Shaymen hang on to claim hard-fought Woking win
FC Halifax Town made it three wins in a row with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Woking at The Shay.
Halifax were 2-0 up and cruising at half-time thanks to goals from Florent Hoti and Luke Summerfield, but ended the game hanging on after Dennon Lewis got one back for the visitors.
It was another game of two halves from The Shaymen, who produced some promising moments in the first 45 before a more laboured second period.
Hoti wasted a great chance to hand Halifax an early lead for the third consecutive game after a fantastic run and through ball by Andrew Oluwabori, but his shot was stopped from rolling over the line by Alexis Andre Jr after it squirmed under him. Not for the last time.
Sam Johnson kept out a cracking long-range effort from Jayden Luker moments later before Hoti went close again from Adan George's cross, but after a lovely touch took him past a Woking defender, his low shot crawled across the face of goal and wide.
Town needed a couple of vital interceptions by former Woking loanee Kane Thomson-Sommers to thwart dangerous attacks by the visitors, who got into some dangerous positions but lacked the cutting edge to make the most of them.
After squandering some big chances, Town took the lead when there wasn't even a half-chance as Summerfield's in-swinging corner from the left extraordinarily went straight in at the near post, with Andre Jr sprawling in vain to keep it out.
The keeper then saw another shot wriggle under him as Hoti's left-footed effort from 20 yards evaded his grasp to double the hosts' lead.
If you're being kind, the mud-strewn goalmouth infront of the South Stand didn't help him, but he should have done better.
Either way, a home win most definitely looked on The Cards.
Woking wrestled more control over the contest after half-time, winning more 50-50s and playing with more urgency, as Town again came off the pace following an encouraging first-half.
The Shaymen were doing most of the defending now, and largely offering a threat on the break.
But they still came closest to scoring next, with Thomson-Sommers and Hoti firing narrowly off target.
A glorious pass by Summerfield then set Oluwabori away on the left but he could only fire straight at the keeper.
Woking's cutting edge was still blunt, despite getting the ball into the right areas and some sloppiness in possession by Town offering them encouragement.
They halved the deficit when Lewis cut in on his right on the left of the box and drive a low shot into the bottom corner.
Suddenly Town's lead looked slender and Woking had a renewed sense of energy.
The second-half slump had struck again.
The muddy tide had turned and Town were now just fending Woking off, surviving a run of four consecutive corners amid building pressure.
But a tired-looking Town dragged themselves to fulltime with their lead intact. Just.