Academy Bulletin 25/26 - Week 27
Written by Ian Tilley & Holly PorterUpcoming Fixtures – Week commencing 20th April 2026
Monday 20th April
14:00 – Dorking Wanderers v Woking U19 (EDS): National Academy League – South Division
Meadowbank, Mill Lane, RH4 1DX
19:30 – Westfield (Woking U17) v Alton: Allied Counties – West Division
Westfield FC, Woking Park
Wednesday 22nd April
11:30 – Woking U18 v Bromley: National League Alliance – Division F
Woking College, Rydens Way
Thursday 23rd April
19:45 – Woking U18 v Slough Town: Suburban Football League – Premier Division
Woking College, Rydens Way
19:30 – Woking U17 v Walton & Hersham: Isthmian League – Central Division
Knaphill FC, Redding Way
Friday 24th April
11:30 – Woking U19 (EDS) v Oxford City: National Academy League – South Division
Woking College, Rydens Way
For further information on fixtures please refer to the Woking Football Club Academy ‘X’ page.
Information is also available on the fulltime.thefa.com website.
The Academy website is wokingcitc.org
All of these bulletins for the current season, along with the photo gallery from the County Cup Final, can be found on the Woking FC website by selecting the menu of options and going to ‘News’.
Match Reports and Team Details – Week commencing 13th April 2026
Monday 13th April
Sutton United 4 – 2 Woking U19 (EDS): National Academy League – South Division
River Lane, Leatherhead
Report from Holly Porter
A double gameweek for the EDS began with a defeat on the road to Sutton, after the Cards came from behind to lead, but were undone by the title-chasers in the latter stages.
“We let ourselves down defensively. Individual errors cost us against a good side”, reflected academy manager Matt Winter. “When you’re playing against teams that are trying to win the league title, with the quality of players they have in forward areas, you can’t afford to do that.”
Sutton showed that quality as early as the fourth minute, with a strike through a crowded box saved by Verga. The tenth minute saw the hosts go close again, this time as a ball over the top saw them through on goal, but the recovering Solecki did just enough to see the shot into the side netting.
The Cards grew into the game, and it was Jennison-Leppa who almost took the lead on 23 minutes, as Trickett headed into his path, but the defender couldn’t steer into the net.
Patterson’s corner delivery shortly after saw Page strike an effort into the ground, with shot-stopper Klevis Muca picking the ball out of the air before Hudson-Odoi could head home.
The 31st minute saw the deadlock broken, as a strong move forward from Sutton saw the ball received in and then slotted home from the goalmouth.
Sutton were denied the half-time advantage by Boxall, who netted on 45 minutes to send the teams in at the break on level footing. Capitalising on Muca’s error, he collected the ball, rounded the shot-stopper, and slotted into the vacant net to cancel out Sutton’s strike.
Half-Time: Sutton United 1 – 1 Woking
Two changes, one at the break and one shortly after, saw forced withdrawals for both Jennison-Leppa and Boxall. Jennison-Leppa made way at the half, a precaution after concerns of a potential concussion, which was, thankfully, later confirmed not to be the case for the defender.
The skipper attempted to continue upon the restart, following a shoulder injury sustained in the closing stages of the first half, but he was forced to make way just five minutes into the second 45.
Trickett, against his former club, placed his side ahead in the 61st minute, after Page saw his shot saved by the feet of Muca, which pushed the ball into Trickett’s path. Still with work to do, the forward skilfully steered his effort around the recovering defence to take the lead.
The advantage, however, lasted only five minutes. A corner delivery was hit goalward by the hosts, seeing Woking scramble to clear off the line, but they could not do so in time, and the teams once again drew level.
Four minutes later, now with 70 on the clock, the hosts retook the lead, as they picked up a loose ball on halfway and broke forward. The squared ball was then slotted home, seeing the Cards trail once again.
As the game drew to a close, Woking attempted to steal a point. It was an 85th-minute break forward from Trickett that saw Muca quick off his line to block, with Page striking the follow-up wide.
