Page 10 - WS Anniversary of Wokingham Town Football Club in the Cup (Amended)

The Game

There follows a word for word copy of the match report by Peter Dixon in the
Bracknell and Wokingham Times.

CUP FOOTBALL at its best saw The game had started well with Cardiff
Wokingham Town take on, tame and so threatening to run riot and with Town
very nearly beat Cardiff City on showing obvious signs of nerves.
Saturday. This was clearly shown in the fourth minute
Town’s players walked from the pitch after when Wilks played a back-pass to into the
this FA Cup first round match with heads path of Bennett who just failed to capitalise
held high at their superb all-round on the mistake.
performance, but disappointed at coming so Bennett and Hemmerman were both
close to finishing the tie at the first go. looking dangerous on the break and it took
A fairy-tale goal from George Torrance – on all of the first 15mins to adjust to the pace.
special Army leave from Berlin – opened But there is no better settler for nerves than
th
the scoring in the 16 minute. It was a lead a well taken goal and when Torrance
Town held until the final 11 minutes. popped up to hammer home from 20 yards
And if John Wilkes who played a out the tide was turned.
tremendous game at the back, had hit The goal was a pure delight and worth
home after 56 minutes instead of blazing every penny of the £ 140 it had cost to fly
over from five yards out it could well have him back home for the tie.
been settled. Purser picked up the ball in his own half
and laid it up field to Brown on the left
Problems touchline. He sent it onto Torrance who did
a neat one-two with Morton before seeing a
With this being the biggest game in the gap and hitting home a great shot.
history of the club, Town knew they would The goal gave a different complexion on the
have problems coping with the Third game and Town began to move forward
Division side. with more purpose and belief in
Indeed, the signs looked ominous as Cardiff themselves.
started at a flying pace. For the first 15 Cottrell, Cox and Torrance were playing
minutes Town were chasing shadows – superbly in midfield with Cottrell in particular
mainly Dave Bennett’s as he ran at the showing good vision and Cox tackling like a
defence causing all sorts of havoc. demon.
But in the end the forced interruption
midway through the second half as barriers Confidence
collapsed and fans spilled on to the pitch
surrounds probably did as much as The new-found confidence
anything to deny Town the victory they Almost brought further reward in the
th
deserved. 28 minute when Lewis was forced to
Until that point City had all but run out of clear off his line after Tom Ryan had
ideas and had not come close to goal since connected with the ball.
th
the 38 minute of the match when Cox The second half started as the first had
cleared off the line from a Dyer back
header. ended with both teams prepared to run
Wokingham were turning in the at each other and playing on equal
performance of their lives with every player terms.
backing up and helping out in defence. With just 11 minutes of the half gone a
In attack too there were plenty of support well worked free kick from just outside
for the front runners as they took the game the area almost brought Town’s second
to their League opponents, making it - and possibly match deciding- goal.
impossible to tell the professionals from part Cottrell took the kick guiding it on to the
time-timers. head of the incoming Terry Brown who

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SOUVENIR PROGRAMME – 35 YEARS – FA CUP 1 ROUND Page 10