Woking 0-2 Forest Green Rovers
Enterprise National League
Laithwaite Community Stadium
20th September 2025
Neal Ardley made just the one change to the Woking lineup from last Saturday’s defeat at Yeovil Town, with Jake Forster-Caskey replacing Jack Turner, who dropped to the bench.
The visit of a Forest Green Rovers side who arrived unbeaten under Robbie Savage provided the Cards with a tough test in their tenth league game of the season, and a squad which included prolific goalscoring midfielder Nick Haughton and former Woking loanee Harry Cardwell on the bench suggested the strength in depth they have, whilst Cian Harries is yet to make an appearance this season after signing for a fee from the Cards in January.
After an end to end start to the game, Josh Kelly created himself an opportunity by bursting down the right hand side, but his last touch before pulling the trigger let him down, and Abraham Kanu was able to clear.
This would prove costly just a minute later when a well worked move was finished off by Jayden Clarke, whose first time finish gave Tom Norcott no chance after the Woking defence were caught napping. Kanu’s afternoon would come to an end shortly after as a corner for the Cards was headed away by the defender but he was seemingly injured in the process.
The rest of the first half passed without incident as Woking were unable to get going, barring a chance for Beautyman when great work from Hinds found him unmarked in the box, but his header went agonisingly wide.
Half time: Woking 0-1 Forest Green Rovers
The visitors would double their lead just before the hour mark when a corner was half cleared into Isaac Moore’s path, and his effort at goal was flicked in by Tom Knowles from a few yards out.
Woking tried to get back in the game with some attack minded subs, but Rovers might have wrapped up the points when good play from Kyle McAllister saw him tee up Kairo Mitchell, who fired over.
Then came an even bigger chance for the visitors when Mitchell’s shot was well saved by Norcott but straight into the path of Tre Pemberton, who blazed over with the goal gaping.
Substitutes Ward and Osude combined in added time for the latter to fire against the post, but Forest Green were deserving of their clean sheet and a comfortable away win.
A tough day for Woking, who host a struggling Sutton side desperate for a win ahead of difficult assignments at Boreham Wood and Solihull.
Woking: Norcott; Drewe, Akinola, Odusina, Richards, Hinds; Andrews, Forster-Caskey (Timmy Akinola 63), Beautyman (Ward 63); O’Brien (Osude 69), Kelly
Subs not used: Jaaskelainen, Okoli, Turner,, Effiong.
Forest Green Rovers: McNicholas; Pemberton, Inniss, Kanu, Knowles; Mendy, Whitwell, Moore; McAllister, Clarke (Balagizi 69), Mitchell
Subs not used: Pagel, Kengni, Haughton, Cardwell, Walker
Goals: Clarke 10, Knowles 59
