Glen Harrington
9:01am, Tue 7th Feb 2023
Chesterfield vs Woking
Vanarama National League
Tuesday 7th February 2023
Woking will be aiming to win their first game in three National League outings when they make the trip to Chesterfield on Tuesday evening.
The Cards haven’t gone three games without a win at any stage this season and will no doubt be determined to get back to their best after the relative disappointment of a 1-1 draw with Torquay United and a 1-0 defeat at Eastleigh last week. They face a Chesterfield team just one place and one point them in the league table – with two games in hand – and with fifth place Barnet in excellent form, Darren Sarll’s side will want to return to winning ways quickly to stay in pole position for a third place finish, behind runaway title chasers Notts County and Wrexham.
Sarll should have a near full-strength team to pick from. Luke Wilkinson made a welcome return to action on Saturday, starting his first game since October in place of Scott Cuthbert, whilst Jake Hessenthaler and Jermaine Anderson came in for James Daly and Solomon Nwabuokei. Reece Grego-Cox and Sid Nelson remain the only two long-term absentees.
Opposition Watch
Chesterfield are in their fifth season in the National League after dropping out of the EFL in 2018. After finishing sixth in 2021 and seventh in 2022, losing to Notts County and Solihull Moors in the play-offs, the Spireites look well placed for another play-off tilt in 2023, albeit ambitions of automatic promotion have faded over recent weeks. They are currently in fourth place, with 52 points from 26 games, and have played the least games in the division, with four in hand on leaders Notts County, albeit with a 19-point deficit.
Their recent form is distinctly mixed, they’ve won just twice this calendar year, at home to Scunthorpe United on New Year’s Day and at home to Altrincham two weeks ago. During that period they’ve also lost 3-0 at Barnet – thanks to a hat-trick from ex-Card loanee Nicke Kabamba – and lost 1-0 at Boreham Wood. They were also knocked out of the FA Cup in heart-breaking fashion, conceding a 97th minute equaliser to Championship side West Bromwich Albion in a 3-3 draw, before losing the replay 4-0. They are unbeaten at home in the league since early October – winning 11 of 13 in total – but were shocked by Coalville Town (3-1) in the FA Trophy in December.
Star striker Kabongo Tshimanga departed the club on January’s transfer deadline day, joining League One side Peterborough, but Paul Cook’s side still have plenty of firepower. Their top scorer is defender Jeff King with eight, followed by former Woking striker Joe Quigley and winger Armando Dobra, who are tied on seven. Other players to look out for are Ryan Colclough, a dangers wide-man recently arrived from Altrincham, and club captain Jamie Grimes – the defender was part of the Hereford side which knocked Woking out of the FA Trophy in 2021.
Recent Meetings
• Chesterfield
0-0 Woking – 15th May 2022, National League
• Woking
3-1 Chesterfield – 28th September 2021, National League (Campbell 2, Effiong)
• Woking
1-4 Chesterfield – 8th May 2021, National League (Cooper)
• Chesterfield
4-0 Woking – 10th October 2020, National League
• Chesterfield
1-2 Woking – 13th August 2019, National League (Meite, Tarpey)
Tickets
Prices are £18 for Adults, £14 Concessions, £11 Young Adults (17-21), £7 Under 16s. There is a £2 additional fee for any tickets printed at the stadium. For more information and to book your ticket please
click here.