Two free-kicks, both just outside the area, then provided a golden opportunity to level, firstly as Patterson hit his 94th-minute attempt narrowly wide. Parkes then took the 96th-minute set piece, knocking the ball out to Trickett, but he, once again, saw his effort saved by the feet of Muca.
Back down the other end, Sutton got their fourth, with a quick move forward seeing them slot past the outcoming Verga in the seventh minute of injury time, taking any hopes of a rescued point away from the Cards.
In one last moment of an eventful tie, Solecki saw red in the 98th minute, but there was no time for Sutton to threaten with the man advantage, with the full-time whistle shortly after.
Woking: Mikey Verga, Bailey Cotton, Josh Solecki, Leo Christophers, Kemall Wilson, Joel Jennison-Leppa (Freddie Greenstreet 46’), Jalil Page, Quincy Patterson, Joden Trickett, Lucas Boxall © (Sonny Parkes 50’), Jayden Hudson-Odoi (Jack Tricker 82’). Unused Substitutes: Aaron Sings (GK), Kooshan Hayati.
Goals: Boxall (45’), Trickett (61’).
Westfield (Woking U17) 2 – 4 Eversley & California: Allied Counties – West Division
Westfield FC, Woking Park
Report from Ian Tilley
This was to be an evening where Eversley & California would make the most of Westfield not being at their best.
When the visitors took the lead on seven minutes it was with a decisiveness which had been missing from Westfield’s early play. The hosts failed to stop Vinnie Richardson’s cross from the right-hand side and Aston Hanson’s first-time half volley flew past Callum Collins.
On 10 minutes it was 0 – 2, Henry Vermeulen picking up a ball played in the inside-left channel, turning inside his marker and curling a fantastic effort into the top corner.
Will Hurp came close to getting one back on 16 minutes, hitting the post from 30 yards, before he did score on 27 minutes. Will Richards’ through ball to Logan Jacques saw Toby Ricketts in the Eversley goal drawn into a foul as Jacques ran through, and Hurp dispatched the penalty kick low and true.
This gave Westfield impetus and it looked like they would draw level, Hurp and George Loader coming close to scoring, but on 43 minutes another long pass to Vermeulen saw him run through and beat Collins low to the ‘keeper’s left.
Half-time: Westfield 1 – 3 Eversley & California
Westfield were sent out early for the second-half and it looked briefly as if they would overcome their malaise as they took the game to their opponents. However, Eversley extended their lead on 58 minutes, Sean King’s floated free-kick from the halfway line deceiving everyone and nestling in the corner.
Westfield did respond, but it was Vermeulen who came closest to scoring over the next 20 minutes of play, Collins saving well with his feet on 76 minutes.
There was a lifeline for Westfield on 82 minutes, Daejharn Wells’ pass to Richards saw him turn inside nicely and find the bottom corner from 20 yards. But Eversley defended well to see out their victory.
A below par performance from Westfield that would see a number of changes for their game at Hartley Wintney on Thursday.
Westfield: Callum Collins, Dylan Hosali, Byron O’Donnell (Caleb Trickett 62), Sonnie Leedham, Daejharn Wells; Nat Flemming (Arthur Pereira 62), Will Hurp, Logan Jacques (Max Thomas 58), Will Richards, Harry Munden (Zack McColl-Eljanfali 67), George Loader ©.
Goals: Hurp 27, Richards 82.
Wednesday 15th April
Woking U19 (EDS) 6 – 2 Wealdstone; National League Academy – South Division
Woking College, Rydens Way
Report from Holly Porter
In an afternoon which was “particularly pleasing to bounce back from Monday’s disappointment”, as reflected by academy manager Matt Winter, a busy 90 minutes saw the EDS maintain their unbeaten home record in fine fashion.
On the front foot from the get-go, both Trickett and Page saw shots blocked in the first minute, with Page then opening the scoring in the second. It was an excellent ball that saw him through on goal, where he calmly slotted past the keeper to take the early advantage.
After a strong start from the home side, Wealdstone were able to level in the 11th minute, with a close-range effort, struck back across goal, that nestled in the far corner despite Sings getting a glove to the strike.
