Academy Bulletin | Week Nine
Ian Tilley
11:14am, Mon 14th Oct 2024
Upcoming Fixtures – Week commencing 14th October 2024
Tuesday 15th October
19:45 – Redhill v Woking; Surrey Senior Cup - First Round - The Academy representing the Club in the County Cup on this occasion.
Kiln Brow, Three Arch Road, Redhill
Wednesday 16th October
13:45 – Charlton Athletic Trust v Woking U17; National League Alliance – Division E
Charlton Athletic FC Training Ground, Sparrows Lane
Friday 18th October
19:00 – Ramsgate U18 v Woking U18; FA Youth Cup - Third Round (of) Qualifying
Prices Avenue, Ramsgate
For up-to-date information on fixtures please refer to the Woking Football Club Academy X (twitter) page.
Match Reports and Team Details – Week commencing 7th October 2024
Monday 7th October
Kingstonian U18 2 - 1 Woking U17; Isthmian Football League – Youth Central Division
King Georges Field, Whitehall Lane, South Park, Reigate
With both teams having beaten South Park in their first games of the season, this was a better indicator that the Central Division is going to be stronger overall than the West Division won by last season’s first years.
Both sides pressed forwards in the early exchanges, but it was Jools Lacey in the Woking goal who was the busier of the ‘keepers, making good saves from Daniel Gilmore, Eren Hincal and Charlie Bland. Woking responded well, Samuel Cockwell relieved to see Will Ledbury’s effort bounce back off the post and into his arms.
This was a fairly even contest, but Gilmore should have given Kingstonian the lead on 28 minutes, putting a very good chance over the bar. He made amends 5 minutes later, closing down Lacey and finding a favourable ricochet leaving him with a straightforward tap in to make it 1 – 0.
Woking responded with good attacking intent but couldn’t create a clear chance, and it was Lacey saving again from Gilmore which meant the score remained unchanged going into the break.
Half-time: Kingstonian 1 – 0 Woking
Woking started the second-half more brightly, a team that had not had a competitive fixture for nearly a month perhaps starting to gel again. There was good energy from Woking and Jack Tricker came closest to getting a finishing touch to the Cards’ neat passing moves.
As the half wore on, Kingstonian looked like they were going to maintain their lead, Cockwell saving from Seyi Akinwalere when the Woking attacker won the ball on 74 minutes. Woking kept pressing and after Akinwalere had headed a difficult chance wide, had the equaliser on 84 minutes. Tricker, Akinwalere and Hayden Vally all played their part in the build-up, and Louie Boyle was able to finish emphatically from 6 yards.
Woking looked to have earnt a hard-fought point, but within 2 minutes were behind again. Dillan Davies got caught the wrong side of his man and his challenge conceded a penalty. Jake Jackson made no mistake with a firmly hit right foot drive to Lacey’s left.
There was time for Woking to respond, Akinwalare shooting wide with a difficult chance, and confident appeals for a penalty for a challenge on Ledbury going unheeded by the referee. As the game went in to added time Woking continued to press, but Akinwalere and Thomas Ward were frustrated by the Kingstonian defence, and Elijah Mwanza nearly caught Woking on the counter-attack but saw his shot saved.
Five minutes of added time were not enough for Woking to earn a point, and the players will now know that this league may not be as easy as they thought it might be after their opening day victory over South Park.
Kingstonian: Samuel Cockwell, Mishael Matilion Konan (Taylor Green 42), Ben Parkinson (c) (Bryan Edwards 87), Lucas Dyer, Jake Jackson, Taehyun Kim (Elijah Mwanza 68), Nima Ghandali, Eren Hincal, Hwan Lee (Kavell Buckmaster 80), Charlie Bland, Daniel Gilmore (Heesu Lee 60). Unused Sub: Taylor Green (GK).
Goals: Gilmore 33, Jackson 86 (pen).
Woking: Jools Lacey, Thomas Ward (c), Dillan Davies (Oliver Rigby 90+3), Joel Jennison-Leppa, Louie Boyle, Will Ledbury, Leo Christopher, Jack Tricker, Bruno Dackombe (Frankie Bushby 75), Callum Mathieson (Hayden Vally 62), Seyi Akinwalere. Unused subs: Jack Roles (GK), Amario Malhotra.
Goal: Boyle 84.
Referee: John Chinnery.
Wednesday 9th October
Woking U19 P - P Maidenhead United U19; National League Alliance – Academy South
Westfield FC, Woking Park. Match postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
Thursday 10th October
Woking U21 1 – 1 Bracknell Town U23; Suburban Football League – Premier Division
Knaphill FC, Redding Way
Bracknell Town use a very full squad numbering system, which gave them a total starting XI shirt value of 274, 208 higher than a traditional 1 to 11. Anyway, this was a game that Woking could have had double-figures in, yet it took a goal deep into added time at the end of the second-half to earn them a point.
