Mansfield 3 Woking 1

WOKING had no answer to non-league's Rory Delap as the Stags left the Cards high and dry at Field Mill.

Deadline-day signing Exodus Geohaghon and his prolific long throws caused the damage as goals from Louis Briscoe and Matt Rhead gave Mansfield a two-goal cushion at the break.

Woking hit back six minutes from time through Joe McNerney to set up a grandstand finish.

But substitutes Nick Wright and Jake Speight combined in time added on to seal the points and consign Garry Hill to a third straight defeat.

And the manager admits Mansfield's timely acquisition of Geohaghon had a huge bearing on the course of this goalfest.

Hill said: "We were very unlucky not to get a share of the spoils - the scoreline has flattered them.

"I think apart from the long throw, which acted as a great weapon for them, we bossed the game.

"It's a throw which everyone has to deal with so I won't make excuses but if he had signed a day later it might have been handy.

"We go away disappointed with the result but not with the performance, we were upbeat and very creative.

"What's important now is to get out of this rut, if we get in a bit of a rut confidence can get low but that wasn't the case against Mansfield.

"It doesn't help us but anybody who watched the game will say we were unlucky, with the chances we created, not to get a point.

"We aren't getting that little bit of luck at the minute and everything seems to be going against us but I'm sure in time it will start to go our way."

Cards were by no means outplayed by their hotly-favoured hosts but what Woking lacked in the final third Mansfield possessed in abundance.

A self-assured conviction in front of goal served the Stags well and they took the lead in the 10th minute.

Woking failed to deal with Geohaghon's laser-guided missile of a throw and Briscoe was allowed to drill a low shot past Aaron Howe from inside the area.

Cards were neat and tidy in position and, after being handed a place in the starting line-up, Gavin McCallum rewarded his manager's faith with a series of penetrating runs.

But Woking were blunt in the final third and rarely threatened Alan Marriott in the Mansfield goal.

Luke Jones blazed over from inside the six-yard box as Geohaghon's bullet throws continued to cause the visitors problems.

After setting up the opener Geohaghon almost got himself on the score sheet with a powerful left-foot volley that was cleared off the line by Kevin Betsy.

McNerney's curling free-kick and McCallum's 35-yard effort drew saves from Marriott, but it was Mansfield who made the most of their chances, doubling their lead with the final kick of the half.

Cards looked to be springing a counter attack when McCallum lost possession to Colin Daniel deep inside his own half.

The defender found Matt Green whose slide rule pass tripped the Woking offside trap releasing Rhead to coolly prod home a second.

Reflecting on what proved to be a huge moment in an otherwise even contest, Hill admitted his players need to cut out the mistakes in an unforgiving division.

He said: "We got punished when it looked like we were on the breakaway.

"We had players breaking out of the box but we gave the ball away cheaply, they slipped the ball in behind us and we got punished.

"That's the difference at this level, a bad pass can be very costly whereas in the Conference South, we might have been able to get away with it.

"I thought in the second-half we bossed it but it wasn't meant to be."

McCallum came close to making amends for his earlier error when he hit the inside of the post - only the faintest of touches from Marriott denied the winger.

Howe spread himself brilliantly to keep out Briscoe after the forward had bundled through a cluster of Woking players.

Marriott got a strong hand to Jack Parkinson's swerving free-kick but watched thankfully as Brett Williams sent the rebound into the side netting.

Cards dragged themselves to within one goal of a dramatic turnaround when Lee Sawyer's scooped pass was converted from a narrow angle by McNerney.

But with Woking pressing for an equaliser Mansfield were able to break and secure the points through Speight's powerful shot.