The Cards were gifted the opportunity to retake the lead in the 18th minute, as Page received a goal kick from Wealdstone’s ‘keeper, and found Trickett, with the latter seeing his effort saved.
No bother, however, as Trickett excellently found the back of the net moments later. In his 15th of the season for the Cards, he chased down a forward ball, rounded the oncoming keeper and, from an awkward angle, managed to direct the ball into the far corner in fine fashion.
While Woking looked the more likely to score, they couldn’t do so until the final moments of the first half. It first looked like the third would come from Hayati, who struck following an attempted corner clearance from the visitors, but his 42nd-minute effort deflected over the bar.
It was Tricker who made it three before the break, with skill on the edge of the box seeing him weave around the defence in the first minute of stoppage time. Having created space for himself, he then slotted home from just inside the area to send his side in at the half with a two-goal cushion.
Half-time: Woking 3 – 1 Wealdstone
It didn’t take long to further extend that advantage, with Trickett netting his second of the afternoon six minutes after the restart. The forward did well to win the ball back on the edge of the penalty area and remained calm to slot home, making it four.
The fifth came from Patterson, with his routine drive into the box ending with a fine finish, as his effort hit the inside of the far post, before crossing the line in the 74th minute.
Just minutes later, a strike came in from the visitors, which proved awkward for Sings, with the ‘keeper doing well to tip over the bar. The effort from the resulting corner, however, could not be kept out, with Wealdstone reducing the deficit to 5-2 in the 76th minute.
They almost made it 5-3 on 81 minutes, with a free-kick delivery being met in the goalmouth, with Sings reacting well to deny the low effort.
Ultimately, the game had long been won by the Cards, but there was one more goal in the tie, as substitute Ampah became the third second-year to etch his name onto the scoresheet. It was excellent from Cotton, who drove forward and found himself unlucky to have struck the post with his effort. There to tap home was Ampah, who adjusted well to keep his effort down in the 88th minute, leaving Wealdstone well beaten.
Woking: Aaron Sings, Jack Lewis, Sonny Parkes, Josh Solecki (Jojo Ampah 75’), Bailey Cotton, Kemall Wilson, Jalil Page (Freddie Greenstreet 58’), Quincy Patterson ©, Joden Trickett, Kooshan Hayati, Jack Tricker. Unused substitutes: Mikey Verga (GK), Jayden Hudson-Odoi.
Goals: Page (2’), Trickett (19’, 51’), Tricker (45+1’), Patterson (74’), Ampah (88’).
Thursday 16th April
Woking U18 1 – 0 Metropolitan Police: Suburban Football League – Premier Division
Knaphill FC, Redding Way
Report from Ian Tilley
The positive debut of centre-back Edward Scott being one of the highlights of this match emphasises how hard fluent play tends to be on the Knaphill ‘grass’.
With players able to play for two clubs at this level, it was interesting to see Aaron Sings, who recently won the County Cup with Woking, in goal for Met. Police.
Woking’s best chance of the first-half came midway through when Vally played a great through ball to Akinwalere, but his flick past the advancing Sings went narrowly wide of the post.
As the half wore on the visitors were closest to breaking the deadlock, but without doing so.
Half-time: Woking 0 – 0 Metropolitan Police
With centre-backs Davies and Scott continuing to catch the eye it looked like we may have a stalemate, until there were some dramatic twists and turns in the closing stages.
On 78 minutes a rare Davies mistake saw him tangling with his opponent in the penalty area, with the Met. Police bench especially surprised that a penalty was not awarded. Whilst some excellent balls into the penalty area from McGibbon went unrewarded.
Then came a Woking substitution and rearrangement that bore an almost immediate result. Richards came on into the ‘10’ position with Vally moving to the left side of the attack.
Lacey did have to make a good save from Cassie before Woking responded with the winning goal on 84 minutes. Vally did superbly, dribbling in the area before squaring the ball to Richards, who hit the post and then a defender before his third shot from inside the six-yard box found the back of the net.
