Match report: Woking 1 AFC Fylde 0

Lazar Stojsavljevic’s looping header early in the second half was the difference between two sides who went into the match in contrasting form - Fylde were undefeated in seven, winning six of them, while Woking without a win since November.Dave Challinor named an unchanged side for the third match running as Fylde looked to consolidate a position in the National League play-off zone. Captain Sam Finley fired an early sighter inside the opening two minutes – a piledriver that flew over the bar from distance.The Coasters were taking the game to the hosts and Jonny Smith was a whisker away from opening the scoring with a delightful curling effort from the right of the box. Challinor’s side had a huge let-off just before the 20-minute mark, when Anthony Cook’s dangerous free-kick from the right was poked against the underside of the bar by Josh Staunton.Woking were forced into a change midway through the half, when Louis Ramsay went down injured and was replaced by Richard Orlu. An uneventful first period was almost brought to life when Reece Grego-Cox got the better of Jordan Tunnicliffe and burst through one-on-one with Fylde keeper Jay Lynch only to see his low effort brilliantly saved by the legs of the advancing goalkeeper.The league’s top scorer Danny Rowe launched a speculative strike from distance but Woking keeper Nathan Baxter, on loan from Chelsea, held the ball well on his goal-line. The visitors should have broken the deadlock five minutes before the break. when Rowe combined with Smith to release Finley in acres of space but the skipper lashed over from six yards.Woking’s Matt Young almost handed the Coasters a half-time lead when he deflected Rowe’s low strike goalwards but the alert Baxter claimed the ball in the nick of time.Smith went for the spectacular as the second half kicked off but his clever back- heel was easily claimed by Baxter, then Cook flashed one across the Fylde goal in a bright opening for both sides.Woking took the lead from a corner four minutes after the restart. The initial cross was cleared but the ball came over again from out wide for Stojsavljevic to loop a header over Lynch into the far corner of the goal. Rowe was agonisingly close to levelling the scores when he burst forward and saw a left-footed strike deflected narrowly wide of the far post.Serhat Tasdemir was introduced on the hour and soon had a shooting chance but his tame effort floated well wide.Zaine Francis-Angol’s deep cross was headed back across goal by Jack Muldoon towards Rowe, whose strick from 10 yards was comfortably saved by Baxter.The 16-goal striker then saw another opportunity defected wide, while at the other end Cook’s shot stung the palms of Lynch.Greco-Cox could have wrapped up the points for the hosts in the final seconds but flicked a strike well wide. Fylde had failed to score for the first time in 12 games and slipped three places to ninth.

AFC Fylde: Lynch, Burke, Tunnicliffe, Stubbs, Francis-Angol, Bond (Chettle 71), Montrose, Finley, Muldoon (Blinkhorn 81), Smith (Tasdemir 61), Rowe; not used: Grand, Taylor.Woking: Baxter, Young, Ramsay (Orlu 25), Staunton, Stojsavljevic, Ferdinand, Isaac (Lathrope 65), Carter, Grego-Cox, Cook, Banton (Edwards 81); not used: Appau, MasonRef: Simon Barrow.Att: 1,865