United made it through to the third round of the FA Trophy and a trip to Chelmsford City as Matt Green's first half strike decided a hard fought game with Woking tonight

After the disappointment of Saturday's game against Tamworth the opening exchanges were largely uneventful, with only some nice twists, turns and touches from debutant Lee Fowler providing anything close to a sparkle, but in the ninth minute United momentarily turned the screw as Constable fizzed a ball across the face of goal following some swift passing, forcing the visitors to hurriedly clear the ball for the first corner of the game.

However the first chance of the game fell to Woking on thirteen minutes as a long, cross-field pass saw deputising right back Dannie Bulman stretched, but after working the ball through the left channel Clarke was quickly out of his goal to smother the ball to safety. Barely ninety seconds they were at it again, heading over from a deep cross from the left hand side, while another ball from the same side almost deflected its way past Clarke at the near post.

Woking had done well but United were dealing well with the Cards and on seventeen took the lead. Rhys Day's perfectly weighted through pass found its way through the Cards defence where Matt Green slid in to send the ball into the net for his first goal since returning from injury,his seventh of the season. It was the first goal United had scored on home soil against the visitors since their non-league journey began in 2006.

The relief in the United faithful was obvious, but within sixty seconds Woking came close to pegging them back, seeing one shot hacked off the line while Jon Boardman's header clipped the top of the bar from the resulting corner.

The following period saw the match beginning to turn into a typical cup tie, with several good blocks and some fierce challenges flying in from both sides but gradually United were gaining the upper hand. Constable flashed a shot wide on twenty five following good work by Matt Green and Alfie Potter, while at the back Day cut a commanding figure in his first run-out since the Yellows' last Trophy encounter against Hayes & Yeading nearly six weeks ago.

On thirty one the U's should have doubled their lead as Potter ran onto a quickly taken free kick by Fowler, but he scuffed his shot wide of the far post with only the keeper to beat. Fowler himself tried his luck seconds later, but his right footed effort flew over the bar from twenty yards. The final minutes saw Potter go close once more after the U's brilliantly sprung the offside trap from a Fowler free kick, but after Day nodded the ball across the six yard box his shot was deflected wide.

The plummeting temperatures, with snow coming soon, made it chilly for the fans but at least they had a decent game to watch as Woking came looking for an equaliser and United continued to look composed and more than capable of doubling their lead.

Guiseppe Sole sent a shot over the bar on 50 as Woking pushed, but Constable headed a Matt Green cross just over in reply. United then sent on Mark Creighton and switched Day to right back with Sam Deering coming on to play just behind Constable as the formation became more fluid.

It was the visitors who almost found a curious way to get the next goal though as Clarke's sliced clearance found Harry Arter out on the right wing and his driven cross deflected and span off of the very solid Kev Sandwith and dropped from the icy Oxonian night air right on top of the bar with Clarke relieved to see it go out of play.

United then found Woking keeper Worner in good form to deny a Constable shot and then smother at Potter's feet, but the game was up for the Blue Square South side officially when Asward Thomas headed straight at Clarke from ten yards in the 92nd minute as United saw the game through in professional manner.

The third round is uncharted territory for The U's but this was more important, perhaps, than a good cup win. It was a first win of 2010 and more than welcome after Saturday's defeat. The last two league defeats sparked the perfect response with long unbeaten runs. Let's hope that this is a similar first step in that direction as well as a step, perhaps, towards a Wembley final...

United

Clarke, Bulman, Day, Wright, Sandwith, Fowler (Midson 82), Clist, Bulman, F Green (Deering 55), M. Green (Creighton 58), Constable

Subs

Turley, Cook

Woking

Worner, Anane (Sloma 85), Thomas, Ricketts, Boardman, Sinclair, Maledon, Arter (McNerney 85), Ademola (Sam-York), Sole, Nicolau

Subs

Pegler

Att: 1581

Report by Ryan Bird and Chris Williams

Fifty/50 winning number: 70383 (£381.50)