Woking 1-1 Barnet – Rhys Browne rescues point despite missed penalties

Both highflyers Woking and Barnet settled for a point in a thrilling National League fixture last Tuesday, due to Rhys Browne’s incredible solo effort cancelling out Harry Pritchard’s first-half strike. The Bees hero Laurie Walker came up trumps with two penalty saves from Browne in a game made for the neutrals.

The away side started the better and went on to control most of the first half. Their first major chance came when Ryan De Havilland’s strike from outside the box managed to avoid defensive bodies, but was collected by the returning Craig Ross, making his 200th appearance for the club.

Joe McNerney kept his place in the side from Saturday’s win at Maidstone and it paid dividends. In the first ten minutes of the game, he had already done enough to earn Man of the Match. His first piece of heroics came when ex-Woking loanee Nicke Kabamba was played in one-on-one but a perfectly well-timed, last-ditch challenge stopped the danger in its tracks. He then proceeded to hold onto the ball by chopping it away from the incoming Dale Gorman for Dan Moss to clear.

Just a few minutes later, a Barnet free kick swung in from the left-hand side found Danny Collinge whose slight touch towards goal forced a save from Ross, which was parried into the path of Ben Wynter who looked set to score at the back post. However, McNerney or ‘beast’ (as he’s called by the home faithful) lived up to the title by throwing his body in front of the ball to concede a corner and nothing more. The set piece was taken and of course, it was cleared by the defender.

Barnet continued to put the pressure on in the early stages and went ahead when a well-choreographed move from the right-hand side from De Havilland, saw his cross find Kabamba to lay the ball into Pritchard’s path who curled the ball into the top corner.

The side who started the day in fifth continued to push forward and weren’t allowing Woking a sniff of the ball. They had the chance to double their lead when Idris Kanu beat Moss with ease and got his shot off, but it was superbly pushed away by Ross.

The Bees often relied on Jordan Cropper to produce attacking threats with his long throw technique and it nearly came to fruition when the loose ball fell to Kabamba, but Ross was alert to the threat and made a brilliant close-range save.

With not long left in the first half, Woking finally had their first chance when Josh Casey’s corner found the head of Rohan Ince, but his effort was cleared off the line by Kabamba, to stop a certain equaliser.

Woking started to offer a little bit more but it was a head-in-hands moment when another corner found Ince, who this time found Browne to chest the ball down but blazed his effort over the bar from six yards out. Almost an exact replica occurred in added-on time when a corner found McNerney this time to head into the path of Browne but this time his chested-down shot was blocked by Walker in goal. The resulting corner was once again met with McNerney’s head and cleared again by Kabamba on the goal line.

HT: 0-1

Despite not offering anything until the final stages of the first half, it was clear Woking would come out all guns blazing in the second 45 minutes, which is exactly what they did.

A solo moment of magic from Browne saw him wriggle past three Barnet players with close control and hammer the ball into the net past the stranded Walker. This moment sparked a real fight of determination and Kingfield became alive. A complete contrast to the first half.

With the atmosphere through the roof, Barnet just couldn’t get out of their half. A shot outside the box from Jim Kellermann fell to the feet of Padraig Amond, but he couldn’t angle his body enough to get a firm shot off and the ball was collected by Walker.

Kellermann was next up with a big chance when a piece of skill saw him find time and space out on the left to drive a shot towards goal, but it hit the near post and bounced out for a goal kick.

Charlie Wakefield, who started his first game for the club, had a chance when he was found by Browne, but he blazed his shot over the bar and into the stands.

Gorman had Barnet’s only glimpse of action in the second half when a panic shot from 25 yards out beat Ross in goal but smashed against the cross bar.

It was just Woking this, Woking that for the last 15 minutes or so and finally after the ball constantly dropping in and around the box, Browne managed to get to it before substitute Dominic Revan to win his side a penalty. The Antigua and Barbuda international stepped up but his tame penalty along the floor was saved by Walker.

The fourth official had just singled an additional six minutes of injury time when a fantastic switch of play from substitute Marcus Dackers found Kellermann who brought Woking forward, finding Kyran Lofthouse to square the ball into the box. Browne was pulled down by Collinge for another penalty. Despite Amond holding the ball, it was Browne who once again stepped up, this time going to the other side of the goal, but the same outcome obliged with Walker making the save.

There was time for one last chance when the ball bounced around and found Dackers, but his shot went just shy of goal to finish things all square in Surrey.

FT: 1-1

Really difficult to take but some of the best moments at Kingfield tonight from McNerney & Browne, two individual performances to never be forgotten. A superb second half and a privilege to watch this team, this season.

That felt like more than just a game, a brotherhood of sorts. The way everyone stuck together from the players and management to the supporters was unique and a game like no other.

It’s clear that with everyone fit, this team can go on to finish in that third spot, but a little bit of luck will also be needed to shift others around us away.

Tuesday nights under the lights never disappoint at Kingfield and despite the result, here’s another to add to the list.

Next up is ten day resting period before a Good Friday visit to Dorking Wanderers. #COYCards

Woking Starting XI: Ross, Lofthouse, Casey, McNerney, Amond, Moss, Browne, Kellermann, Wakefield (75), Ince, Sass-Davies

Subs: Jaaskelainen, Cuthbert, O’Connell, Nwabuokei, Dackers (75)

Barnet Starting XI: Walker, Fernandez, Collinge, Okimo, Gorman (78), Kabamba, Kanu, Pritchard, Wynter (61), Cropper (70), De Havilland

Subs: Powell, Moyo, Revan (70), Senior (78), Woods (61)

Attendance: 3,069

Man of the Match: Joe McNerney