Trailing two-nil after sixty seven minutes, Woodley staged a dramatic come back to take all three match points thanks to two stoppage time goals with the winner being scored in the 100th minute of the match.
Playing into the wind, the home team kicked off and saw a shot go over the visitors’ cross bar in the first minute.
However, it was United who enjoyed the opening period, with Ed Thomas and Sid Gbla causing the home defence problem with their wing play and home keeper Aiden Upward denying Connor Suckling and Gbla in one on one situations.
Despite this, it was Cove who opened the scoring in the 21st minute when Ross Stepney was allowed to head home unmarked from a corner kick.
Woodley continued to enjoy the better of the play with Abdul Afolabi’s splitting the home defence but running through ahead of Connor Suckling to be followed by Upward denying Afolabi.
This followed the theme of the half with the Woodley goal rarely threatened but the visitors unable to score an equaliser.
The opening five minutes of the second half followed in the same vain as the first with Afolabi seeing a shot blocked and Upward again denying Suckling.
Shortly afterward play was suspended for a lengthy period while Upward needed treatment for an injury.
The break saw Woodley lose momentum and were punished in the 67th minute when ex-United player Ben Clark took advantage of indecision to beat the excellent Mark Williams to the ball and slot pass Pete Chingoma in the Woodley goal.
United created a lifeline in the 81st minute when substitute Ciaran Carolan converted a Afolabi pass and with this their level of play returned to that of earlier in the match as Woodley pushed for the equaliser knowing there would be a long period of stoppage time and the home team’s cause not being helped due to it not being possible to replace the injured Christian Cox, who remained on the pitch, due to having made all their substitutions.
With Cove adopting a defensive formation that was blocking a way to goal, the equaliser came from an unlikely source when right back Marco DeSousa’s cross was allowed to sail over Upward and into the net in the second minute of added time.
Janash Brown shot wide twice in quick succession while Chingoma comfortably caught a free kick in the 99th minute which led to Woodleyattacking and Carolan scoring the late winning goal to scenes of jubilation from the players and bench. A further few minutes of play followed before the referee whistled for full time.
Woodley United: Chingoma, DeSousa, Carmichael, Chigona (Carolan), Williams, Watkiss, Thomas (Brown) Brandao, Afolabi (Davies), Suckling, Gbla Subs not used: Barrocas and Barlow
Goals: Stepney, Clark, Carolan x2, DeSousa
