Woking responded with an attack of their own in which Tom Hutchinson and Jay Gasson were both prominent before a Terras forward was given a worrying amount of space to plant a free header wide of the Woking goal.

The game became a rather scrappy affair, not helped by a gusty wind, with neither side managing to impose themselves on the play for long. Woking gained several free-kicks in decent positions but the delivery, mainly from Adam Green, was poor. The Cards? use of set pieces was a weakness all afternoon: corners weren?t much better.

A promising Woking move on the quarter of an hour mark saw Jason Norville bring the ball down neatly, taking it wide of the home keeper, but the ball ran across the face of the goal, eluding Marvin Morgan. This was followed by a crisp move, with Marvin and Bradley Quamina working the ball from the left wing out to Matt Gray on the right. Matt?s first-time drilled cross caused havoc in the Terras? defence but the Cards could not force the ball home.

Weymouth responded with a fine move of their own as Gavin McCallum whipped a cross in; only a desperate lunge by Tom Hutchinson succeeded in nicking the ball off the toes of a lurking Weymouth forward.

As the half wore on ? and certainly during the last quarter of an hour or so ? the Cards seemed to gain the upper hand and spent much of the time in the Weymouth half. Jason Norville played in Marvin Morgan but the latter?s first touch was poor and his bobbled shot did not trouble the Weymouth keeper. The usually dependable Jay Gasson nearly blotted his copy book when he lost control of the ball in the central midfield, which allowed the lively Wilfred Domoraud to fire in a shot which Nick Gindre tipped over the bar. The Terras came even closer when, after some intricate play around the box, McCallum?s toe-poked effort hit the outside of the post. Nick Gindre then nearly gifted the Terras a goal when a dreadful mis-kick went straight to Domoraud but Danny Bunce produced a brilliant saving tackle to divert his shot at the empty goal.

Marvin Morgan should perhaps have done better in the 37th minute when a Goma Lambu pass enabled him to get into the area but he turned back into trouble instead of shooting and was quickly dispossessed. Danny Bunce?s wild shot was the last piece of action before half-time.

Half-time: Weymouth 0 Woking 0

The second half continued in a fairly scrappy vein. Jason Norville worked himself into a good position in the 55th minute but his shot was blocked. Two early substitutions by Weymouth seemed to shake them up. Matt Pattison did well to divert a dangerous cross to safety and then Nick Gindre had to pounce on a loose ball after a corner had bounced off Bradley Quamina. Frank Gray responded with a double substitution of his own, Giuseppe Sole and Lewis Christon replacing Adam Green and Matt Pattison. Lewis moved into the right back slot, with Matt Gray taking Matt Pattison?s place in midfield.

Woking then had an almighty ?let off?. As a cross came in from the Woking left, Sido Jombarti only had to side-foot the ball in from a couple of yards out. He managed to get his feet into a complete tangle, and the chance was gone.

The game opened up as the Terras pressed for the win they desperately wanted and the Cards looked to hit them on the break. Gez Sole distinguished himself with a couple of determined challenges and Lewis Christon showed his promise in sweeping up at the back after Bradley Quamina and Danny Bunce had lost possession in midfield. There was another heart-stopping moment for Cards fans as Nick Gindre rushed out of his area. He failed to get to the ball first but, fortunately, did not take the opposing player out, and Jay Gasson then cleared the Woking lines.

Some fine interplay between Jason Norville and Marvin Morgan carved out an opening for the advancing Gez Sole but his firmly-struck shot was wide of the Terras? goal. A minute later Marvin burst through the middle but seemed reluctant to shoot and could only prod the ball into the middle.

Woking scored the decisive goal in the 80th minute. Goma Lambu slid the ball, inside the full back, to Marvin Morgan just inside the Weymouth box. The Terrras? keeper came out to narrow the angle but Marvin finished clinically, placing the ball just inside the keeper?s near post.

The Cards held on relatively comfortably to their lead, including for a surprising five minutes of added time. Balls were despatched to the opposing corner: Danny Bunce found touch just before the corner flag on one occasion! Lewis Christon frayed the nerves a little as he tried to control the ball on his knee instead of clearing it straightaway but his quick recovery averted disaster.

The Terras will no doubt feel that they should have got at least a point out of this game but they have only themselves to blame for missing the afternoon?s best chance. The Woking team worked tirelessly and probably feel that they deserved a bit of fortune after recent reverses.

Woking: Nick Gindre, Matt Gray, Tom Hutchinson, Jay Gasson, Danny Bunce; Goma Lambu, Matt Pattison (Lewis Christon, 61), Bradley Quamina, Adam Green (Giuseppe Sole, 61); Marvin Morgan, Jason Norville (Liam Marum, 84)

Unused subs: Ross Worner, Jerome Maledon

Booked: Matt Pattison

Attendance: 1310

My MOTM: Tom Hutchinson: gobbled up everything that came his way.