CARDS IMPRESS AT BOTH ENDS!
OKING assistant Ian Dyer insisted he was equally as pleased with the clean sheet as he was with the goals in the Cards’ impressive win at Southend United.
The well-deserved victory at Roots Hall saw Woking move up to tenth in the table.
And Dyer was pleased with the performance at both ends of the pitch.
“We felt having watched Southend that mobility and getting down the sides of their three centre halves would be the way to go,” he said.
“We went smaller in terms of our forwards but we were looking to get the ball into their feet and get in behind them.
“It was quite an even game but in the first half we were the team asking all the questions in terms of territory.
“They made it tough for us in the second half and you have to give Southend credThe it. They didn’t give up and changed their shape a couple of times themselves.
“But we stood firm at the back and I’m as pleased with the clean sheet as I am the two goals.”
Woking opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, with Tahvon Campbell bagging his 10th goal of the season.
The striker collected a left wing cross from Soloman Nwabuokei before composing himself and sending a low, left footed shot into the bottom left hand corner of the net from 14 yards.
The visitors came close to doubling their lead in the 40th minute when Tyreke Johnson cut in from the left flank and clipped the top of the crossbar with a wellstruck right footed shot.
Southend rallied at the start of the second half with Rhys Murphy volleying over from close range but Woking sealed their win two minutes from time with a clinical penalty from Max Kretzchmar.
Shrimpers, who are fighting to avoid a third successive relegation, now sit one place and one point above the drop zone.
And head coach Kevin Maher felt his side lacked quality on the ball.
“We knew physically it was going to be a tough one,” said Maher. “We knew we had to match that and then hope we had enough quality on the pitch for when we had the ball but I don’t think we showed enough of that, especially in the final third.
“In the first half it was a little bit too slow with no real threat in behind.
“I feel for the players because they’ve given us everything and they’re a good bunch but we’ve got to start winning matches.
“There are no excuses and if we have to change things we will because we can’t keep losing.” STAR MAN: Tahvon Campbell (Woking) ATT: 5,821 ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★ REFEREE: Ryan Atkin