Wrexham 3 Woking 1

GARRY HILL reckons it could have all been so different for Woking as the Cards took their first tentative steps back into the Blue Square Premier.

Woking looked to be crumbling in the heat of the Racecourse Ground and trailed to first-half goals from Rob Ogleby and Dean Keates.

But invigorated after the break thanks to the introduction of Bradley Bubb and Giuseppe Sole, Cards hit back and reduced the deficit in the 65th minute when Bubb slotted past Joslain Mayebi.

Kevin Betsy saw a diving header flapped off the line moments later before Mark Creighton's powerful header 15 minutes from time killed off the visitors' hopes.

And Hill believes Betsy's miss was the turning point, insisting Woking's momentum at the time could have turned the opening day fixture on its head.

The manager said: "We had a chat at half-time and the thing we wanted most was a response - I said if we can get a goal early in the second-half how will Wrexham react?

"We got the goal we wanted and we were much better in the second-half, we started playing football and there was a big turning point in the match at 2-1. We were certainly on top for a 10 minute period.

"Giuseppe Sole has put in a fantastic cross and Kevin Betsy has hit the target but - whether he got a clean connection with it - the keeper has stopped it.

"Within five minutes of when it should have been 2-2 and us being in the ascendency we've been punished and it's 3-1. It was a big five minutes in the game.

"It would have been interesting to see how the game would have gone with the momentum with us. We'll learn lessons as we go through the fixtures but I've got no complaints at the final whistle."

The Cards reeked of opening night nerves and their hesitancy and lack of conviction in the final third only acted as encouragement to the promotion candidates and their 4,000 strong support.

Joe McNerney was caught napping as early as the 11th minute by Ogleby, and was lucky to escape punishment when Danny Wright sent his turn and shot just wide from the edge of the area.

Wright - whose aerial presence caused Woking's back-line all types of trouble in a shaky first-half - was at the heart of Wrexham's next assault, but Ogleby contrived to send his defence splitting pass into the side netting.

But the U21 Welsh international made amends just 90 seconds later and fired the Dragons into an 18th minute advantage.

Neil Ashton was left in acres of space down the left and was allowed to cross. Ogleby held off his man to steer a wonderful volley over Aaron Howe and into the Woking goal.

The classy finish highlighted the gulf between the two sides in the opening period and only a timely block from Brett Johnson denied Jay Harris a clear cut chance moments later.

It was not until the 32nd minute that Woking registered their first strike at goal - Kevin Betsy earning a corner with a fierce shot but the visitors remained void of inspiration in a flat first-half.

And with time ticking away Wrexham doubled their lead with a goal that twinned their obvious craft with their underlying graft.

Ormerod exchanged passes with skipper Keates before sending a searching low cross into a congested six-yard box.

Ogleby's attempted volley was blocked in the melee, but Keates had continued his run and was ideally placed to rifle across Howe and into the bottom corner.

Hill added: "It's a big blow for us to concede on half-time.

"As a manager you hope your side can get out there and settle into the game but I think we showed them a little bit too much respect.

"We were a little bit nervous in places which I understand with it being the first game of the season. They got an early goal and that settled them in front of the home crowd and we were hoping to get in at half-time 1-0.

"I thought if we can get in at half-time at 1-0 we'd have a lot to play for after the break.

"It was a big goal at a big time in the game and Wrexham probably went in thinking they'd go on to win it comfortably."

But reinvigorated after the interval, the Cards came out swinging.

Gavin McCallum snapped a shot high over the bar, while substitute Bubb flashed a header just wide from Mike Cestor's whipped cross.

And it was Wrexham's hesitancy that gave Woking a life-line.

A mistimed header sparked confusion between Joslain Mayebi and the rest of his static defence and Bubb - on the pitch for a matter of minutes - slotted the ball under the on-rushing keeper.

Betsy should have buried Sole's inch-perfect cross six minutes later but his diving header was just kept out by Mayebi.

And his profligacy was punished within moments as a man nicknamed the Beast roared in at the back post to restore Wrexham's two goal cushion.

Mark Creighton was left unmarked in the penalty area and did not need a second invitation to thunder home a simple corner.

Adrian Cieslewicz came off the bench and almost added a fourth for the hosts, but the Polish winger struck the woodwork after rounding Howe.

It was far from the roasting a newly promoted side may have been given on entering the Dragons' den on the opening day, but Woking will be looking to come back strong and get their first points on the board when Dartford visit Kingfield on Tuesday.