United line-up: Barrett, Matt Joseph, Granville, Preece (Thompson 82), Craddock, Raynor, Hayes (Turner 82), Hyde, Kyd, Barnwell, Beall.
Sub not used: Paul Wanless

Terry Wilby's match report:
The dream of a big club in the next round is over for another season. If we had played half as good as we usually can we would have won easily, however with so many players seeming to have off days we did not deserve to win. The team was unchanged, no place for Tony Richards yet.

Woking are a fairly large team of limited ability. Tactics included pushing opposition players, mostly not seen by the referee, and booting the ball into touch whenever in danger. Their only threat was Clive Walker, he made things happen for them, including the first goal, a cross cum shot which went in off the far post. He claims he meant it as he had seen Scott Barrett off the goal line earlier. He had the ability to go far enough past the defenders to put in a decent cross, something we managed very infrequently. The second goal came from a scramble near the edge of the penalty area, United had chances to clear, but didn't take them.

Woking closed down our players very quickly which stopped the passing game, so the hoof to the front was used which got us nowhere as Barnwell and Kyd were beaten easily. On the odd occasion they did win a header there was no-one to collect the flick-on.

For the first 5 minutes each half we came out looking to run the game, but after that did little. In the first half Billy Beall had a good chance when Micah threaded a ball through for him to run on to but the keeper made a good save at his feet. Our best chance came when the ball went through lots of legs to an unmarked Paul Raynor on the corner of the six yard box. His shot was also well blocked. In the second half we had one shot that was easily saved. Their keeper played really well, especially when it came to catching crosses from corners.

Adi Hayes had a real nightmare game, in a previous life he must have played for a team in red as he gave the ball to Woking so often. Micah and Matt Joseph also did the same but not quite so often. Raynor put the ball out of play loads of times. David Preece didn't do anything until after he was sandwiched by two six-footers (no free-kick though), and even then it was nothing penetrating. Our defence looked reasonably sound, although when we had a corner Woking put 3 men up front so we had to leave 3 back and Woking always tried a long boot out for them to run on to. Turner and Thompson came on for the last 10 minutes or so for Hayes and Preece, but could do little.

In general we didn't deserve to win, Woking got the bit of luck which put them through. As in previous games we are light at the front, Barnwell and Kyd are willing runners but more height is needed, and experience. I put Billy Beall as Man of the Match for United, he kept running and trying all the time, and was often ahead of the strikers looking for the ball, had a good chance saved by the keeper, and another good chance was just offside.

Ratings:
Barrett   5
Joseph    5
Granville 5
Preece    5
Craddock  5
Raynor    5
Hayes     3
Hyde      4
Kyd       4
Barnwell  4
Beall     6

Subs:
Turner    4
Thompson  4
Wanless not used.  

The Abbey Rabbit's report:
Er, well out-thought on the tactical front me thinks... Woking set their stall out to defend in strength and then attack on the counter, comfortably repulsed most that an increasingly desperate (and it has to be said, devoid of ideas) United threw at them... Despite both Beall and Raynor spurning golden opportunities in the first-half, it was the visitors who sowed the seeds of panic in the U's penalty area on a number of occasions.

Unfortunately, United's midfield failed en masse - Micah, back to his infuriating worse, Hayes had a mare and couldn't pass water on Saturday's performance and Preece went through the motions. With our "crisp passing game" lost in the fog, Barnwell and Kyd were increasingly isolated, unable to hold-up the ball and with support non-existant, most of the increasingly aimless hoofs we threw forward were swallowed up by the Cards midfield.

I thought second-half we'd step-up the pace, but we either couldn't or wouldn't. As the game progressed it was obvious that one goal would win it and Walker's cross/shot gave the visitors an arguably deserved lead - the second just added salt to our wounds.

Walker was the man of the match - he may be 39 but there is obviously no substitute for class, and Hay was a constant worry, gave the visitors an outlet and was able to retain possesion with his back to goal...

My main corn was that McFarland seemed incapable of changing anything - bringing on two subs for the last seven minutes was a joke. In the end we got what we deserved - nothing. This was a humiliation. Tactically out-fought and out-thought by the Conference side.

U's "MoM" I thought was Joseph - one of the few U's players to emerge with any credit. Raynor worked his socks-off, but his passing was often astray (or not read by team-mates) and couldn't make up for the rest of the midfield's ineptitude.

We need a striker!

SteveJ@AbbeyRabbit

Many thanks to Terry Wilby and Steve Jillings for their reports.

Back to Match fixtures, results and reports

Home