Goals from Connor Suckling and Sid Gbla ensured that Woodley United overcame 10-man Cove to take three points in the Combined Counties Division One.
Woodley started in a bright fashion with midfielder Tahir Carmichael seeing plenty of the ball and instrumental in much of the early play.
It was from his free kick in the third minute that visiting keeper Ryan O’Sullivan was called on to tip the ball over his crossbar following a wicked deflection of a defender.
Carmichael shot wide in the ninth minute following a clearance from a Woodley corner, Sid Gbla was tackled as he prepared to shoot following Rafa Brandao’s low cross into the penalty area a minute later.
United got the breakthrough in the 17th minute when pressure on a hosts’ short goal kick saw a cross into the penalty area that Mo Davies’ headed into the path of Connor Suckling to hit a low volley to O’Sullivan’s right and inside the upright.
Three minutes later Cove was reduced to ten players with Kay Hampson dismissed for violent conduct following a ball going out of play for a throw in.
Woodley continued to be positive and extended the lead in the 25th minute when an unmarked Gbla headed Brandao’s corner kick into the goal net.
O’Sullivan denied Gbla in a one on one shortly afterwards and the forward hit the side netting when a pass across the six yard box would have found two Woodley players unmarked with an open goal in front of them.
Within two minutes of the restart Tyler Garrett-Skinns had reduced the deficit with a shot from the edge of the home penalty area.
United responded with Davies’ seeing a shot cleared off the goal line. Cove were playing a high line with three defenders which United looked to exploit on the counter attack and in such attack O’Sullivan conceded a free kick outside the penalty area in a rash challenge.
Gbla headed straight at O’Sullivan and the keeper was again penalised for a challenge when he brought Sucking down in the penalty area after the forward had shot at goal.
Despite Suckling finding the net the referee had blown for a penalty kick that Suckling put wide of the keeper’s right post.
Ryan Lewis put a shot over Sam Dabinett’s cross bar as the visitors pushed for an equaliser with United saw Marco DeSousa take a short free kick to Reuel Griffith and the winger running at the defence before passing to Ben Lambourne who put his shot wide.
Ciaron Carolan hit the side netting as the elusive third goal could not be found by the home team.
The third minute of stoppage time saw Woodley break from a Cove corner kick that resulted in right back DeSousa heading wide.
Before Cove could take the resulting goal kick, the visitors Regan Denyer and Ayman Bouzerai were dismissed for adopting aggressing attitude towards one another.
The remaining five minutes were played out without incident with United relieved to take the three points.
Woodley United: Dabinett, DeSousa, Jeczalik, Carmichael (Lambourne), Watkiss, Moriarty, Richardson (Carolan), Brandao (Chigona), Gbla (Tull), Suckling, Davies (Griffith)
