JOSH STAUNTON believes that his Woking side can beat anyone after keeping back-to-back clean sheets in the 1-0 win at home to Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday afternoon.
The Cards stay third in the National League after Regan Charles-Cook’s 76th minute winner separated the two sides in a close encounter at the Laithwaite’s Community Stadium.
After the game, Staunton has sent a warning message out to other teams in the league after his side moved just a point off the top of the table.
He told Radio Woking Sport: “It’s great to have another clean sheet and another win at home against a very very good team. We matched them and had our chances, played well as a team and couldn’t ask for much more.”
“They were a very physical and athletic team and sometimes you have to stand up and do the ugly work and I can’t fault anyone. There was a lot of headers won, a lot of tackles and blocks so it was a very good performance. We know if we keep it tight in the defence we know we can beat anyone.”
Photo by David Holmes – a full set can be viewed at www.wokingfc.co.uk
Woking have had injury problems of their own this season, with defenders Louis Ramsay, Nathan Ralph, Joey Jones, Fabio Saraiva and Richard Orlu all absent.
Lazar Stojsavljevic made his full debut at left-back, whilst Jordan Wynter, who signed in the summer as a midfielder, put in another commanding performance out of position, which made the clean sheet even more satisfying to the former Dagenham and Redbridge defender.
Staunton added: “I’m more pleased because it’s a makeshift back four, credit to Lazar on his first game, he couldn’t have been chucked in a more bigger game but he stood up, won headers, won tackles, blocked shots and couldn’t ask for much more.”
“Jordan has done well, we seem to understand each other well, he’s winning a lot of headers and I can’t really fault him since he’s come and he’s earning his place in the side.”
Woking boss Anthony Limbrick echoed the thoughts of his defender, and praised the work of Scott Harrison and Jane Spong at the Academy, with Charlie Carter and Declan Appau also in the squad.
He said: “We had Lazar make his full debut today, playing in that position was a credit to the Academy, he’s been training for us for 4-5 weeks and he was outstanding along with all of the back four.”
“He’s got good size, good physicality, he’s left-footed, he can head it and he made a lot of clearances doing the defensive job of a left-back really well and for someone who comes in in a game like this against season pros and perform the way he did was a credit to him.
Photo by David Holmes – a full set can be viewed at www.wokingfc.co.uk
Wynter had another assured performance and was named in the Non-League Paper’s ‘Team of the Day’ and earned the plaudits of his manager after making this position his own.
Limbrick said: “He’s been a surprise package since he’s come into centre-back. He’s got a great attitude, the right attitude and knew when he got his chance, he’ll do well.”
“Jason Goodcliffe must take a lot of credit by working with him as a former centre-back himself and he’s stepped in and made it look easy.”
Finally, Matt Young has flourished since coming into the team after the injury to Ramsay in the win over Sutton United last month, and Limbrick made sure he praised each and every one of his defenders.
“He’s got a superb attitude, he’s always working hard, wants to develop his game he’s great with the boys and he really gets the team spirit going amongst the group so we’re pleased for him.
“He was very solid today, he got forward, his distribution was good and you saw a lot of thing a full-back wouldn’t normally do such as win second balls and knock downs and he’s a good communicator.”