LENELL John-Lewis finally broke his Grimsby Town duck to give the Mariners a battling away win at the Kingfield Stadium last night.
The striker headed home Jamie Devitt's cross 14 minutes from time to break the deadlock, and the visitors held out admirably – despite a late barrage from the determined Cards.
As expected, number one stopper James McKeown missed out with an injured toe, providing Greg Fleming with his second league start for Town.
Elsewhere, Devitt went straight back into the starting XI after becoming a father for the first time – as the joint bosses again made seven changes to their line-up.
Only Simon Ford, Bradley Wood, Andi Thanoj and John-Lewis retained their spots from last Friday's 1-1 draw at Luton, while striker Liam Hearn disappeared from the squad completely after his 90 minutes at Kenilworth Road.
The hosts should have been ahead a minute in, as a low ball into the box found Lee Sawyer in space ten yards out, but the Woking man scuffed his shot wide with Fleming scrambling across his goal.
Ten minutes on, and the home side were threatening again as a hopeful ball forward gave Gavin McCallum something to chase and Fleming charged out of his goal to flatten the striker. Fortunately for Town, the offside flag was already up and the keeper escaped unpunished.
The game was in its 18th minute when Woking forced another opportunity as Kevin Betsy wriggled past Sam Hatton on the left before firing in a low cross for McCallum to tee-up Billy Knott. The latter could only drill his effort straight at Fleming, who clutched the ball at the second attempt.
Ford then did superbly to block a Jayden Stockley piledriver as the hosts remained well on top past the 20-minute mark.
But within five minutes the Mariners should have been ahead. An excellent break involving Devitt, John-Lewis, Derek Niven and Bradley Wood almost had the desired effect as Marcus Marshall found Thanoj with a low cross.
Similarly to Sawyer's early miss, the midfielder had time and space to pick his spot, but scuffed his effort straight at Aaron Howe in the home goal.
Betsy then had strong penalty shouts after a challenge from Niven at the other end, before Fleming made an excellent stop from Stockley's drive – albeit from an offside position.
In Pictures: Woking 0 Grimsby Town 1
John-Lewis has had his critics since joining Town from Bury, but his volley before the half hour mark was simply stunning and brought a fantastic save out of Howe at full stretch. Next, the frontman set up Ross Hannah, who turned his man in the box and forced a point-blank stop from the home keeper.
In between those two chances, Ford limped off the field, with Ian Miller replacing him at centre-half.
McCallum curled an effort just wide at one end, before the play switched for the umpteenth time. Hannah almost got on the end of Wood's clever cross from the left as we entered the final ten minutes of the half, before John-Lewis wasn't quite tall enough to nod home Devitt's centre from the other side five minutes on.
Knott has been lively all half, and showed his ability again moments later – controlling the ball superbly, juggling it, and planting another volley a yard wide of the left-hand post.
Devitt was the first man into referee Nicholas Kinseley's notebook after he appeared to be fouled and then hammered the ball away in frustration, but that was that for an open, entertaining half.
Marshall forced Town's first two corners, after the break, as the visitors re-started well and seized the impetus.
But – as was the see-saw nature of the game – it was Woking who went the closest yet to breaking the deadlock as Knott slammed a left-footer against the post from 25 yards out.
Sawyer tried to go one better moments later, arrowing a right-foot volley inches wide from even further out.
The first real lull of the night followed as Town came under some pressure, but dealt with it fairly comfortably. And as the match entered its final 15 minutes, the moment John-Lewis had been craving finally arrived.
Devitt worked some space on the right and clipped in a delicious cross to the far post where the big forward was on hand to nod home virtually on the line – and finally register his first Town goal.
He enjoyed the moment in front of the visiting fans, but there was still work to be done, with Brett Johnson forcing a fine save out of Fleming and Jack Parkinson heading home, before his celebrations were halted by the assistant's flag.
Naylor then brought another great stop out of Howe, flicking a header towards the far post before the keeper clawed it away superbly.
The Cards fought back and laid seize to the Town goal, with the visitors down to ten men for the closing stages as John-Lewis limped off after the third substitution had been made.
However, it wasn't until stoppage time that Garry Hill's men came close to equalising. First, Fleming saved Johnson's header before a superb defensive block denied the hosts again, and seconds later Hatton cleared off the line as bedlam in the box ensued.
Fleming tipped away Sawyer's stinger before the home side managed to fluff at least two more gilt-edged opportunities in the box.
But the determined Mariners held out and have just one more test to negotiate before the 'real' business of the play-offs begins next week.
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