16/05/09 - U11 Crookham Rovers 2 Woking Town Wanderers 3

Shock and Awe Strategy Secures 2nd Place Success in Final Seconds of Soccer Spectacular !

Woking won this battle for the league runners up trophy, with a final result of 2-3, that was achieved only through Woking’s exceptional commitment and perseverance in an epic match that could only have been scripted for the cinema.

To win the runners up trophy, Crookham needed to win the match, whilst Woking needed to either win or draw. Both teams had a lot to gain, both teams had a lot to lose.

On a blustery and windy day Crookham won the toss, and elected to play downhill with the wind behind them in the first half.

It was clear from the start that both teams were committed to making sure that there was only going to be one outcome. With both teams tackling hard most of the game was confined to mid-field, with few real chances on goal from either side.

After 15 minutes, eventually a breakthrough happened, Crookham passed a ball through to their lone striker who had somehow evaded Woking’s off side trap. With no defenders to help, Woking’s goalkeeper, Josh Jones, came out to meet the on coming threat and was beaten by a nicely placed shot by the Crookham striker; giving a half time score of 1-0 to Crookham.

At half time, Woking’s coach, Paul Nash, instructed the players to go for long shots on goal, and rely on the wind and the slope of the pitch, which were now both going to be in Woking’s favour, to take the ball into the goal.

However, 5 minutes into the second half, Crookham were awarded a free kick, some 25 yards away from the Woking goal. Against the wind, the kick was very well taken, Woking’s goalkeeper could only stand and watch as the ball floated into the top left corner of the Woking goal. Now losing by 2 goals Woking had a tough job ahead of them.

Just 5 minutes after the Crookham goal Woking defender Marcus Couling rose to the challenge with a well struck shot some 30 yards from goal that soared way above Crookham’s goalkeeper, bringing the score back to 2-1.

Lifted by the demonstration that a long range shot, assisted by the wind, could easily get a goal, Woking redoubled their efforts. The second half was now transformed into a match being played almost entirely in Crookham’s half, with Woking winning the majority of the Crookham goal kicks, taking control, and then taking advantage of the wind to take a long range shot on goal.

The 'shock and awe' strategy of working with the wind, and using long range shots, was clearly working, but it wasn’t producing results; the shots were either just outside of the goal, or they were being competently dealt with by the Crookham keeper. With Woking still 2–1 down and only 5 minutes to go Woking lifted their game still further.

As the match went into stoppage time Woking were rewarded with a well taken long range goal from 20 yards by Woking striker James Frudd. It was now 2-2!

Now with just a few minutes remaining of stoppage time, Woking defender Oliver van Nederveen pushed up, and with a tremendous 25 yard strike secured Woking’s third goal, a respectable 2-3 win and the League runners up trophy for Woking Town FC!

Wanderer’s manager, Peter Back, commented: “We were playing today with a squad of only 13 players. Today’s match was an exceptional match and the boys showed tremendous character in recovering from being 2 goals down, and coming from behind to win the match, and the runners up trophy, in stoppage time, in the way that they did.”

To find out more about the under-11 Wanderers, or children’s football at Woking Town FC, click here, or contact Peter Back on 01483 727904.

This match was reported in the Woking Review. To display a pdf scan of the report on this match in the Woking Review click here.