Bracknell taking the lead on 7 minutes gave little indication of what was to follow, Aidan McGuire making no mistake from a few yards out when the ball broke to him from a 50-50 challenge following DaQaio Stewart’s cross.
Although Bracknell competed well, and did look to get forwards themselves with threatening pace, it was Woking who created several chances during the first-half, without being able to find an equaliser. The closest Woking came was after 20 minutes, Harvey Brook and Lucas Boxall combined excellently to set up Jermaine Junior Young, who looked sure to score as he hit his shot low and true, only for the ball to hit the grounded ‘keeper and loop up on to the crossbar and behind.
Half-time: Woking 0 – 1 Bracknell Town
For the second-half Woking replaced Aidy Silverstein with Tommy Seale, with Seale coming in to midfield and Harrison Stevens dropping into the centre of defence.
Although Bracknell continued to look threatening on the break, with Stevens forced in to one particularly good covering challenge, a similar pattern of play to the first-half continued, with Woking creating chances, but still unable to draw level.
On 62 minutes Woking saw a welcome return for Ryan Scott on the right flank, with Louis Pask moving to the left, as Woking continued to press forwards. Stanley Kyle, Pask and Young and substitutes Byron Mitchell and Scott all had chances, with Alex Brown seemingly unbeatable in the Bracknell goal, and covered brilliantly by a defender when beaten by Scott’s fine 80th minute drive.
It seemed Woking must surely equalise, but Bracknell still held the lead as the game moved in to added time. There was still time for plenty of drama, as Bracknell tried to delay play, perhaps to their own detriment. With frustration growing Kyle was sent off on 90+6 minutes for what the referee deemed to be an arm in the face of the opposition player. Perhaps Woking’s chance had gone?
However, there was still time, Seale and Scott again involved in driving Woking forward, and finally the ball broke for Woking in the 6-yard box, Pask, continuing his good habit of popping up with important goals, on hand to knock the ball home. Such is the modern game, there more than 90 minutes between the goals, with Woking able to celebrate the equaliser scored on 90+8 minutes, the last meaningful action.
Woking: Mikey Verga, Jack Lewis, Aidy Silverstein (Tommy Seale 46), Jacob Farr, Louis Pask, Jermaine Junior Young, Harrison Stevens, Lucas Boxall, Sam Brittain (Ryan Scott 62), Harvey Brook (Byron Mitchell 69), Stanley Kyle (c). Unused subs: Bob Honey (GK), George Galea-Elston.
Goal: Pask 90+8.
Bracknell Town: Alex Brown, Julien Guzman, Riley Robinson, Sanele Diamini (Thompson Olawuyi 79), Jake Hunter (c), Shahnazar Muhammetnazarov, Aidan McGuire, Zach Cox, PJ Jong (Isaiah Harrison 56), Kamal Scott Mahoney (Razvan Roman 46), DaQaio Stewart.
Goal: McGuire 7.
Referee: Anthony King.
Loan (Dual Registered Players) watch:
Tuesday 8th October
Tom Gardner, Centre-Back, 3rd year – Sandhurst Town: Played the full game of the 1 – 2 defeat at Holyport in the Berks & Bucks County Cup Second Round.
Ollie Mason, Centre Midfield, 3rd year – Ascot United: Ollie played the first 17 minutes of this midweek fixture, before suffering a dislocated shoulder. We wish him a speedy recovery. Ascot drew 2 – 2 at Hayes & Yeading United in the Isthmian League - South Central Division.
Henry McDonald, Centre Midfield, 3rd year – Petersfield Town: Played the full 90 minutes of the 3 – 3 draw with Havant & Waterlooville in the Portsmouth FA Senior Cup First Round. Henry scored in the 27th minute to give his side a 2 – 1 lead. And when the tie went to penalties, he also scored his spot kick as Petersfield won 4 – 3.
Ben Mitchell, Forward, 3rd year - Knaphill: Played 84 minutes of the 1 – 1 draw with Corinthian Casuals in the Combined Counties Premier Division South.
Saturday 12th October
Lui Edwards, Forward, 4th year – Westfield: Played the full game, and scored in the 4th minute, when in the right place to tap home after the ‘keeper failed to gather the ball, of the home game against Hanworth Villa in the Isthmian League - South Central Division. Unfortunately for Westfield, Hanworth turned around a 0 – 1 half-time deficit to win 3 – 1.
Tom Gardner, Centre-Back, 3rd year – Sandhurst Town: Played the full game in the 4 – 3 victory over Balham in the Combined Counties Premier Division South. Sandhurst were 2 – 3 down going in to added time.
Henry McDonald, Centre Midfield, 3rd year – Petersfield Town: In the starting XI for the Southern Combination - Premier Division 1 – 1 draw against Lingfield.
Ben Mitchell, Forward, 3rd year - Knaphill: Played the first 59 minutes, and scored the equalising goal on 36 minutes, of the Combined Counties Premier Division South game against Guildford City (who Mitchell was on loan with last season), which Knaphill went on to win 2 – 1.