LATHROPE WOE MARS A SPIRITED STALEMATE

TWO teams with plenty to play for at either end of the table battled out a goalless draw in a match marred by a serious injury to Woking’s Damon Lathrope.

The Cards midfielder was taken away in an ambulance midway through the second half following a collision with Boreham Wood’s Danny Woodards.

It brought a rather subdued end to an otherwise lively affair which saw much-improved Woking and promotion chasers Wood both carve out enough chances to win the game.

Luke Garrard’s team – on a run of four wins in a row in the league – went closest early on, thanks to a sumptuous volley from former Woking man Bruno Andrade, but it was pushed over the crossbar by Nathan Baxter.

The visitors continued to look for the spectacular and Angelo Balanta met a cross on the edge of the area, but he lashed his powerful volley inches over the woodwork.

It took half an hour for Woking to earn their first chance at goal, but Anthony Cook fired his effort into the hands of Grant Smith.

With just two first half minutes remaining, Alex Davey spurned the best chance of the game. Michael Folivi had worked his way into the box from the left-wing and flashed his effort across goal, but Davey was unable to convert from close-range. The Cards grew into the game in the second half but, like Wood, they couldn’t make their chances pay. A powerful cross from Nathan Ralph skimmed the head of Louie Theophanous, but Smith made the save. Cards chief Anthony Limbrick praised his side’s performance in the wintery conditions, saying: “The weather played its part today, we didn’t realise just how windy it was going to be, and we had to deal with a lot of pressure in that first half. “They are a good side, they have got good attacking threat and they are very experienced, with good old heads in there and they played the conditions quite well.” Garrard explained why he believes that this could turn out to be an important result in the coming weeks: “I thought that first half we were okay, we pinned them in and we didn’t let them counter. “We locked them in good areas and we had good chances, Alex Davey being one, but we weren’t ruthless enough in front of goal. “Would it have been better to have taken a win and continue our momentum? Of course. But, we can back up today’s performance on Tuesday, if we can get a positive result against Maidenhead at home.”