Terras edged out by Woking

WEYMOUTH 0

WOKING 1

The Terras were edged 1-0 by Woking F.C. under the floodlights in their first home Vanarama National League game of the season on Tuesday.

It was the home side who had fashioned the first chance when a switch of play found Tom Whelan in space in the area. The midfielder controlled the ball well before unleashing the shot with his left foot, but the ball went across the goal and left of Craig Ross’ goal.
Weymouth kept up the pressure with a succession of corners but could not get a clear chance.

Woking looked dangerous from set pieces, with Captain Josh Casey’s delivery forcing Jack Bycroft to punch the ball away under pressure. The Surrey based side continued to pressure on the left wing, with short set-piece inter play between Charlie Cooper and Slavi Spasov.
However, Weymouth countered, switching the ball to Ollie Harfield. The Terras left back found Thomson, who played the ball from the left in field to Whelan, who played it to Jake McCarthy. The Weymouth number eight fired the shot from range, but the chance was straight at Ross.
McCarthy had another effort two minutes later. The midfielder carried the ball through the field following a Woking clearance. His shot from range deflected off of a Woking defender and looped just over the bar.

Spasov was looking too fast for the Terras to handle. The young Bulgarian found himself through on goal in the twenty second minute, but Bycroft was quickly off of his line to deny the winger, winning a goal kick in the process.

Woking continued on the left side, and a fast, low cross from Spasov was inches from connecting with their striker.

The resulting corner from Casey was punched upward by a Bycroft in a crowded penalty box. The ball came down and was met by Saul Sutton. Despite being on the goal line, the defender could only direct the ball onto the post.

Weymouth started to get back into the game. Thomson had an opportunity to square the ball to McQuoid in the penalty area, but the pass was read and cleared

It was the visitors who went into half time with a lead. A free kick from captain Casey was crossed towards the back post and met by Spasov with a diving header metres from the goal.

Both sides remained unchanged going into the second half, with Woking using the right wing to attack, swapping wingers Malachi Napa and Spasov around. The away side continued in the way they ended the first half, digging a chance out within the first five minutes of the second half from another set piece. Cooper lobbed the ball into the back post,

Woking players crowded referee Daniel Lamport to give Brennan Camp a second yellow card for handball- however the appeals were brushed away by the official.

McQuoid and McCarthy came off for Alefe Santos and Josh Wakefield with thirty minutes to go as Brian Stock looked to get Weymouth on the attack. It was Wakefield who made an impression on the game, with the midfielder trying to force his way through the Woking side, only to be shut out by three defenders outside of the area.

The Terras were feeling their way into the game as Cody Cooke played the ball out wide to Brooks. Weymouth’s number 17 ran into the opposition penalty area however his across goal effort was just wide of the keeper’s right post.

Jordan Ngalo was replaced by Andy Robinson with Stock’s final throw of the dice.

The Cardinals set pieces were proving tough to defend for the Terras. A Casey free kick was put into the penalty area. Bycroft came to punch the ball away but missed, gifting a chance to Napa. The winger was forced to hit the ball but was closed down with the effort deflecting for a corner. The corner was put onto the goal line, and looked goal bound had it not have been for an acrobatic clearance off of the line from Whelan.

Woking were slowing the play down in the final ten minutes despite the urgency of Weymouth for a goal.
The Terras tried with one last attempt, as a free kick from Whelan was nodded toward goal by Thomson, but met by Ross safely.

It finished 1-0 to Woking. Weymouth will look to bounce back from this result as they host Sutton United on Saturday.

Terras: Bycroft, Camp, Ngalo (Robinson 72), McCarthy (Wakefield 59), Thomson, McQuoid (Santos 59), Leslie-Smith, Brooks, Cooke, Whelan, Harfield.

Subs not used: Benfield, Hoey.

Woking: Ross, Cook, Casey, Cooper, Shotton, Ferdinand, Collier, Spasov (Hall 86), Napa, Block, Goddard.

Subs not used: White, Tarpey, Kretzschmar, Reid

Referee: Daniel Lamport