Academy Review - Week 32
Written by Ian Tilley & Holly Porter Upcoming Fixtures – Week commencing 31st March 2025
Wednesday 2nd April
14:00 – Eastleigh U19 v Woking U19; National League Academy - South Division
Stoneham Lane, Eastleigh SO50 9HT
14:00 – Woking U17 v Chatham Town Youth; National League Alliance – Division E
Woking College, Rydens Way
For up-to-date information on fixtures please refer to the Woking Football Club Academy X (twitter) page.
Information is also available on the fulltime.thefa.com website.
The Academy website, where you can also find details of the Elite Development Squad launch, is wokingcitc.org
Match Reports and Team Details – Week commencing 24th March 2025
Wednesday 26th March
Eastleigh Blues 2 – 1 Woking U17; National League Alliance – Division E
Stoneham Lane, Eastleigh
Woking: James Moore, Max Goldsworthy, Ollie Rigby (Kai Baverstock 80), Thomas Ward, Roshan Kigozi, Will Ledbury, Joe Scanlon (Brian Rai 70), Jack Tricker, Zack Rhioui (Tyrell Ejakita 46), Frankie Bushby (Pranish Gurung 80), Hayden Vally.
Goal: Tricker 80.
Woking U19 0 – 2 Aldershot Town U19; National League Academy - South Division
Westfield FC, Woking Park
Report from Holly Porter
After a strong second-half performance against Dartford last week, the u19s took to Westfield FC in the local derby, searching for a similar result to the 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture.
Lewis initiated Woking’s first chance of the half in just the 2nd minute, with a charging run down the right wing and a threatening cross into the box, which called Knight into early action. The travelling ‘keeper did well to get to the ball first and punched the threat away, which prevented an early chance for the Cards.
The strongest chance in the opening 10 minutes fell Aldershot’s way, with a 7th minute effort from range which went narrowly wide of the bottom left corner.
In the 11th minute, the home side strung together another strong move forward, this time with Lewis’ ball finding Mitchell before falling to Boyle on the edge of the area. The shot was well closed down and blocked by Aldershot, but moments later it was Boyle who arrived in the box yet again, this time, although a promising run, he could not get the contact on the delivery.
Immediately after, Aldershot were able to break forward with a ball through the defence, but Gardner did extremely well and tracked back after a heavy touch took the ball away from the Aldershot attack, which allowed the skipper to force the play backwards.
In the 32nd minute, the travelling side looked set to take the lead after a strong move saw them play around the Woking backline, and split the defence with a ball into the box. The final touch, however, was heavy, which allowed Honey to react and collect without too much trouble.
A couple of chances in the 37th minute presented an opportunity for Woking to take the lead. Firstly, Mitchell did well to win the ball back in the midfield and break into the box, but his pass to Christophers who was waiting in a promising position was intercepted. Moments later, Scott took a free-kick just inside the Aldershot half, which looped towards the goalmouth, but Knight was there once again and punched away the threat.
In the 43rd minute, Scott stood over yet another free-kick, this time just outside the box. His initial delivery was defended back out to him for a second attempt, and the ball fell to Smith on the second time of asking. Smith, by cutting onto his left foot, allowed the defence time to adjust, however, and his effort was blocked.
Just as the game looked set to reach the break on level footing, Aldershot broke into the box, after a great touch which freed them from the defence, and Nelson fired a shot into the roof of Honey’s net to take a crucial half-time advantage.
Half-time: Woking 0 – 1 Aldershot
It wasn’t long into the second-half when Aldershot doubled their advantage after a penalty kick was awarded for a challenge just inside the area. Hills took the kick, and although Honey dived the right way, the ball squeezed in on his right in the 54th minute.
Woking looked to get one back straight away, with Scott stood over another free-kick in a promising position, this time just outside the box. Gardner rose to the delivery, but the ball just evaded his head, and the follow-up shot from Christophers did not have the accuracy to trouble Knight in the Aldershot net.
