Woking 0 Exeter City 2

Last updated : 04 November 2006 By Footymad Previewer
Exeter grabbed their first win against Woking in the Conference since they were relegated and gave Manager Paul Tisdale the perfect wedding gift.

The City boss tied the knot 24 hours earlier before seeing his side take all three points then leaving Kingfield on the final whistle to start his delayed honeymoon. He had every reason to be pleased having seen Paul Buckle and Jamie Mackie fire two first half goals that set the visitors up for a deserved victory against struggling Woking who have now failed to score in three out of their four past matches.

The Cardinals had beaten City three times and drawn three in matches so far between the two teams. Tisdale's men looked keen to address that statistic and started the game brightly with former Aldershot midfield Jon Challinor particularly influential on Woking's right.

It was Challinor who might have scored early on, climbing high to nod a defective header wide from Andy Taylor's inswinging corner.

Woking skipper Neil Smith seemed to have his side's only potent weapon, that being a long throw, which he continually used to good effect.

It was Exeter who went in front though after 18 minutes and it was Challinor who instigated the move. It involved a sweet interchange of passes between Lee Phillips and Mackie and ended with Buckle moving to the edge of the penalty area before sending a searing low drive through a crowd of bodies and beyond the despairing dive of England goalkeeper Shwan Jalal.

Exeter refused to rest on their laurels which they have done previously this season having gone ahead and they were rewarded with some slick passing football with a second goal, just after the half hour mark.

A superb ball in behind the Woking defence by Matthew Gill kicked out the run of Mackie and after the striker's first touch had taken him beyond the challenge of Karim El-Salahi he side-stepped the onrushing Jalal before gleefully sliding home City's second.

It gave the visitor's a deserved two-goal lead against a lack-lustre Woking who have failed to get going at all, although Guiseppe Sole might have pegged a goal back when he poked a good chance wide after Craig McAllister's flick had found him in the box.
Cardinal's boss Glenn Cockerill made changes at half time bringing on Steve Ferguson and Simon Jackson for Shola Oyedele and Ollie Berquez.

Woking re-shuffled with Karl Murray pushed on into a more accustomed midfield role to add some drive on the right.

Woking seemed desperate to get back into the match but it was Exeter's Andy Taylor who might have killed the game off just five minutes after the break. He got in a mess though with Challinor's cross and failed to get his shot off from six yards. Woking bounced back in their customary style when behind and their most effective player Tom Hutchinson rose superbly to power a header against the crossbar with Keeper Paul Jones credited for the finest of touches.

Saheed Sankoh replaced Stephen Evans as Woking tried to add more punch up front but in fact it was centre half Hutchinson who continued to prove Woking's most potent weapon up front, causing Jones all sorts of problems under a couple of high crosses.

For all their endeavour Woking rarely tested Jones in goal and but for that tip on the bar save the City keeper had virtually nothing to do.

While Woking had a couple of close headers late on it was Exeter who almost scored again and might have done but for El-Salahi's superb block on Challinor to prevent yet another dangerous moment.