Following their
7-3 defeat against Winkfield, Wanderers hit back with a convincing victory against AFC Dukes, despite only having eleven players
available.
Matt Cook started
at right back, Darren Wakley returned for a start in midfield, and Jamie Ryall played with a groin injury on the left of midfield.
Wokingham started
well, and took a fifth minute lead. Lewis Trusty's header was cleverly flicked on by Anthony Prior, for Paul Martin
to produce a typically cool finish into the far corner.
The advantage was
nearly extender five minutes later, when Prior's twenty five yard free-kick dipped just over the bar.
From their next
attack Wanderers forced a corner, which Jamie Ryall scored directly. His curled cross looped into the far top corner,
prompting strange celebrations from the Blues' midfielder.
The two goal lead
saw AFC Dukes' players' heads drop and Wanderers' confidence grow.
An attack from
the home side was stopped by Prior's crunching tackle. Cook returned the ball to him, and a pass was played to Lewis Trusty on the halfway
line. Trusty flicked the ball to Paul Martin, who muscled his way into the area. With the home defenders slow
to get back, Martin took his time before passing across goal for Trusty to slam home from close range. A great
team goal for Wokingham.
Before the break
Wanderers struck their fourth goal. Dave Griffiths collected the bal inside his own half, then played an accurate
thirty yard pass to send Prior clear. With time to compose himself, Prior took a touch and then struck a low shot
across the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner.
In the last action
of the half Nick Harding raced out of his goal to meet a Duke's forward. It looked as though he had won the
ball, but the referee awarded a penalty which was struck low to Harding's right. 4-1 to Wanderers.
The second half
saw Dukes start well and trouble the Blues in the first five minutes. However the Blues killed the game off when Cook
helped to feed Martin, who grabbed his second with another good finish to make it 5-1.
The home side did
not give up, and after several off-target shots, they scored with a shot following a corner. Matt Cook just failed to
stop the effort on the line.
Wanderers' four
goal advantage was quickly restored. Prior picked the ball up on the right and ran past two challenges before passing
to Jamie Ryall. Ryall's first-time cross was met by Paul Martin's left-foot shot which beat the goalkeeper
at the near-post to complete Martin's hat-trick.
Further chances
followed as Martin hit the bar and Wakley headed wide.
Dave Griffiths
turned provider for Prior again for Wokingham's seventh, Prior this time rounding the goalkeeper before tapping home.
An eighth goal
nearly came in the closing minutes as Dukes scrambled the ball clear via a post, but the five goal margin was still very
pleasing to Wanderers' eleven players.
TEAM: Nick Harding, Matt Cook, Chris Hillsdon, Matt Pegg, Chris Orbell, Anthony Prior,
Darren Wakley, Dave Griffiths, Jamie Ryall, Lewis Trusty, Paul Martin.
