Click here to listen to Glenn’s full post-match interview.

 

Aiden Palmer’s excellent free kick and an opportunist finish from Kezie Ibe inside the last quarter-of-an-hour ensured Glenn Pennyfather’s City set an all-time outright unbeaten record of 19 games with victory over Woking, but the Clarets boss responded: “We don’t want to stop there!”

 

City equalled the club’s run without defeat in the midweek league draw at the Blue Square Bet South leaders but went one better in windy Melbourne Stadium conditions to book a place in the next round. Pennyfather was delighted to have played his part, though he initially opted to elevate the contributions of his team.

 

“I’m really proud of my players,” he said. “It’s the third side I’ve built and the best all-round squad. They’re flexible in their play and I can’t say enough about them. They’ve done it - I pick the team but they’ve got to go out and do the business on the pitch. It’s a fantastic run and part of history, but we don’t want to stop there!”

 

Glenn named striker Cliff Akurang to replace the injured skipper David Rainford, acting as the only change to his reshaped starting line-up. He continued: “It wasn’t a fantastic performance, but they’re not always going to be. We had a great footballing performance on Tuesday and didn’t win. We’ve had a battling performance today and shown the two bits of quality to get the goals that win us the game.”

 

Woking definitely asserted themselves quickest, and went close on several occasions in the first 10 minutes. Some one-touch passing resulted in Giuseppe Sole shooting wide, midfielder Ben Smith struck at goalkeeper Stuart Searle from the edge of the area. Moses Ademola also saw his ambitious volley from distance sail just over.

 

The weather was making for an untidy game as the players often struggled to judge the flight of the ball, but Ademola threatened again on 19 minutes when he screeched across the face of goal. Chelmsford didn’t click into gear until the half-hour mark as Warren Whitely threaded a suggestive cross into the danger zone and, a few minutes later, Kezie Ibe held the ball up for the arriving Sam Corcoran, but he shot well over.

 

Jack King went closest from furthest out for the Cards, taking a touch 25 yards from goal but his classy, first-time effort was caught by Searle. Ademola and Elvis Hammond both also tried their luck near to the goal without success and Clarets defender Kenny Clark was required to get back and block the latter when clean through.

 

Eight minutes after the interval there were moments of confusion when Palmer’s in-swinging corner for the hosts dropped into the net and the usual celebrations followed. However, when play restarted with a Woking goal kick it became apparent that Referee Neil Hair had ruled the goal out for a push in the penalty area.

 

City looked to atone for this blow with a spell of pressure, Whitely shooting too high after the second phase of a corner. Play was broken up by both sides but the proceedings were lit up on 77 minutes. A foul was given away outside the box by Garry Hill’s visitors and Palmer made them pay with an exquisite, dipping free kick into the net.

 

Before Woking had time to properly respond, City had bulged the net again, Ibe receiving the ball a few yards out and hooking it over his shoulder into the roof of the goal from a few yards. That, other than a Max Cornhill effort which comfortably cleared the crossbar, was the final act of the encounter.

 

Glenn added: “They’re a good side, and that’s why they’re top of the league and a lot of points clear. The conditions didn’t help either side, with a swirly wind. Woking were the better side with the wind in the first half, and pinned us back, but we managed to weather the storm. In the second half we adjusted and were far better.”

 

City:

 

1 Stuart Searle

2 Justin Miller

3 Aiden Palmer

4 Adam Tann (C)

5 Kenny Clark

6 Craig Parker

7 Warren Whitely

8 Sam Corcoran

9 Kezie Ibe

10 Max Cornhill

11 Cliff Akurang

 

12 Michael Bakare

14 Joe Benjamin

15 Jermaine Brown

16 Mark Haines

19 Ben Nunn

 

Woking: Aaron Howe, Adam Newton, Derek Duncan (Dale Binns, 69), Mark Ricketts (C), Alan Inns, Adam Doyle, Ben Smith, Jack King, Moses Ademola, Elvis Hammond (Ola Sogbanmu, 85), Giuseppe Sole (Wayne Gray, 69). Unused Substitutes: Joshua Griffiths, Andrew Little (GK).

 

Bookings: City: Tann (64, foul). Woking: Doyle (43, foul).

 

Referee: Neil Hair.

 

Assistant Referees: Colin Reeve and Jonathan Burridge.

 

Attendance: 740.

 

City Man of the Match: Warren Whitely.