WILKINSON DELIGHTS IN BEATING HIGH-FLYING CARDS
WILKINSON’S MEN EXECUTE HIS PLAN TO UNSETTLE HIGH-FLYING WOKING
BOBBY WILKINSON could not hide his delight after his Wealdstone side shocked title-chasing Woking at Kingfield in National League South.
The Stones not only became the first team to do the double over the Cards but are the only team in the division not to concede against them in the league, with a 1-0 win in August and now Saturday’s 2-0 success. “I knew they [Woking] would go quite long against us so I brought the big centre midfielder in, Smithy [Christian Smith], and tactically we got it right,” said Wilkinson. “At lot of people would come here and not go for it. I’m the opposite. Not many sides come here and deserve to win. “We planned to rattle them early on.
“We didn’t want to show them respect. I’m a very respectable man. But when I cross the white line I wouldn’t care if my wife was out there I would still make the tackle if it made sure we won the game.
“It’s a big scalp for us.” First-half goals from Crawley Town loanee Tarryn Allarakhia and Stones top scorer David Pratt, undoubtedly the man of the match, were enough for the away side to run out winners. They were simply better than Woking all over the park and never looked like relinquishing their grip.
When asked why, having beaten Woking twice, Stones are only 10th, Wilkinson added: “We went second in the table and then I got a few injuries and we lost a little bit of form for a month. Every team does it but it’s how you build character and bounce back from that. This year, 2019, is all about bouncing back. I love proving people wrong.”
Pratt was in on goal twice in the first five minutes but saw his efforts saved by alert Craig Ross.
Allarakhia then broke the deadlock when he latched onto Smith’s through ball to slot past Ross.
The Stones dominated the first 20 minutes and their lead was doubled when Simon Mensah’s brilliant burst into the box on the left saw him cross to the far post. Jake Sheppard’s header back across goal found Pratt with his back to goal but his overhead volley found the net. Sheppard was later sent off for two yellow-card offences.
Woking should have been on the scoresheet when top scorer Max Kretzschmar cut back on to his right foot but blazed over. Although the Cards came out of the blocks at the start of the second half looking for a way back in, Wealdstone weathered the pressure and Mensah almost made it three with a cracking effort from 30 yards which smashed against the bar with Ross hardly moving.
Jonathan North made a spectacular save from Ben Gerring’s header late on and it was Wilkinson’s men who took the spoils in front of their boisterous away following.