Frustration was the word of the day at Huish Park as Woking came from behind to salvage a point from a scrappy and bitty game.

The Glovers took the lead in first half stoppage time, but an impressive second half performance from the visitors saw them claim a goal to take a share of the spoils. Here’s how it went down.


First half

Ciaran McGuckin returned to the starting line up at the first time of asking on his second loan spell in place of Kofi Shaw with Chris Todd in the dugout and Mark Cooper in the stands.
 
The first half was an even affair with both sides enjoying spells of possession. There was an early booking for Charlie Cooper who collided with Dale Gorman in the 3rd minute.
 
Gorman was in the thick of the action again in the 15th minute with a low shot from the edge of the box helped wide by Ollie Wright via a Jake Wannell deflection.
 
The Glovers had moments in the attacking areas with Frank Nouble and Josh Sims finding space out wide to get crosses into the box. Sean McGurk was inches away from getting on the end of a Nouble cross before Dion Kelly-Evans’ diving header directed it out for a corner.
 
Woking enjoyed a spell of possession without doing as great deal with the ball and lacked quality with their deliveries into the box with Wright enjoying some catching practice.
 
Throughout the first half, Yeovil looked likely to get something from a cross or set piece, with the deliveries from open play causing Woking problems.
 
Eventually into first half stoppage time, the opener came. Charlie Cooper’s wonderfully flighted cross from deep was matched by an equally wonderful looping header from Aaron JARVIS. The route to goal was only over the top of Jaaskelainen to the back post and Yeovil’s number 9 met it with precision. 1-0.
 
Jarvis was in the wars moments later following a collision with Gorman which went unnoticed by the referee although it drew a fierce reaction from Chris Todd in the dugout. 
 

Half time: Yeovil Town 1 Woking 0


Second half

With neither side making any changes, the game restarted in brisk conditions.
 
The visitors had the first half chance has Harry Beautyman and Inih Effiong combined to give Jermaine Anderson an opening, but the Glovers defence smothered out the chance.
 
Adam Chicksen gave Ollie Wright some catching practice on 48 minutes, and it wasn’t until the clock ticked 50 did the Glovers make their first foray into the Woking half, but Aaron Jarvis couldn’t latch onto a through ball originally aimed for Frank Nouble, but the Guvnor was in an offside position.
 
Charlie Cooper and Brett McGavin were linking up nicely and with the latter winning a free kick, nothing came of it though and the sides began a short exchange of giving the possession back to one another.
It was Frank Nouble who put his foot on the ball, despite nearly losing the ball, he got himself free and was brought down by Harry Beautyman, who found his name taken.
 
The set piece was dealt with by a Woking side defending on the edge of their box, Sean McGurk twisted and turned but couldn’t quite find a green and white head with a well placed cross.
 
A short break in play as Dion Kelly-Evans needed treatment, with Woking in the ascendancy it was possibly not at the best time for the visitors, the appropriately named Ben Wynter coming on his place.
 
The game was edging towards the scrappy nature, Finn Cousin-Dawson went down off the ball, and got booked on 51 minutes, when the football did get going again, the Glovers tried to get forward again, Josh Sims couldn’t find a cross, Dom Bernard’s effort was claimed by the Finnish Keeper, Will Jaaskelainen.
 
Sims was next to have his name taken, a challenge on Beautyman deemed worthy of more than just a ticking off.
 
With the hour mark coming and going, the game was still yet to really settle down; Woking sub Wynter tried a cross which came to nothing and Charlie Cooper managed a heart-in-mouth moment well with a calm clearance… (can you tell I’m struggling to really make a lot of this game!?)
 
What this game needed was an explosion of quality, and it almost came from Aaron Jarvis who was within touching distance of getting to a through-ball ahead of the keeper, what followed was a good free kick set up as McGavin laid the ball into the path of Nouble, but the Glovers number 10 could only offer a pea-roller towards goal.
 
Two changes for Woking with 65 minutes on the clock, Anderson and Francis taken off and Aiden O’Brien and Lewis Walker entering the fray.
 
They both were involved in the action fairly quickly, Walker’s shot forced behind for a corner. 
Gorman’s set piece was headed away, but another shot came in, this time from Beautyman was deflected over by the head of Jake Wannell, another corner, another chance to get the ball into the area for Woking. But this time, Effiong could only put it wide.
 
The first change for the Glovers saw Frank Nouble replaced by Michael Smith, Jacob Wannell taking the armband.
 
The change seemed to just give the Glovers a chance to get going again and with 72 minutes gone, Sean McGurk picked up a lovely pass from Charlie Cooper only to see his curled effort clip the post.
 
Up the other end, quick movement between Lewis Walker took the ball down and his shot seemed to flick in off the other sub Aiden O’BRIEN.
 
That evened the game up at one a piece. Both sides were now looking for a second goal with 15 minutes left.
 
A few minutes later, Ciaran McGuckin went down under a challenge from Cian Harries – nothing doing from the referee, the Rotherham loanee hobbling back to his feet.
 
