Lovetts

Match Report | Boro well beaten as Ardley successfully shuffles his Cards

William Bewsey
9:36pm, Tue 7th Jan 2025
Woking 4-0 Radcliffe
FA Trophy Fourth Round
7th January 2025

Woking looked to progress into the fifth round of the FA Trophy, with Radcliffe standing in their way. Neal Ardley rang the changes for the first time as Woking boss, with eight of them including returns to the side for Ben Wynter and Rohan Ince among others.

In near freezing temperatures, Woking kicked off towards the LGS through Jamie Andrews, and nearly had an early goal when Dennon Lewis crossed for Tom Leahy, but he could only fire over with the ball bouncing. Leahy then found Wynter on the right hand side of the area, but he blazed over from a tight angle.

Just after the half hour mark, a long ball found Tunde Owolabi up against Tunji Akinola, but he was forced wide and could only hit his effort over the bar from the angle.

However, in the 37th minute, an inch-perfect ball from Lewis Walker found Leahy in behind the defence, and he rolled the ball past Mateusz Hewelt to give the Cards the lead.

Scott Duxbury’s inch-perfect cross was headed just wide by Daniel Greenfield as the visitors hoped to respond quickly, before Leahy’s shot after nabbing the ball high up the pitch bobbled just wide.

With the first half about to finish, Leahy found space down the right, and crossed low for Walker. His first time finish gave Hewelt no chance and doubled the Cards’ lead, a real bonus following a fairly even first half.


Half-time: Woking 2–0 Radcliffe

Woking began the second half in excellent fashion, with Andrews winning the ball back and Walker driving towards the edge of the box, where he rolled the ball into the bottom corner past the outstretched dive of Hewett. A complex finish made to look very, very simple.

Leahy was played through nicely with 50 minutes gone, but Hewelt saved well twice as the Cards looked to add daylight between the sides. Woking then made four changes on the hour mark, with Leahy, Wynter, Akinola and Ince being replaced by Matt Ward, Inih Effiong, Dale Gorman and Adam Chicksen.

Will Jaaskelainen hadn’t been called into meaningful action until the 68th minute, when he covered his near post brilliantly to block Owolabi’s near post effort behind for a corner.

Woking had a penalty after 73 minutes when brilliant work from Effiong down the wing saw him play Ward inside the box, but his effort was blocked by the hand of Richard Smith.

However, Walker’s effort was easily saved by Hewett, who gathered the ball slightly down to his right.

Greenfield’s burst in behind the Woking defence saw him hit the post, before a swift Woking counter ended in Ward blasting one into the side netting.

Greenfield somehow blazed over the bar from no more than six yards out when the ball deflected kindly into his path, the Radcliffe forward getting himself into several good positions in the final 20 minutes, but luck was not on his side.

Woking had a fourth late on when a corner was met by Walker, whose prod towards goal was turned in on the line by Ward under pressure from a Radcliffe defender.

A professional showing from the Cards, who proved too strong for their part time counterparts over 90 minutes, and will visit Gainsborough Trinity in the first week of February.





Woking: Jaaskelainen, Wynter (Ward 60’), Akinola (Chicksen 60’),Harries, Jones, Andrews, Ince (Gorman 60’), Conte, Lewis (Beautyman 80’), Leahy (Effiong 60’), Walker

Subs: Webber, Vincent

Goals: Leahy 37’, Walker 45+1’, 48’, Ward 89’

Bookings: Wynter 52’

Radcliffe: Hewett, Jackson (Modi 84’), Duxbury, Smith, Maynard, Hulme, Dudley (Navarro 64’), Roscoe, Sargent, Owolabi (Partington 70’), Greenfield

Subs: Mercer, Sullivan

Bookings: Smith 74’

Attendance: 781

Man of the Match: Jamie Andrews made an excellent return to the lineup with a composed midfield performance.

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