HERO LITTLE DELIVERS A BIG WIN FOR GULLS
TORQUAY UNITED kept their late bid for a play-off spot on track as they made it four wins out of four against Woking.
Armani Little’s first half strike against his former club proved to be the difference in what was Darren Sarll’s first home game in charge of the Cards. However, despite the result, the former Yeovil boss insisted on focusing on the positives.
“In the second half, we really demonstrated the way we want to develop the team and develop the style of play with these players,” said Sarll.
“I think when this group has a really professional focus and attitude they can do whatever they like, the world is their oyster.”
Meanwhile, his opposite number Gary Johnson believes his side are fully focused on doing everything they can to ensure that they finish in the top seven.
“In Darren Sarll, they (Woking) have got a new manager, who they are looking to impress, and he’s got a particular game, and sometimes you have to emulate that,” said Johnson.
“We showed some good quality at times and we did catch them on the break a couple of times, but we couldn’t finish. Mentally, the boys want to do it. 19 games ago they could have thought ‘I’ll book my holidays just after May 15th’ – but now they believe there is an opportunity.”
The visitors edged ahead on 19 minutes when Armani Little latched onto a long ball from Ben Wynter before beating the offside trap to score his 14th goal of the campaign.
Woking threatened an equaliser in the 23rd minute as Joe McNerney glanced a header wide following a corner. Two minutes later, Tyreke Johnson blasted wide from 25-yards.
On 35 minutes, Connor
Lemonheigh-Evans looked well-placed to double the Gulls’ lead, but he was crowded out by the defence.
In the second half, Gulls defender Dean Moxey blasted a free-kick from the edge of the penalty area on 53 minutes straight at Woking keeper Craig Ross.
Woking sub Nicke Kambaba had a header deflected onto the bar and behind for a corner in the 65th minute, with his first touch after coming off the bench. From the resulting flag kick, Max Kretzschmar hit the side netting again for the Cards.
With five minutes to go, sub Jamar Loza fired across the face of goal for Woking, and moments later Loza set up Innih Effiong for a golden opportunity which the Cards’ leading scorer fired wide.
In the 89th minute, Cards sub Jack Roles had a freekick parried away by United keeper Shaun MacDonald.
Nevertheless, there was still time for the Gulls to carve out a chance in injury time as Little picked out Lemonheigh-Evans, who was denied by Ross, as United held out for the three points.