U13 Cougars - Dorking Wanderers Youth U13 Youth Reds
Woking Cougars suffered a 3–1 defeat at home to Dorking Wanderers Youth Reds in a game that again showed flashes of our quality, but also highlighted areas we must address if we are to be competitive at this level.
The opening stages saw Cougars under some early pressure, but we gradually grew into the game and began to play with composure and bravery from the back. Toby, Jake, Oscar and Louie were particularly calm in possession, with Oscar consistently finding line-breaking passes into midfield. Zach did well receiving between the lines and linking play, allowing us to progress despite Dorking’s early energy. Despite this, we conceded first in the 8th minute from a corner. The delivery was good, but our reactions were second best and we did not attack the situation with enough intent — a theme that has crept in too often this season.
The response, however, was positive. Cougars showed real desire to get back into the game and continued to play with courage on the ball. On 15 minutes Logan was released through on goal and, as the goalkeeper advanced outside his box, handled the ball to deny a clear scoring opportunity. The referee correctly showed a straight red card. From the resulting free kick, Zach produced a moment of real quality, curling a superb strike into the top left corner past the stand-in goalkeeper to make it 1–1 and give Cougars both momentum and a numerical advantage. With Dorking down to ten men, we adjusted shape from a 4-2-3-1 to a 3-4-3 to stretch the pitch, but we struggled to move the ball wide quickly enough and allowed transitions through central areas too easily. A further tweak to a 4-4-2 helped stabilise things, and we went into half time level and feeling positive.
The second half saw another tactical change into a familiar 3-5-2 to gain control in midfield. However, Dorking adapted well, consistently finding ways to play around us and exploit space out wide. Cougars did not match the physical or mental intensity required in the second half and struggled badly to retain possession, a stark contrast to the tempo and quality shown in Wednesday’s training session.
We gradually sank deeper, invited pressure and failed to close down effectively. Dorking took the lead with a well-struck long-range effort from our left side after we failed to engage the shooter. At 2–1, confidence visibly drained and too many players went into their shells.
A late switch to a 4-3-3 failed to spark the response we needed. Dorking continued to look sharper and more aggressive, eventually sealing the game with a counter-attacking goal in the closing moments to make it 3–1. There were moments of bravery on the ball, particularly in the first half, but off the ball we did not defend with enough pride, intensity or desire. Physicality, contact and mindset remain clear areas we must improve if we want to compete consistently. Preparation and weekly load also came into question, with several players looking leggy and unable to sustain performance levels.
Another opportunity to take points has passed, and while there are positives to build on, we must now be far more honest and demanding of ourselves moving forward.
Full Time Result Woking Cougars FC U13 1-3 Dorking Wanderers Youth U13 Reds
