A fantastic performance and result, one that has lifted my spirits more than any other this season. To win the game after losing McNulty so early on, and down to ten men for the closing stages, was one thing, but the quality of the football we played in the second half was as good as anything we saw when Banks and DMH were here and really gives me hope for the rest of the season.
The first half was like a basketball match: end to end and probably too open for our liking. The challenge on McNulty was horrific and should have resulted in a straight red; this turned out to be just one of a string of poor decisions by another inept referee. Understandably, we struggled to adapt for the first half an hour or so. Ridehalgh played ok filling in as a centre back, but our usual defensive organisation was missing. We were too deep as a team, there was not enough pressure on the ball and Big Mac's absence gave Woking, and particularly Effiong, encouragement. Both teams had chances, the best for the hosts a shot from fifteen yards from Effiong which was brilliantly saved by Taylor, while shortly after the goal Norwood had a chance to put us two up with an opportunity from ten yards. In general, I thought we just about shaded the half, but it was a patchy performance with some decent moves interspersed by periods of disjointed play, and with the game largely passing by Jennings and Norburn.
The second half was a different story. MM had clearly had some words at half time, as we pressed much higher up the pitch, were tighter in midfield and passed and moved much better. We completely dominated and had a string of opportunities before the red card, with Norwood, Cook and Cole all missing good chances. Other than the misses, I thought our football was as good as in any of the five victories in December. From where I was sitting Cook's two bookings were deserved, but numerous similar challenges by Woking players had gone unpunished and the referee had actually lost control of the game from the McNulty incident onwards. With ten men we very professionally saw the game out, and other than one speculative effort from range which hit the woodwork, were untroubled.
Individually, I thought Cook was back to his best, winning everything in the air; Adam Buxton was superb all round; Jay Harris was much sharper than at Barrow: Taylor was very solid, making some key saves in the first half; Norwood was a constant threat and dragged their back four all over the place in the second half; and Connor Jennings and Eddie Clarke linked up brilliantly down the left hand side. Clarke's performance was tremendous and was a reminder that, while we have lost Banks and DMH, he will still give us something extra in the remaining matches this season. He was our main attacking outlet today.