Straight back down the other end, in the 59th minute, Aldershot were able to break forward and pass through the defence and into the box, but Honey reacted first and cleared the ball under pressure to deny the visitors a chance at a third.
Involved again, Scott played a great ball over the top to Boxall in the 64th minute. Boxall’s touch took him into the box, but he was quickly closed down by the Aldershot defence, and his effort was blocked. Moments later, Scott took an effort from range, but the shot rose above the crossbar and Woking remained in their two-goal deficit.
Christophers had the same luck in the 70th minute, with his shot also being fired over the bar. Just a minute later, Mitchell had the ball pulled back to him in the box, but his close-range effort went wide.
In the 81st minute, Aldershot had the ball in the back of the net again after a decent move forward, but the offside flag limited the damage, and the scoreline remained unchanged.
The closest that the Young Cards came in the closing stages was a first time-effort from Boxall in the first minute of injury time. The close-range shot, however, was met by the reactive save of Knight, who retained his clean sheet and saw Woking suffer a derby defeat.
Reacting to the game, Academy Manager Matt Winter said: “Incredibly tough, an important game for us, an important game for the football club, and I feel like we just fell a little bit short in all areas. As staff, we held our hands up for the first-half, we set the boys up wrong, and we admitted that at half-time. To be honest if we’d have got through to half-time at nil-nil the game plan would have kind of been working the way we wanted it to, and given us an opportunity to really go at it a little bit more in the second half. We conceded around half-time which was disappointing and then we came out in the second-half and still felt we could really create the opportunities to get us back in the game, but we shot ourselves in the foot and the second goal really is a killer and gives us a mountain to climb.”
Woking: Bob Honey, Jack Lewis (Louis Pask 57’), Tom Gardner ©, George Galea-Elston (Jojo Ampah 78’), Ryan Scott, Louie Boyle, Leo Christophers, Henry McDonald (Jermaine Junior Young 66’), Jayden Smith, Lucas Boxall, Ben Mitchell. Unused subs: Mikey Verga (GK), Stan Kyle.
Aldershot: Louis Knight, Harrison Davey, Joshua Dayne, Kaden Hughes, Lucas Turner, Callum Kent, Lewis Hillary ©, Tommy Nelson (Savion Shah 60’), Felix Hills (Thomas Neail 72’), Gabriel Wall (Max Walker 72’), Kian Dugdale. Unused substitutes: Euan Moss, Keanu Black.
Goals: Nelson 45+2, Hills 54.
Referee: Paz Morreale.
Loan (Dual Registered Players) watch:
Saturday 29th March
Sam Brittain, Midfield, 2nd year – Virginia Water: Played the first 72 minutes of the 1 – 5 defeat to Broadfields in the Combined Counties League – Premier Division North (Step 5).
Stanley Kyle, Forward, 2nd year – Camberley Town: Came on as a 66th minute substitute in the 0 – 2 defeat to Knaphill in the Combined Counties League - Premier Division South (Step 5).
Henry McDonald, Centre Midfield, 3rd year – Camberley Town: Played the first 66 minutes of the 0 – 2 defeat to Knaphill in the Combined Counties League – Premier Division South (Step 5).
Ben Mitchell, Forward, 3rd year - Knaphill: Played the first 70 minutes in the 2 – 0 victory at Camberley Town in the Combined Counties League – Premier Division South (Step 5).
Louis Pask, Midfielder, 2nd year – Camberley Town: Came on as an 80th minute substitute in the 0 – 2 defeat to Knaphill in the Combined Counties League – Premier Division South (Step 5).
Mikey Verga, Goalkeeper, 2nd year – Westfield: Played the full game in the 1 – 1 draw at Guernsey in the Isthmian League - South Central Division (Step 4).
Harry White, Goalkeeper, 2nd year – Sandhurst Town: Played the full game in the 2 – 3 defeat to Alton in the Combined Counties League - Premier Division South (Step 5). Harry returning from his Division Two trials.