Glenn Cockerill had a winning start as caretaker manager of Woking courtesy of Saturday's 1-0 home success against Chester City.

The 42 year old former Lincoln, Swindon, Sheffield United, Southampton and Leyton Orient midfielder has been given four matches to stake his claim for the vacant managerial position at Kingfield.

This follows last week's departure of previous boss Geoff Chapple after a disappointing start to the season. Cockerill's first task was to lift the spirits of a team that had slipped into the bottom three in the Conference table amidst a terrible run of 11 games without a win.

He said: "I just told the lads it was a fresh start for everyone on Saturday. I had to get into them and change their way of thinking. I wanted to be positive and get the players' minds to be positive.

"Chester City at home - treat it like the first game of the season. I demanded a good attitude on the pitch to give the fans something to grab hold of. And the lads certainly did that. So when the final whistle went, I was delighted for the players and everyone connected to the club."

Cockerill joined Woking as coach in February. The past eight months have given him a valuable insight into workings of the club and the potential of his squad.

He said:" It has been an uneasy and sad time for Woking just lately. I had a great working relationship with Geoff Chapple, but unfortunately things didn't work out for him. It's in my hands now and I'm the one who has to lift the team.

"I know exactly what players I've got and what they are capable of. In saying that, a lot of them have been underachieving in recent months. We did well to stay up in the Conference last year and we did so because we all mucked in together and worked hard. Things seem to have gone downhill a bit this season. There has been a lack of confidence around the place and a lack of leadership on the field. We need to change that."

Cockerill has a clear agenda at Woking. He wants to prove himself on the managerial stage and take the club forward.

"I would like to get the job on a permanent basis. If I didn't want that, I wouldn't have accepted the acting manager's role. I believe I can make a go of it. I'm young, I'm learning all the time and I want to keep learning. I'm very ambitious and I think Woking Football Club is a great place to learn my trade.

"This is a massive non-League club and it is a great opportunity for me. It is still early in the season and there is plenty of time to turn things around and climb the table. But there is still a lot of work to be done. The problems aren't solved just because we won our first game. The players have set the standards now with their performance against Chester.

"I want to put Woking back where it belongs - as a top Conference club challenging for promotion and beyond. I want to look forward. I've been given a chance and I don't want to mess it up. I want to give it my best shot. It might take three years. It might take four. But if it takes four years and I'm still around, then I'll be more than happy.

"I've never ducked from a challenge and I certainly won't duck from this one. I built my playing career on giving 100% all the time. I know I wasn't the best player in the world, but when I stepped out on to the pitch I gave it my best shot. So that's what I intend to do as caretaker manager of Woking FC."