Woking 1 Alty 2

3:54pm Monday 11th August 2008

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ALTY finally slayed their Woking demons after an impressive 2-1 opening day win at Kingfield.

The Robins had lost five of the previous six meetings with the Surrey club - the other being a draw - but fully deserved the three points that got their campaign off to a flying start.

In typical Alty fashion though, it took a spot of late drama to seal the outcome.

Colin Little struck in the first minute of injury time to start this season how he finished the last, banging in important goals for his club.

The visitors were the better of the two sides throughout the first half.

They settled quicker, played better football and generally looked more confident and coherent.

Little even had the ball in the net just seven minutes in, but after lashing a brilliant 20-yard effort past Ross Worner, the striker was flagged offside .

All the best chances fell to the Robins, Alex Meechan having an effort blocked after he was set up by Dale Johnson, while Greg Young headed wide from a Matt Doughty free kick.

Doughty’s delivery from set pieces continued to cause problems, the former Halifax man forcing a save from Worner with one effort and finding Johnson with another, Worner again called on to make a save from the targetman’s header.

Woking struggled to create any chances of note and when they did, four minutes before the break, it was badly wasted, Paolo Vernazza shooting tamely at Stuart Coburn.

On the stroke of half time Alty finally made their dominance pay.

Worner reacted well to beat out a low shot from Johnson but could do nothing about the follow up, as Meechan fired home the rebound.

Woking changed things up early in the second half, bringing on both Delano Sam-Yorke and Joel Ledgister to give them more attacking threat, and the game quickly swung in their favour.

Both Sam-Yorke and Danny Bunce fired chances off target before the Cards equalised 66 minutes in.

Bunce curled a free kick into the box and Chris Lane was unable to clear convincingly enough, instead heading the ball to Ledgister who rammed it home at the far post.

Woking piled on the pressure in search of a further breakthrough but their best opportunity saw Sam-Yorke’s shot saved well by Coburn.

And with the game seemingly headed towards a draw, Little performed another bout of heroics.

After receving the ball from Lane, he twisted and turned on the edge of the area, putting Tom Hutchinson on his backside, before expertly placing the ball past Worner.

For once, preseason optimism has translated to early reward.

Alty player ratings: Coburn 6; Lane 8, McGregor 7 Young 6, Doughty 7; Meechan 6 Lawton 6 Street 6 (Danylyk 77), Denham 7 (Elam 63, 6); Little 8, Johnson 7 (O'Neill 85). Subs not used: Ralph, Senior.