WOKING 0 STAINES TOWN 1

At the end of a week in which Staines had made unexpected exits from the FA Trophy and FA Youth Cup, the biggest upset of all was created in the biggest competition of the lot, as they achieved a maiden senior win over a Conference club, to reach the first round proper of the FA Cup for the first time since 1984.

The excitement then transferred to their hosts' clubhouse, where excited players mingled with members of the Staines Massive to watch as the balls were drawn for the next round, and eventually number 78 emerged to send them up to Stockport County for a first ever competitive meeting with a Football League club.

Ironically, the next ball out was that of Nottingham Forest, former European Champions, who were at home in the next tie.

A decent crowd turned up to see Swans' first visit to Kingfield since 1991, decked out in old gold hats and making plenty of noise on a chilly and overcast day.

At one stage in the week, it looked as though Steve Cordery would have to dip into his Capital League squad just to get a team out, but thankfully the injuries to Matt Flitter and Danny Gordon sustained in Tuesday's draining cup tie proved less serious than feared, whilst Lewis Cook and Marcel Nugent were both passed fit.

Jake Newton was deemed not fit enough to start, although coming on as a late sub, as did his brother, Howard, who was struggling with a hip injury.

André Scarlett, Adam Thompson, and Leigh Mason, however, remained sidelined.

All this meant that there were two changes to the midweek side, Nugent and Cook replacing Jake Newton and Victor Asombang.

The pitch was in very good condition, and the afternoon's entertainment began with Woking awarding their September player of the month award to a former Staines Town Junior, Matt Ruby, who was to sit out the game as an unused sub.

Attacking the Kingfield Road end in the first half, Staines were initially pegged back by a series of Woking crosses, while Danny Bunce curled a free kick just wide.

However, the visitors profited by a couple of needless infringements handing them free kicks and the opportunity to settle, and for Lewis Cook's 20 yard curler to curl just over, following a handball.

On six minutes, Nick Gindre had to make the first save of the match, denying Mark Nwokeji at close range following a near post cross from Cook.

It was this partnership that was to produce the only goal of the match in the ninth minute, as Cook threaded a through ball for Nwokeji to run onto, and he took a couple of steps before shooting beyond Gindre and just inside the post.

Woking were shell-shocked, and it took them another 10 minutes to regain their composure and start to test the Staines defence once more.

Gordon made two super tackles, Dave Sargent another, and Gareth Risbridger, magnificent in midfield, threw himself in front of a Goma Lambu effort after good work from the powerful Marvin Morgan.

Then it was Staines' turn to threaten, as Nwokeji unselfishly squared to Cook only to be crowded out, and for Paul Lorraine cleared from within the six-yard box after Risbridger's great ball had set Dwain Clarke away.

The Cards countered through Bradley Quamina, who burst into the box and then went down with the referee waving away penalty claims, snapshots flying off target from Giuseppe Sole and Matt Pattison, and Allaway making an awkward save by his near post when Bunce whipped in an angled free kick.

Woking's last two attacks of the half were both undone by them conceding free kicks when well placed: Morgan had a header blocked after Lambu's cross, Allaway saving well as Kevin James latched onto the rebound, but the scramble was halted when Gordon was fouled.

Then Nugent was pushed over when Morgan was again well placed.

The half ended with Swans trying valiantly to increase their lead, Cook winning a corner which Clarke took, only to be headed out for another, and Nwokeji having an effort cleared.

There were two added minutes in which Tom Hutchinson went close following Bunce's corner. Half time arrived with the match perfectly poised at 1-0 to the underdogs.

Woking started the second half like they meant business, and eager to avoid a home defeat by a team two leagues below them in the pyramid.

Morgan's deep cross led to a string of four corners, in which Sean Allaway stretched to keep out Bunce's drive and Sole's point-blank shot, while James mis-hit a shot in a scramble.

But Staines responded well once more, Gordon breaking down the attack and feeding Marc Charles-Smith, who ghosted past his marker and saw his shot deflected for a corner.

Cook then saw a header cleared.

When Cook was fouled, Clarke's cheeky free kick did not fool Gindre, who touched it for a corner.

However, the last quarter of the game saw Staines absorb more and more pressure from the Conference club, and Shaun Allaway in goal more than earned his man-of-the-match accolade with a string of incredible saves.

Nugent had his name taken for a foul on Sole, and Allaway did well to hold James' free kick. Staines' last attacking spell came either side of the hour mark, as Flitter broke up a move, and while Morgan appealed in vain for a penalty, he set Toppin free, who in turn allowed Charles-Smith the space to get round the defence before his cross was cleared.

Then Clarke saw a curling free-kick touched for a corner when Cook was tripped on the edge of the box, and he thudded another free kick into the wall after a foul on Charles-Smith for which Sole was cautioned.

Finally, Cook provided Clark with a shooting chance, and Gindre required two attempts to gather it cleanly.

Woking's decision to replace the lively Lambu did not go down well with the home crowd, who were getting frustrated at their side's inability to break through, and rather unjustly took it out on Allaway.

Swans conceded a number of free-kicks on the edge of the box, but Sole sent a proportion of them high into the stands.

Those that were on target were dealt with superbly by Allaway - holding a James strike after Nugent had fouled Sole, and touching another James deadball onto the crossbar after Flitter had been yellow carded for his despairing tackle on Sole.

Cook did hit Gindre's side netting in a Staines breakaway, but was ruled offside anyway, before the action returned to Allaway's domain.

He clung to a Sole shot in a packed six-yard box, he turned away Bunce's snapshot, and he palmed away another effort when a goal seemed the likeliest outcome from Jay Gasson's free-kick.

Toppin blocked a Matt Pattison drive. Woking forced three corners in the 89th-minute one coming out to Bunce, who forced Allaway to save, and the Swans' custodian then recovered to somehow keep out Gasson's follow-up.

And when it seemed Staines could start to celebrate, the fourth official indicated five extra minutes to be added to a stoppage-riddled half, and they had to endure further agonies: Morgan had a free-kick charged down after Jake Newton was harshly adjudged to have fouled, then Sole won a corner which tested Allaway, who then incredibly kept out what looked for all the world like an equaliser from Hutchinson.

But it was not to be Woking's day - these frequent cup heroes on this occasion had to bow to their neighbours, who will relish the long trip to Stockport in a month's time, and what is perhaps the biggest game in their history.

Staines: Allaway; Nugent (J Newton 82), Sargent, Gordon, Flitter (capt), Risbridger, Cook (H Newton 87), Toppin, Charles-Smith, Nwokeji, Clarke; unused Thomas, Asombang, Courtnage (gk).Woking: Gindre, Lorraine, Bubce, Quamina, Hutchinson (capt), Gasson, Morgan, Pattison, James, Lambu (Marum 64), Sole; unused Gray, Green, Ruby, Maledon.Ref - John Hopkins (Wickford); ARs Neil West (Leigh-on-Sea), Chris Williams (Aylesbury); fourth official Mark Spradbury (Grays). Att 1,431.