Akinwalere put a late chance to make it 2 – 0 over the bar, but Woking had done enough to clinch victory in this tight encounter.
Woking: Jools Lacey, Jack McGibbon, Edward Scott, Dillan Davies, Freddie Greenstreet ©; Frankie Bushby, George Mattingley (Amario Malhotra 65), Pranish Gurang (Jalil Page 65), Hayden Vally, Seyi Akinwalere, Jojo Ampah (Will Richards 83). Unused substitute: Jack Roles (GK).
Goal: Richards 84.
Hartley Wintney 2 – 0 Westfield (Woking U17): Allied Counties – West Division
Green Lane, Hartley Wintney
A creditable performance in a game which saw the hosts clinch the league title, especially considering that Westfield had a player sent off for handball on the goalline after three minutes.
Following the frustrations of Monday’s game against Eversley & California, Westfield included nine of Woking’s League winning Under 16s in the squad, with five of them in the starting XI as we start to look forward to next season.
Westfield: Lucas Montague, Caleb Trickett (Jerome Musi 46), Luke Manly ©, Jack Donkin, Alfie Moult; Leighton Spence, Keegan Berry (Aaryan Malhotra 59), Max Thomas, Ben Bailey, Jaden Mansour (George Ellis 30), Luca Chevallier (Henry Loxton 65).
Loan (Dual Registered Players) watch
Saturday 18th April
Ben Bailey, Midfield, 1st year – Spelthorne Sports: In the starting XI for the 1 – 5 defeat at Woodley United in the Combined Counties League Division One (Step 6). Spelthorne are already safe from relegation.
Quincy Patterson, Midfield, EDS – Binfield: Played the first 80 minutes of the 0 – 1 defeat to Kingstonian in the Isthmian League South Central Division (Step 4). What Binfield require to be safe from relegation is now unclear following the abandonment of Littlehampton Town v Hayes & Yeading United at half time following an incident between both sets of players in the tunnel!
Sam Saward, Goalkeeper, EDS – Horley Town: Played the full game in the 3 – 0 victory at Tadley Calleva in the Combined Counties Premier Division South (Step 5) play-off semi-final. Horley will travel to Fleet Town for the final on Saturday 25th April.
Josh Solecki, Midfield, EDS – Banstead Athletic: In the starting XI for the 2 – 2 draw at Halls AFC in the Southern Counties East First Division (Step 6). This point, combined with other results, confirms Banstead’s safety from relegation.
Other forthcoming fixtures
Woking U16s (boys) National League Cup Final, Saturday 16th May – Kidderminster Harriers v Woking, to be played at Macclesfield FC.
Abbey Rangers (Joden Trickett, Forward, EDS) have their Cherry Red Records Premier Challenge Cup quarter-final to look forward to, against the winners of the Epsom & Ewell v Sutton Common Rovers tie to be played on 21st April.
Binfield (Quincy Patterson, Midfield, EDS): 25th April – Bognor Regis Town (A).
Sheerwater (Joel Jennison-Leppa, Defender, 2nd year) have a Southern Combination Challenge Cup quarter-final against Reading City to be arranged.
League fixture (home) details for the 2025/26 season
EDS, National League Under 19 Academy South Division. Midweek, daytime, at either Westfield Football Club or Woking College.
Woking play in the Premier Division of the Suburban Football League. Whilst there is not an age limit for this League most clubs view it as a predominantly youth league, and Woking field a team based on second years, with some first years, and some from the EDS. Usually Knaphill FC, 19:30, Thursday.
The National League structure also offers Woking a place in Division F of their Alliance Leagues. This team is largely made up of second years. Woking College, Wednesday, daytime.
Woking continue in the Central Division of the Isthmian League Youth system. The league is for under 18s, although in recent seasons Woking have fielded a team largely made up of first years. Knaphill FC, 19:30, Thursday.
Westfield play in the Allied Counties Youth League – West Division. This season they are represented by Woking U17. Westfield FC, Woking Park, 19:30, usually Monday.