Woking slipped to a 3-2 defeat at Tamworth in the National League on Saturday.

The Cardinals returned to league action with a trip to Staffordshire to face Tamworth, their first game at the Lamb Ground for ten years.

Michael Doyle made several changes from the side which beat Slough Town in the FA Cup, with Dion Kelly-Evans, Tunji Akinola, Raheem Conte and Lewis Walker replaced by Max Dyche, Dale Gorman, Dennon Lewis and Charley Kendall.

Tamworth started with Dan Creaney up front, the in-form striker having netted in his past five fixtures.

Woking keeper Will Jaaskelainen suffered an injury in the warm-up and was replaced by Ollie Webber, who made his first league start for the Cards.

A promising early start from Woking saw Harry Beautyman find Kendall, who curled a shot from the edge of the box which flew wide of the top right-hand corner.

Lewis then found space in behind the Tamworth backline, producing a cross which was well cleared, but the hosts then created their first chance of the game on the five-minute mark.

Nice play through the middle saw Nathan Tshikuna unable to connect on the edge of the box, but Tom Tonks did, and his low drive sailed close to the bottom corner.

Gorman’s deceiving cross-shot then caught Jas Singh out and nearly ended up in the back of the net.

However, the hosts opened the scoring after ten minutes when Tshikuna’s free kick found the bottom corner, appearing to bounce over the outstretched Webber.

This appeared to calm the game down, with the next chance for the Cards coming on the 20-minute mark, when Jamie Andrews’ corner was met by Dyche at the back post, but the ball was eventually cleared.

Another corner from Andrews was well worked between him and Gorman, with the latter finding Lewis, and his shot was well blocked.

Tamworth had a second after 42 minutes, with Tom McGlinchey’s driving run down the left-hand side ending in a crisp finish into the bottom corner, past the despairing dive of Webber.

Half-time came with Woking needing significant improvement if they were to salvage anything from the game.

Doyle responded by taking Lewis off and bringing on Walker for more physicality against a strong Tamworth backline.

There was an immediate response from the Cards with Gorman’s floated free kick headed into the bottom corner by Dyche to make it 2-1.

Excellent play from Woking saw Beautyman tee up Dan Moss on the right-hand side of the box, but his shot was well held by Singh as the Cards looked to push on.

Another good move saw Gorman, Kendall and Walker combine with the latter’s low curler ending up wide of the far corner.

Gorman then slid in Kendall who was well denied by the foot of Singh as the game opened up and started to become end-to-end.

Tshikuna caused panic in the box when he put a low cross in, with the advancing Haydn Hollis firing over the bar with half the goal gaping.

Some effective route one play from the hosts saw McGlinchey’s attempted dink well clawed away by Webber.

Woking made two changes with the game entering the last 20 minutes, with Matt Ward and Tom Leahy replacing Kendall and Moss. They continued to push forwards, with Walker heading Adam Chicksen’s cross over the bar.

A miscued Jermaine Anderson shot fell to Leahy, whose effort from close range was blocked behind for a corner.

Tamworth managed to counter through Tshikuna, whose pass was inch-perfect for Creaney to take his time and roll the ball into the bottom corner.

With just seconds on the clock, Gorman grabbed his first goal for the Cards with an inch-perfect free kick into the top corner, but that was all there was time for as the referee blew for full time.

An improved second-half performance saw Woking huff and puff, but a combination of a lack of quality and resolute defending from the hosts meant they took the three points.

Woking: Webber, Dyche, Wynter (Anderson 87), Harries, Chicksen, Gorman, Andrews, Moss (Ward 70), Beautyman, Kendall (Leahy 73), Lewis (Walker 45).

Substitutes not used: Kelly-Evans, Akinola.

Booked: Dyche (43), Harries (54), Gorman (69), Moss (70), Walker (81).

Goals: Dyche (47), Gorman (90+7).

Tamworth: Singh, Tonks, Finn (Enoru 80), Creaney, Fairlamb, Cullinane-Liburd, McGlinchey, Tshinuka (Okafor 90+2), Wallace (Fletcher 75), Hollis, Browne (Curley 53).

Substitutes not used: Digie, Williams, Phillips.

Goals: Tshikuna (10), McGlinchey (42), Creaney (90+1).

Attendance: 1,233 (143 away).

By William Bewsey