WOKING might be known as the Cardinals but the gods appeared to be smiling down on York City’s Minstermen during Saturday’s Blue Square meeting between the two clubs.

Colin Walker’s men were struggling to impose their authority on a lacklustre KitKat Crescent clash until Danny Bunce put through his own net three minutes after the interval, adding a flattering second goal to Daniel McBreen’s 38th-minute strike.

The close-range effort from Australian striker McBreen was scarcely deserved during an unsure first-half display from City and win-less Woking mustered more shots than their unbeaten hosts over 90 minutes.

But, rather than divine intervention, perhaps the result owed more to two famous football fables – good teams win matches even when they play poorly and sides from the opposite end of the table never get the breaks they deserve.

In right-winger Goma Lambu and midfielder Guiseppe Sole, Woking arguably had the best two performers on the pitch.

The Minstermen, meanwhile, struggled from the start, guilty of being caught in possession and sloppy passess for much of the first half.

Target man McBreen had difficulty holding the ball up and competing with the commanding Tom Hutchinson in the air, while, in the middle of the park, Ben Wilkinson and Mark Greaves could not make their presence felt either, being outnumbered by Woking’s 3-5-2 formation as City also failed to penetrate down the flanks through wingers Peter Bore and Simon Russell.

The home side’s one telling cross of the first half did, however, lead to the opening goal on 38 minutes when Russell’s left-wing delivery to the far post was met by Bore and his downward header fell to McBreen inside the six-yard box.

City’s Australian striker then had time to readjust his feet before prodding the ball past on-loan Millwall goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley from close range.

Earlier, a lack of ideas from both sides had been perfectly illustrated by Lambu’s painstaking search for an option at a throw-in before he eventually hurled the ball out of play on 21 minutes.

Woking began to improve, however, with Sole going close from the edge of the box.

Brodie sent a rising, 25-yard half-volley whistling wide with City’s first noteworthy attempt on 32 minutes, but a defensive mix-up saw Bunce miss narrowly from distance after Michael Ingham had left his goal unguarded following a rare break-down in communication with Danny Parslow.

City forged ahead soon afterwards but still looked unconvincing going into the break with Cardinals’ captain Colin Miles heading narrowly over from a Bunce corner and an off-balance Wilfried Domoraud guiding another chance wide from ten yards.

The decisive second goal, however, arrived when Brodie’s cross from the left-wing was headed into the roof of his own net by Bunce under pressure from Bore and Ben Wilkinson inside the six-yard box.

Bunce tried to make amends moments later, forcing Ingham into a near-post save and Sole went close with a diving header from Lambu’s cross.

The game became a more open affair and Brodie should have beaten Pidgeley from five yards out on 56 minutes when Russell pulled the ball invitingly back into his path from the byline after Bore’s right-wing cross had travelled across the face of Woking’s six-yard box.

But his shot lacked the power to beat Pidgeley and, seconds later, confusion reigned when the Woking ’keeper caught the consequent corner but his throw out only found Greaves on the edge of his penalty box.

The City skipper drilled a low shot into Pidgeley’s bottom right-hand corner and, initially, well-placed referee Billy Khatib adamantly waved away Woking’s protests.

Having been persuaded to consult his flagging assistant, however, the Sunderland official then decided Pidgeley had been impeded in a crowded box.

Brodie again shot tamely at Pidgeley having cut purposefully inside Patrice Konan on 67 minutes but, at the other end, Lambu fired an angled drive wide and Sole tested Ingham with two 20-yard attempts.

Khatib failed to cover himself in glory for a second time on 81 minutes when Brodie was mysteriously punished despite shrugging off Konan’s challenge by fair means and then appearing to have his ankle clumsily clipped by the Ivory Coast-born defender in the penalty box.

The willing runs of Liam Shepherd and intelligent touches of fellow substitute Adam Boyes encouraged City supporters late on but Woking continued to pose problems until the final whistle with substitute Charlie Moon heading over from another Lambu cross on 88 minutes.

At full-time, though, a half-pleased Walker was celebrating his fourth club record in less than ten months as manager.

After eight matches, the former Barnsley coach now shares the longest unbeaten start to a City season with revered 1984/5 chief Denis Smith, having previously written himself into the club’s history books for going the most games without a defeat of any previous manager at the start of his reign.

Walker and his predecessor Billy McEwan also jointly hold the best tallys for consecutive away wins (seven) and matches without a loss on the road (13).

Only Kettering – the only other undefeated Blue Square Premier team – stand between Walker and another outright record next weekend.


Match facts

York City 2 (McBreen 38, Bunce og 48), Woking 0

City: Michael Ingham 7, Ben Purkiss 7, Danny Parslow 8, David McGurk 7, Mark Robinson 7, Ben Wilkinson 6, Mark Greaves 6, Simon Russell 7, Peter Bore 6, Richard Brodie 6, Daniel McBreen 6.

Substitutions: Liam Shepherd (for Bore 78), Craig Farrell (for McBreen 60, 6), Adam Boyes (for Brodie 85).

Subs not used: Mimms, Kelly.

Key: 10 – Faultless; 9 – Outstanding; 8 – Excellent; 7 – Good; 6 – Average; 5 – Below par; 4 – Poor; 3 – Dud; 2 – Hopeless; 1 – Retire.

City’s star man: Parslow – another gritty display from City’s in-form Welsh defender.


Woking: Lenny Pidgeley, Patrice Konan, Colin Miles, Tom Hutchinson, Danny Bunce (Charlie Moon, 87), Goma Lambu, Matt Pattison (Liam Marum, 58), Bradley Quamina, Guiseppe Sole, Wilfried Domoraud (Manny Williams, 62), Delano Sam-Yorke.

Subs not used: Adekunle Salau, Ross Worner.

Yellow cards: Greaves 41.

Shots on target: York 7, Woking 3.

Shots off target: York 5, Woking 11.

Corners: York 49, Woking 5.

Fouls conceded: York 15, Woking 15.

Offsides: York 5, Woking 6.

Referee: Billy Khatib (Tyne & Wear).

Rating: blotted his copybook with the about turn for Greaves’ disallowed goal and his decision to penalise Brodie instead of awarding spot-kick.

Attendance: 2,307 (53 from Woking).

Header of the match: City’s Bore and Wilkinson would have struggled to better Bunce’s emphatic effort.

Save of the match: Either of Pidgeley’s point-blank saves from Brodie.

Mistake of the match: The referee’s failure to award a spot-kick for Konan’s foul on Brodie and then to penalise the City striker instead.


City player watch: Peter Bore

Goal attempts on target: 0

Goal attempts off target: 0

Blocked goal attempts: 0

Passes to own player: 10

Passes to opposition: 2

Crosses to own player: 1

Crosses to opposition: 3

Pass completion rate: 68.75 per cent

Dribbles ball retained: 4

Dribbles ball lost: 3

Dribble completion rate: 57.1 per cent

Headers: 4

Tackles: 2

Clearances, blocks and interceptions: 0

Fouls won: 0

Fouls conceded: 0

Offsides: 2

Yellow cards: 0

Final summary: The on-loan Grimsby winger showed fleeting glimpses of pace and ability but, as the low number of passes he made indicates, he was not heavily involved. He only made four crosses. One resulted in a great chance for Brodie and he can claim an assist for McBreen’s goal. He went past his man more times than stopped in his tracks.