Words Jake Shorrock | Pictures Jonathan Moore

Altrincham 1 Woking 3

Altrincham's return to Enterprise National League action brought little reward against Woking at The J.Davidson Stadium as the visiting Cardinals secured all three points.

After kicking off on a cold and windy Saturday afternoon, the Robins began brightly, moving the ball well in midfield. Despite Woking enjoying periods of possession in the final third, it was the hosts who looked the sharper side in the opening quarter of an hour, probing patiently without reward.

After a slip from Woking centre-back in the 10th minute on the edge of the box, James Gale seized the chance to capitalise, but his effort was blocked by the Woking skipper Timi Odusina.

Despite the positive start, Alty failed to capitalise on Woking’s early defensive uncertainty, and the game soon swung in favour of the visitors. 

A low cross into the six-yard found Ashley Boatswain, who applied a composed near-post finish past Louie Fallon giving the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute.

Buoyed by the goal, Woking’s confidence grew, pressing aggressively as Alty's rhythm
faltered. Fallon was yet again called into action, only two minutes after the opener, getting a strong hand to stop Boatswain doubling both his and his team's tally.

The home side looked to regain momentum and were rewarded for their persistence when top scorer Jimmy Knowles levelled the scores with his ninth of the season, guiding home a low cross from Kahrel Reddin, who was a constant threat down the right flank throughout the first half.

Parity was short lived, however, as Josh Kelly's delivery found Jack Turner, who
spun sharply in the six-yard box and fired beyond Fallon to make it 2-1 to the away side on 42 minutes.

The game settled into an even rhythm around the hour mark, with both sides trading spells of possession. Phil Parkinson's triple substitution on 65 minutes aimed to inject fresh energy and creativity into the Robins attack, but Woking continued to defend resolutely.

Kelly remained a constant threat for the visitors, driving forward and linking play
effectively when in possession. Timmy Akinola saw his shot blocked as Alty's backline stood firm on 70 minutes.

As the match entered its closing stages, Woking put the result beyond doubt. In the 81st
minute, Sam Reed was penalised for bringing down Kelly inside the box, and the Woking
forward confidently slotted home Woking’s third of the afternoon.

After conceding another goal, the Robins struggled to form a response in the final minutes. With Woking defending compactly, allowing for a smooth sailing end to the game for the visitors.

Beeline VIP Travel Man Of The Match Jimmy Knowles

Altrincham Fallon; Reed (Baines, 90'+1), Osborne (Hinchy, 64'), Marriott (Ward, 64'), Gale (Crankshaw, 64'), Knowles, Reddin (Kirk, 76'), Crawford, Golden, Barnes, Sassi. Subs not used: Cooper, Beddow.

Woking Jaaskelainen; Drewe, Richards, Odusina (c) (Okoli, 57'), Hinds, Tu.Akinola, Turner, Kelly, Ti.Akinola, Boatswain (Sanderson, 72'), Forster-Caskey (Andrews, 76'). Subs not used: Ward, Ross, Patterson.

HT 1-2

Goals Knowles 36' | Boatswain 24', Turner 42', Kelly 83'

Yellows Sassi 49', Hinchy 75' | Hinds 23', Odusina 33', Forster-Caskey 60'

Reds None | None

Referee Andrew Miller

Assistants Mark Ryder & Thomas Wall

Fourth official Luis Griffiths

Attendance 1,722 (96 away)

Next Up

It's Winsford United at The Barton Stadium (CW7 3AE) in Cheshire Senior Cup First Round action.

The tie takes place on Tuesday evening at 7:45pm with on the gate admission set at £8 Adults, £6 Concessions and £2 under-16s.