United ride their luck..

They say the sign of a good, successful team is one who can play badly, yet still win.

More performances like tonight however, and Torquay United can kiss their promotion dreams goodbye.

Make no mistake, this was a hard-fought win - and a game United could so easily have lost.

Torquay rode their luck on numerous occassions, and Woking can count themselves desperately unlucky to not get anything from the game. Relegation candidates? Far from it.

United lined up unchanged from Saturday at Histon - a game which they dominated from start to finish only to throw it away in the dying minutes. And they started brightly, with a Tim Sills header floating just over the bar after good work from Lee Hodges on the left hand side. It proved to be his only contribution of the evening however, as he was taken off injured.

From then on however, it was all Woking.

The Cards began to dominate proceedings, with some swift passing and movement. Torquay just couldnt get near them. And they almost got their just rewards on the twenty minute mark, after a swift counter attack, only for Marum to hit the post after shooting across the goalmouth with Michael Poke stranded.

The scare seemed to wake the Gulls up somewhat, with the lively Elliot Benyon having a long range drive saved comfortably by Worner in the Woking goal. The Gulls were looking rushed in possession however. Simple mistakes were being made. The crowd was getting restless.

On the contrary, Woking were growing in confidence. And eventually, they got the goal their first-half performance deserved. And what a goal it was.

A needless foul by Chris Hargreaves gave Woking a free-kick in a dangerous area, and Guiseppe Sole took full advantage with a fantastic curling effort that left Poke grasping thin air.

It was a strike worthy of any game, at any level. You could only stand and admire it.

With the half-time whistle fast approaching, United searched in vain for an equalizer. Some good interplay from Lee Mansell and the busy Tyrone Thompson almost paid dividends, only for Mansell's cross to flash across goal and evade both Benyon and Sills.

Nicky Wroe also saw himself booked on the stroke of half time, in an act of frustration more than anything. And he wasnt the only one as the half time whistle blew. A smattering of boos could be heard around Plainmoor. They expected better.

The second half began in the same vain as the first, with Woking in the ascendancy and almost taking a two goal advantage. A cross left Marum unmarked, as his shot brushed against the side netting when it seemed easier to score. Another major let off for the Gulls.

And they were to be let off again, as a free header from Miles was acrobatically tipped over from Poke. Torquay were running out of lives - and fast.

On the ropes and looking vulnerable, changes had to be made to salvage something from the game. And sure enough, the ineffective Danny Stevens made way for Mustafa Carayol, making his home debut.

It proved to be an inspired change.

Minutes later United equalized on 60 minutes, through Elliot Benyon. Some good work from Thompson gave Benyon the chance to turn his man, before unleashing an unstoppable drive past Worner in the Woking goal from 20 yards out.

It was the least Benyon deserved, after some tireless running all evening. His hard work in pre-season is starting to pay dividends, and who would deny him a run in the side now?

With the goal, United began to look more dangerous. No longer nervy in possession, they now had options in possession, with Carayol and Wayne Carlisle providing decent outlets for the Gulls attack.

And it was Carayol's cross which nearly provided the lead, only for Sills to head just over once again.

Now the dominant force, United began to break forward in numbers, searching for that winning goal. And they should have had a penalty on the 80 minute mark, with Benyon clearly shoved to the ground after a great pass from Wroe, only for the referee to wave play on.

The United players were incredulous, and rightly so. But they didnt let their heads drop, and eventually, got their just reward.

It came from more good work from Benyon, who well deserved his man of the match award, as he released Wayne Carlisle on the right, who cut inside and finished emphatically into the roof of the net on 82 minutes.

It was joy for the Gulls, but they still had work to do. Only goal-line clearances from Hargreaves and Kevin Nicholson saved their blushes, as they clung on to their lead desperately.

There was still time for Sills to make the points safe, after being put clear by Carlisle, only for the striker to take too much time with the goal at his mercy, and eventually see the ball cleared for a corner.

United did hang on however, to the relief of the fans and players alike.

This was a tougher test than many anticipated, and United can certainly count themselves lucky to win the game.

After playing so well and only drawing against Histon, United rode their luck tonight, yet picked up the three points.

Football has a funny way of working like that.