With ten minutes to go, Woking were once again in the ascendancy, earning a corner after Effiong’s shot was skewed wide off Jake Wannell.
The resulting set piece, taken by the pantomime villain, Gorman, dropped kindly for a Woking fan only for some combination of Michael Smith and Dom Bernard, just about, doing enough to keep the ball out.
 

Momentum was well and truly with the away side now, Chris Todd choosing to bring on a Glovers’ debutant – Jacob Maddox in play of Sean McGurk for the final eight or nine minutes.

This brought a slight chance of formation, Bernard switching to left back and a flat back four for the Glovers.

 
Michael Smith won an 84th minute corner, which was only half cleared by the visitors, the hosts came back though and tried to create another chance through Josh Sims, but his one-on-one with Chicksen only trickling out for a harmless goal kick.
 
The clock ticked past 90 minutes and it’s fair to say that the possession was very much in favour of Woking, five minutes added on.
 
Could either side find a final chance? Yeovil held possession in and around the final third but without a final ball to really give someone, anyone a sight at goal.
 
One final change for Yeovil as McGuckin was replaced by Harvey Greenslade to try and squeeze something out of the final seconds.
 
Yeovil were still using the ball nicely, but when Jacob Maddox went down there were some half hearted cries for action from the official, nothing doing. When Josh Sims when down late on there were some half hearted cries for action from the official. Nothing doing again.
 
That, was, that. One all. Point each. 
 

Full time: Yeovil Town 1 Woking 1


Match Details

Venue: Huish Park
Date: Saturday 11th January- 3pm kick-off 

Competition: National League Premier Division

Scorers: Aaron Jarvis 45+1 (1-0), Aiden O’Brien 74  (1-1)

Pitch: You wouldn’t have thought it had snowed on and barely above 0 this week.
Conditions: Dry and cold

Attendance: 3188 (213 Woking fans)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Charlie Cooper 3, Brett McGavin 37, Finn Cousin-Dawson 59
Woking: 
Harry Beautyman 54

Referee: Paul Johnson

Yeovil Town (3-4-2-1)

Substitutes: Michael Smith (for Finn Cousin-Dawson 71), Jacob Maddox (for Sean McGurk, 83), Harvey Greenslade (for Ciaran McGuckin, 90+4), Matt Worthington (not used), Pedro Borges (not used), Ollie Hughes (not used), Matt Gould (not used). 

Woking: Will Jaaskelainen, Cian Harries, Jamie Andrews, Harry Beautyman, Dale Gorman, Inih Effiong, Adam Chicksen, Tunji Akinola, Jermaine Anderson (for Aiden O’Brien, 67), Dion Kelly-Evans (for Ben Wynter, 58), Frank Vincent (for Lewis Walker, 67).

Substitutes (not used):  Jacob Jones, Dennon Lewis,  Rohan Ince, Oliver Webber

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Eddie
1 month ago

Cooper will be pleased that his orders were followed to a tee.. barely a shot on target. Attacking and entertaining football. Overrated.

SheFellOver
1 month ago

I’ve often wondered where you get the line-up diagram from, but that wasn’t it for today. We played 4 at the back and looked solid. Then we decided to defend, changed to 3 and condeded. Unambitious and not entertaining. Not worth the ticket price.

Phil Allen
1 month ago
Reply to  SheFellOver

That was such a frustrating second half. Woking had little to offer, yet they did what we seemingly couldn’t…freshen things up with two strikers off the bench, and their changes paid off. What did we do? Watch and wait….and wait….and wait some more. Then it was too late to make any changes that would swing the game back in our favour. It looked like Cooper and McGavin – both on yellows were treading on eggshells with Mr. Trigger-happy referee. Both they + Jarvis and McGucken were knackered by 75 mins. They’d put in a shift mind. So we bring Greenslade on… In the 89th minute.

We lost our way because we were too afraid to change things up. We are allowed five subs, right? It is a squad game, right? Crikey, we had 249 cap Worthy on the bench and Borges who can both do a decent job in the middle, at least for 20 mins when they got the momentum. Greenslade should’ve been on from 70 mins IMO. We needed energy and he’ll run all day and put himself about.

They were far too nervous – following “the possession plan” and the more we stuck to it the more we came unstuck and lost our way.

Oh, and Gorman hasn’t changed! Grrrrrr!! 🤬

Last edited 1 month ago by Phil Allen
Benji
1 month ago

Cooper does know you’re allowed to keep attacking once you’ve scored doesn’t he? Games not won at 1-0. Can’t wait to hear the same old ‘that’s the best performance I’ve seen from us’ line

Mick
1 month ago

No desire, no fire and no idea eh Mr Cooper. Things have not improved one iota since that FA trophy debacle. If I was Mr Mcguckin then I would be heading straight back to Rotherham cos he ain’t going to learn a lot under Mr Cooper’s “coaching” and I use that term loosely.