Just two days after
their mauling at the hands of Green Man, Wanderers had the chance to restore some pride against mid-table rivals 3M.
Wanderers enjoyed
the luxury of a thirteen man squad, although the challenge of a Tuesday night fixture saw a change of formation to 4-3-3.
This was only to be the case for two minutes, as Tom Soane's hamstring injury resulted in an early introduction for Dave Griffiths,
and the need to revert back to 4-4-2.
Ten minutes in, and
the Blues took the lead. Richard Scott touched onto Paul Martin, who rounded the goalkeeper before hitting a left-footed
shot into the net.
3M's style was one
dimensional. Their long ball approach was dealt with effectively by the Wanderers' back four. Three minutes after
Martin's strike, they won a corner on their left.
The cross was whipped
in, and Adam Clark was beaten to the ball by the 3M defender. From point-blank range, Darren Wakley instinctively pawed
the ball away. The red card was inevitable, and Wanderers were left to face a penalty. After a short delay, the
3M player stepped up and beat Clark low to his right. The Blues' 'keeper was unlucky to see the effort go in, as he
got a hand to the strike.
As Wanderers tried
to find balance with their ten players, the rest of the half passed by with little in the way of chances. Richard Scott
fired a shot high and wide for Wanderers, whilst Clark showed good hands and bravery to deny the 3M forward.
Half-time saw Wanderers
revert to 3-4-2, a move which would see them dominate the half.
Jamie Ryall's switch
to left wing saw his finest performance of the season. He was key to many of Wokingham's moves in the second half.
Five minutes in,
Scott ford made way for Lewis Trusty, to give the Blues some fresh legs in the middle of midfield
3M simply had nothing
to offer in the second period, and were very short of ideas. Some incisive Wanderers' passing was denied the reward
it deserved by some over-zealous flagging. At the other end, Adam Clark underlined his credentials as Wokingham's goalkeeper
for next season, with some confident handling.
The Blues had little
space to play in, but Martin and Scott were working hard to find freedom. Dave Griffiths sent Martin clear, only for
the forward's exquisite chip to hit the bar and bounce over.
Ryall then started
an attack, and did well to get on the end of Ian Griffiths' cross, but he too fired over.
As the final whistle
approached, Richard Scott saw a shot deflected onto the bar, whilst another surging Ryall run ended with a tame shot.
Despite having ten
men for most of the game, Wanderers were more disappointed with 3M than the result. The season has ended, with plenty
of optimism that the Blues can improve performances and results next year.
TEAM: Adam
Clark, Jamie Ryall, Chris Hillsdon, Clint Falcus, Edward Townsend, Ian Griffiths, Scott Ford, Darren Wakley, Tom
Soane, Richard Scott, Paul Martin.
SUBS: Dave
Griffiths (for Soane) and Lewis Trusty (for Ford).