No points came the way of the Saints at Clarence Park on Tuesday as Woking's resurgence gathered momentum during an absorbing encounter on a warm late summers evening. Although City shaded the possession the Cards had by far the better openings and but for the brilliance Paul Bastock the Surrey club could have won far more handsomely. That said, City gave as good as they got and with a first half corner count in their favour of 10-0 there was understandable frustration in the home camp that no reward was forthcoming.
Although it is nine years since Woking were last at the Park, Glenn Cockerill's side maintained the stranglehold the Kingfield club have held on City in recent years with our total of wins in the last 19 meetings stuck at just two. Woking have now won 47 of the 109 games between the two clubs compared to our 41 successes. Anyhow, enough of the stats...
City were minus the injured Simon Martin from the weekend victory at Northwich Victoria and also, a touch surprisingly, only named Damian Batt amongst the substitutes. Josh Sozzo passed a late fitness test to replace Martin while Dean Cracknell was recalled from Staines Town to help bolster the bench. Woking showed just one change from the side that drew with Dagenham on Saturday.
The pace during the opening half was furious, the passing was scintillating with both sides playing the ball to man and not long. The game was also incredibly clean and easy to control although referee James Linnington, who had a good game overall, did seem to get a touch whistle happy during the tense closing stages.
City were quickly into their stride with Chris Seeby, again in midfield, playing with a confidence not often seen prior to his run out in the England National Game XI last week. His fellow England team-mates that night, Magnus Okuonghae and Tom Davis were also in good touch with the latter giving one of his finest performances in a City shirt.
Inside the opening few minutes the Saints had forced four corners but Woking, as they did throughout the game, defended magnificently and Shwan Jalal, the highly-rated Cards custodian, was given precious few anxious moments due to the outstanding efforts of those in front of him. Countless times City worked a clear opening only for a lunging defender to block the effort although on two minutes Jalal did need to produce a save to deny Paul Hakim. Within the next five minutes Hakim had a second shot blocked for a corner and when that was half cleared Matt Hann's cross was again put behind by the Cards defence.
Lee Clarke, who had the first attempt of the game on goal charged down inside the opening minute, glanced a header wide from another Hann corner before shooting just wide of Jalal's goal. City, whose three wins this season have all been secured with first half goals, really needed to make a breakthrough as Woking were looking increasingly menacing.
Twice in ten minutes Bastock, facing Craig McAllister in one-on-one situations, spread himself superbly to stop the Cards leading marksman adding to the four goals scored in his first seven games of the season; from the second save Hann cleared Goma Lambu's goalbound follow up. Sandwiched between Bastock's heroics Saints defender David Theobald headed powerfully but just over from yet another Hann corner.
City suffered a blow on 23 minutes when Gary Elphick came off with a hamstring injury, during Elphick's 482 minutes on the pitch this season the Saints have conceded just two goals. With him off and Adam Wilde on, Seeby switched to right back which had a slightly detrimental effect on the Saints flow and dominance through the midfield. Even so, St Albans still played the ball across the park stylishly and one patient move involving Davis, Clarke, Seeby and Hann ended with Clarke's second contribution being a shot that struck Hakim whose swift turn and shot forced Jalal to concede another corner.
An umpteenth fine pass by Seeby to Hann saw the wingers cross from in front of the main stand just elude the advancing Lee Flynn at the back post. Despite City's fine first half showing the full timers from Surrey always looked capable of snatching a goal but Jon Nurse squandered a good chance on 42 minutes when he slashed the ball well wide from a McAllister pass.
Six minutes after the restart Bastock had probably his highest point of the evening as he pulled off a staggering double save to thwart Lambu and then McAllister when the latter looked odds on to score. Given his form this season though, it was just another day at the office for the legendary Bostonian. But, sadly, Bastock's heroics were finally overcome on 62 minutes when he made a remarkable save from Nurse - diving low to his left to beat away a certain goal - only for Karl Murray to slide the ball back into the box for the free Giuseppe Sole to fire into the centre of the Hatfield Road goal from 15 yards.
This came at a time when Woking were very much on the up and given the way the match was going it was disappointing to see the Cards indulge in some unnecessary time-wasting tactics; they are good enough not to need to resort to such methods so early in the game.
Shortly after the goals McAllister and Nurse joined Clarke in Mr Linnington's notebook, McAllister's caution seemed somewhat harsh, and as the play got a touch sloppy for the first time City gradually eased their way back into contention.
Hann, following an exquisite chip over the Cards defence by Clarke, shot into the side-netting and Davis, after a Hann corner was partially cleared, sent in a thunderous effort that clipped the ducking Okuonghae and dipped just over Jalal's goal.
Those two efforts were separated by two near misses for the visitors with McAllister, latching onto a Nurse through ball, aiming to Bastock's right but the City keeper stretched low to concede nothing more damaging than a corner. A good period of Woking pressure also saw substitute Simon Jackson go close with a drive from 25 yards. The final word almost belonged to the Saints as Davis floated a free kick towards Jalal's right hand post that the tireless Hakim headed just wide with an offside flag already raised. |
