CARDS BACK ON WEMBLEY MARCH
WOKING booked their place in the semi-finals of the FA Trophy for the first time in 15 years by the skin of their teeth thanks to Jamar Loza’s first-half strike. National League leaders Torquay missed a penalty and also had an equalising goal controversially ruled out in the 94th minute as their recent run of unpredictable results continued. On a glorious sunny day in Surrey, the Gulls had the first chance of the match with Billy Waters firing over from the edge of the area. Woking responded immediately when Moussa Diarra’s header from a free-kick was cleared off the line in only the fourth minute.
Diarra was the centre of attention in the 13th minute, but this time for the wrong reason when he fouled Waters on the edge of the area, conceding a penalty. Torquay captain Asa Hall stepped up but saw his powerful spot kick well saved by Craig Ross. Goalkeeper Marcin Brzozowski, signed on loan from QPR as an emergency replacement for the suspended Shaun MacDonald, was tested for the first time when Loza’s curling shot was heading for the bottom corner, only for the debutant to parry the ball away for a corner.
Up the other end, Ross was alert to deny Max Sheaf before the deadlock was broken when Loza fired home superbly from an angle with his left foot.
The Gulls were on top at the start of the second period when a free kick from Jake Andrews came back off a post with Ross beaten.
Ben Whitfield then had an effort that Ross pushed over the bar as the visitors pressed for an equaliser.
Like the start of the first half, the action was fast and furious with Woking almost adding a second from a corner when Diarra’s flick was headed onto a post by Ben Gerring.
The Cards should have got the all-important second goal when Loza laid the ball on a plate for Jonte Smith who spurned a golden opportunity by blasting over.
Torquay countered when Whitfield’s effort was cleared off the line. The Gulls threw everything at the Woking goal in a frantic finish and in time added on almost took the game to penalties.
With every Torquay player inside the Woking penalty area a free-kick flicked on by Connor Lemonheigh-Evans was dived at by Waters, but he missed the ball and it went all the way in. As the Gulls celebrated a late leveller their celebrations turned to despair when the assistant referee’s flag was raised for offside on Waters, much to the relief of the Cards.
Woking boss Dowson said: “It could have been four all. There was a lot of chances. Performance wise it doesn’t really matter as long as you get in the next round. We dug in, it’s the third clean sheet in four games which is a massive plus. We could have put the game to bed, but at the finish we got away with it.”
STAR MAN: Craig Ross (Woking) ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★