CARDS ARE DENIED AS SHAYMEN SET THE BAR
FC HALIFAX condemned new-look Woking to their first defeat of the campaign in a barn-storming game at Kingfield.
Goals from Jesse Debrah and Martin Woods sandwich between a Jordan Maguire-Drew penalty gave the Shaymen a narrow lead at the interval before Billy Waters added a third.
George Oakley set up a thrilling finish by adding a second for the Cards but Halifax held on for the points.
“We are really pleased with the result as we had to play a different way,” boss Pete Wild said. “Everybody thinks Halifax are a good footballing side and all we do is play good football, but we proved today we can win ugly.”
Woking were looking to build on their opening day success at Wealdstone and were on the front foot early on.
A corner from Maguire-Drew was met at the back post by Rohan Ince, with his header cleared off the line by Senior.
The Cards continued to dominate the early exchanges with a Joe McNerney header tipped over the post by Sam Johnson.
But it was the visitors who took the lead against the run of play when debutant Debrah chanced his arm from 25 yards out with an effort that rifled into the bottom corner of the net.
Woking responded and were soon level when a poor pass was intercepted by Solomon Nwabuokei. The former St Albans midfielder burst into the box and was upended. Up stepped Maguire-Drew who hammered the spot kick into the roof of the net.
It wasn’t long, however, before Halifax reclaimed the lead with half-time rapidly approaching. Matt Warburton’s shot inside the box was deflected for a simple tap in for Woods.
Almost straight from the restart, the Shaymen made it three when Senior slipped the ball into the path of Waters to drill the ball into the bottom corner.
Halifax should have put the game out of the reach when a Niall Maher’s header from a corner came off the bar. Tom Bradbury’s follow-up was well saved by Craig Ross and Warburton dragged his effort wide.
The Cards pulled a goal back on 69 minutes when Oakley curled a shot into the right hand corner of the net.
And they almost rescued a point in the dying embers with substitute Kane Thompson- Sommers striking the ball from outside the box, but Halifax keeper Sam Johnson produced a magnificent finger tip save to deny the Birmingham loanee.
Woking kept pushing forward to the final whislte but were thwarted by a well organised Halifax side.
Disappointed Woking boss Alan Dowson said “Attacking wise we did well, defensively we didn’t. If you are going to concede three goals like that you aren’t going to win football games.”