Woking returned to winning ways with a vital 2-1 victory at home to Braintree Town in the National League.

The Cards hosted Braintree at the Laithwaite Community Stadium looking for a win to help them move away from the relegation zone.

Woking boss Neal Ardley shuffled his pack from the draw against Halifax, with Timi Odusina, Tariq Hinds and Josh Osude entering the starting line-up in place of Dion Kelly-Evans, Sha’mar Lawson and Jacob Jones.

The visitors arrived with two enforced changes as Henry Gray was unable to take his place in goal because of concussion, while Matt Robinson was ineligible against his parent club.

Former Woking loanee Louie Annesley played in the heart of Braintree’s midfield, with the Lisbie brothers starting on opposite wings.

Braintree kicked the game off towards the KRE, with a low key start seeing the game disrupted by several fouls and stoppages.

The visitors felt they should have had a penalty after a tussle, but referee Wayne Cartmel saw nothing in it.

A clever free kick from the Cards saw Harry Beautyman feed Sam Ashford, who was taken out by Lennon MacLorg as he tried to round him and Woking were awarded a penalty.

Beautyman slotted his penalty into the bottom corner to score Woking’s first goal in three games.

An incident between Dan Moss and Annesley saw the latter seemingly throw the former to the ground after seeing the ball behind, and he was perhaps lucky to receive just a yellow card for an ill-judged reaction, although Moss was also booked.

Woking went into half-time deservedly a goal up, with high work rate from the likes of Osude and Ashford helping them keep Braintree at bay.

Woking made a rapid start to the second half when Beautyman’s delivery received a decisive touch from Tunji Akinola, whose header nestled into the corner and doubled the Cards’ advantage.

Osude completed just under an hour before being replaced by Lewis Walker, who nearly made it three when his low shot was well saved by MacLorg at his near post.

Out of the blue, a cross from Ryan Clampin was headed home by Aiden Francis-Clarke to give the Iron hope of a comeback with 20 minutes to go.

The left-back’s crosses were causing the Cards problems, with a similar chance to the goal being spurned by John Akinde as Braintree enjoyed their best spell of the game.

Good work from Inih Effiong and Hinds saw the latter’s shot well blocked after he made a bursting run into the box, before a painstaking ten minutes of added time passed with plenty of incident, but a huge three points for the Cards.

Woking: Jaaskelainen, Moss, Odusina, Okoli, Hinds, Andrews, Akinola, Ashford (Lawson 79), Beautyman, Osude (Walker 57), Effiong.

Unused substitutes: Webber, Chicksen, Anderson, Kelly-Evans, Vincent.

Goals: Beautyman (24), Akinola (48).

Bookings: Akinola (13), Moss (40), Hinds (70), Jaaskelainen (70), Lawson (87).

Braintree Town: MacLorg, Pinnington (Okunowo 67), Francis-Clarke, Langston, Clampin, Annesley, Marshall-Miranda (Francis 45), Kyrell Lisbie (Judge 45), Cooper (Blackwell 67), Kyreece Lisbie, Akinde.

Unused substitute: Haxthausen-Nielsen.

Goal: Francis-Clarke (70).

Bookings: Annesley (40), Akinde (70), Kyreece Lisbie (85), Okunowo (90), Francis (90+10), Judge (90+10).

Attendance: 2,102.

By William Bewsey