Written By Declan McCarthy @dec11mcc
Woking took on Wrexham and drew 1-1 at home, thanks to a goal from Scott Rendell, after going 1-0 down as Wrexham took the lead on the stroke of half time with Andy Bishop scoring for the dragons.
“I think we were on top of them (Wrexham) for most of the game” said Jake Cole as he spoke to Radio Woking after the game, “They had a couple of chances, I only had to make a few saves, not too many, I think we got into some good positions and on another night we could have had another goal or two, but that’s football.”
With Josh Payne out injured and Joe McNerney suspended, Cestor came in the middle of defence alongside James Clarke. Kevin Betsy, Theo Lewis, Joey Jones and the versatile John Goddard made the midfield with Jack Marriott and leading top goal scorer Scott Rendell making the team, leaving no place for Giuseppe Sole, who started on the bench.
Wrexham kicked off but it was Woking who started brightly with Marriott forcing a save from the Wrexham keeper Andy Coughlin.
Early signs suggested a goal was imminent with John Goddard scoring, but ruled out for offside as he tapped in from three yards, but this didn’t stop Gary Hills men from pushing on and creating chances. As Betsy and Rendell linked up well, but a snapped shot from Betsy was all he could pull off.
Wrexham did pose a threat as there was a game plan to hit Woking on the counter attack, and this is what they did throughout the game, The reason behind this is because Goddard, Lewis and Jones didn’t give them the opportunity the play in the Woking half, which meant Wrexham who dominated on Woking’s mistakes on Sunday were going to have to dig deep if they wanted anything from the game.
Woking’s chances came and went but it was Mariott who was closes in the first half for the cards, Rendell put him in between the Wrexham defence, but the sheer power of the shot rose too high for the net striking the bar.
The signs from Woking were great, as the team were playing quick snappy passing between the forwards of Rendell, Marriott and Betsy and it really started to open up the Wrexham defence, and as the entertaining football started to flow it was consistently being slowed down by Referee Dean Treleaven who was picking his moments to blow his whistle, leaving the Woking crowd frustrated.
Wrexham looked to be out of ideas and against the run of play right on the stroke of half time Wrexham Scored. A ball was floated in from Mark Carrington just over the head of James Clarke as Andy Bishop squeezed in between Cestor and Clarke and headed in from 5 yards past Jake Cole.
Woking kicked of the second half and found themselves on level pegging’s. It was a great cross from Chris Arthur from the left to Rendell who added another goal to his tally this season, heading away from himself into the corner of the net. 1-1.
Wrexham didn’t pose much pressure up front, but it was the inexcusable mistakes from the defence of Clarke, Adam Newton and Cestor, that kept Wrexham within reach of a glimpse of scoring.
However a fine save from MOTM Cole kept Woking’s hopes alive as Wrexham’s Joe Clarke shot brilliantly curling (In what seemed into the back of the net) was matched by a fantastic one handed save from Cole. Asked about the save Cole said “It gives you a good lift every time you make a good save….I’ve just had a go, got up and got a good hand to it and was happy to keep it out.”
Back came Woking as the pressure was mounting on the Wrexham defence as it was terrorized down the left flank by Arthur in the second half. Along with Arthur coming into the game, clear signs of a good connection was building between Jones and Goddard keeping the ball in the Wrexham half.
Woking were then starting to get frustrated in the final 3rd of the game and it showed as Hill made his first sub of the game, entering the field was Sole as Marriott made way. After the changes Wrexham (Who made their own changes) seemed disrupted as they lost their rhythm of play.
Woking were careless with possession, but the game was really end to end in the final 10 minutes, but it was Wrexham who were “Under the thumb”. So the referee blew his whistle and it confirmed the result 1-1 it finished, Woking would have felt that one point wasn’t enough but it was a positive performance nonetheless and signs that the team could be back on the up.
Woking’s next game is live on BT Sport this Sunday against a tough Halifax side.
Woking: Jake Cole, Adam Newton, James Clarke, Mike Cestor, Chris Arthur, Kevin Betsy, Theo Lewis (John Nutter 94), Joey Jones, John Goddard, Scott Rendell, Jack Marriott (Giuseppe Sole 73)
Unused Substitutes: Aaron Howe, Reece Beckles, Ollie Taylor
Goals: Rendell 47
Cautions: Mike Cestor, Giuseppe Sole, Joey Jones
Wrexham: Andy Coughlin, Mark Carrington, Neil Ashton, Manny Smith, Blaine Hudson, Joe Clarke, Elliot Durrell (Connor Jennings 71), Andy Bishop, Wes York, Jonny Hunt, James Pearson (Ross White 77)
Unused substitutes: Louis Moult, Dean Keates, Robbie Evans
Goals: Andy Bishop 45
Attendance 1418 (158)
My MOTM: Jake Cole