Woking 1-0 Eastleigh
WOKING 1-0 EASTLEIGH
SATURDAY 3rd DECEMBER 2011
Blue Square Bet South
Match Report by Ray Murphy
It was a disappointed Eastleigh side that left the home of top of the table Woking having lost by a solitary goal that had more than a hint of offside about the legality of the award. For long periods of the game you would have thought that it was Eastleigh who were in pole position in the table and not their hosts.
Following a busy latter end to the week, Eastleigh drafted into the side new midfield signings Scott Rogers from Newport County and Ali Fuseini from Lincoln City. Both players introduced themselves to their new team mates in the changing rooms before kick off. With Ross Bottomley and Ian Herring suspended, Danny Smith reverted to a right back role, Jamie Slabber returned to lead the front role line Jamie Brown dropped into midfield. Woking were without influential central defender and skipper Adam Doyle through suspension.
Woking had the first opportunity on goal in the fourth minute when a free kick into the area from Jay Davies saw Alan Inns turn on the ball but shoot just wide of the target. Eastleigh had a free kick just outside the opposite area on eleven minutes with the new signings Rogers and Fuseini taking control, the latter curling the free kick just under the bar but was safely collected by Woking goalkeeper Aaron Howe.
On seventeen minutes Brown's pass into Slabber saw the Eastleigh leading goalscorer lay the ball off for Chris Flood midway inside the Woking half. Flood ran at the Woking defence before drilling a low shot which Howe parried away with the ball arriving back to Flood who saw his second effort cleared away for a corner.
Although at this stage Eastleigh were holding the upper had, Woking were gradually easing themselves into the game. Tom Jordan’s last-ditch tackle denied Paris Cowan-Hall a free attempt on target though Jack Dovey did still have a save to make from the effort on twenty-five minutes. Two minutes later the left foot of Graeme Montgomery allowed a long-range effort just off target.
On thirty-three minutes with the Woking defence under pressure, a long ball to clear their lines saw striker Wayne Gray race on to the ball and past the Eastleigh defence though Dovey was quickly off his line to avoid any danger. Woking had the best two chances as the half drew to a close, a cross from the right by full back Adam Newton saw Moses Ademola head wide then from Ademola's corner, Inns' header was cleared off the line by Jordan.
Following a busy latter end to the week, Eastleigh drafted into the side new midfield signings Scott Rogers from Newport County and Ali Fuseini from Lincoln City. Both players introduced themselves to their new team mates in the changing rooms before kick off. With Ross Bottomley and Ian Herring suspended, Danny Smith reverted to a right back role, Jamie Slabber returned to lead the front role line Jamie Brown dropped into midfield. Woking were without influential central defender and skipper Adam Doyle through suspension.
Woking had the first opportunity on goal in the fourth minute when a free kick into the area from Jay Davies saw Alan Inns turn on the ball but shoot just wide of the target. Eastleigh had a free kick just outside the opposite area on eleven minutes with the new signings Rogers and Fuseini taking control, the latter curling the free kick just under the bar but was safely collected by Woking goalkeeper Aaron Howe.
On seventeen minutes Brown's pass into Slabber saw the Eastleigh leading goalscorer lay the ball off for Chris Flood midway inside the Woking half. Flood ran at the Woking defence before drilling a low shot which Howe parried away with the ball arriving back to Flood who saw his second effort cleared away for a corner.
Although at this stage Eastleigh were holding the upper had, Woking were gradually easing themselves into the game. Tom Jordan’s last-ditch tackle denied Paris Cowan-Hall a free attempt on target though Jack Dovey did still have a save to make from the effort on twenty-five minutes. Two minutes later the left foot of Graeme Montgomery allowed a long-range effort just off target.
On thirty-three minutes with the Woking defence under pressure, a long ball to clear their lines saw striker Wayne Gray race on to the ball and past the Eastleigh defence though Dovey was quickly off his line to avoid any danger. Woking had the best two chances as the half drew to a close, a cross from the right by full back Adam Newton saw Moses Ademola head wide then from Ademola's corner, Inns' header was cleared off the line by Jordan.
HALF TIME: Woking 0-0 Eastleigh
Woking started the second period in a determined fashion. In the second minute after the restart with the Eastleigh defence trying to clear their lines under pressure, Davies picked out a ball in the centre of the park and played a diagonal pass to the right flank to find Ben Smith (who is on loan to Woking from Crawley Town). Smith looked in an offside position but he played the ball across the face of the six-yard box where Ademola missed connection at the near post but Gray arrived at the far post to fire home, which left the Eastleigh rearguard appealing in vain for the decision in their favour.
Eastleigh tried to regain the status quo immediately. Three minutes after the goal, Montgomery’s throw was helped on at the near post and Andy Forbes saw a header at the far post glide just over the bar. A minute later Forbes, who had a spell at Woking, produced an excellent tackle to dispossess Gray and set up another opportunity for an equaliser. Forbes' tackle saw the ball run to Fuseini who fed Montgomery out wide who in turn lofted the ball forward allowing Jordace Holder-Spooner to flick on into the path of Slabber; but the strikers shot was too high.
A block tackle by Jordan then denied Moses; whilst at the opposite end, Michael Green had a low drive from the edge of the area saved by Howe.
With eight minutes remaining Andrew White crossed from the right but Slabber's header lacked enough power to trouble Howe, then five minutes later White headed Holder-Spooners cross wide. It was all Eastleigh in the final minutes as Woking defended boldly to keep their clean sheet. The last chance fell to Jordan now playing as an extra forward and watching his header in the fourth minute of stoppage time saved by Howe.
FULL TIME: Woking 1-0 Eastleigh
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