LCS Events
FAT (Q3)
3:00pm - SaturdaySat 26th NovemberNov 2011
| Att: 740

Chelmsford City
Chelmsford City
2 - 0

Woking
Woking

Battle resumes

Brian Caffarey
4:51pm, Thu 24th Nov 2011
Chelmsford City v Woking
FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round
3pm on Saturday 26 November 2011

It was clear when the FA Trophy draw was made that Woking had been handed one of the toughest ties of the round. That was confirmed in Tuesday evening’s hard-fought league encounter when the Clarets gained a fully-deserved 1-1 draw at Kingfield. Saturday’s game should be another fascinating contest. Psychologically as well as financially, it would be very welcome if Garry Hill’s side could gain a result at the Melbourne Stadium.

WOKING

At half-time on Tuesday Garry was forced to re-jig the line-up that had served the Cards so well in recent games. It had become clear that his side were being out-gunned in midfield and exposed down the left-flank. Garry brought on Derek Duncan to fill the left-back slot, returned Adam Doyle to his more familiar centre-back role and replaced Jay Davies in midfield by Mark Ricketts. He also brought on Elvis Hammond in place of Paris Cowan-Hall, who had been given a difficult time by the abrasive Kenny Clark. Those changes certainly helped the Cards get more of a grip on the game, enabling Woking to shade the second half, at least in terms of chances created.

It seems likely that, injuries permitting, Garry will start with his second-half side on Saturday or something very close to it. That is not to say that he will necessarily abandon his previous experiment since against weaker sides than Chelmsford City there is no reason to suppose that it wouldn’t be equally successful again.

Garry will also need to bear in mind that, subject to any Trophy replay, the Cards have another very important league game on Tuesday night, when they are due to travel to fourth-placed Dartford. There is a question whether, either on Saturday or on Tuesday, he should draw on the likes of Gez Sole, Joe McNerney and Nathan Koranteng to provide fresh legs.

CHELMSFORD CITY

The Clarets must be rueing their relatively slow start to the league campaign since they showed on Tuesday that they have the ability to challenge for the automatic promotion place. Woking fans will be pleased to note that at present they lie eleven points behind the Cards.

In their last two home games Chelmsford have beaten BSP side AFC Telford 4-0 in the FA Cup and thrashed Bromley 6-1.

Chelmsford looked a strong all-round side on Tuesday. They have an experienced keeper in Stuart Searle and a solid defence marshalled by former Thurrock skipper Kenny Clark, who made sure, by one means or another, that the Woking central strikers rarely got the better of him. In midfield captain Dave Rainford and his colleagues ensured, especially in the first half, that they got plenty of possession, passing the ball sweetly at times. A player who particularly impressed, and whom the Woking defence will need to contain better this time, was right back Justin Miller, who made several surging runs.

The Clarets will have striker Cliff Akurang available on this occasion, his three-match suspension having been served.

FA TROPHY

While Garry Hill has made it clear that, not surprisingly, winning promotion to the BSP is his number one priority, he will be aware that the financial rewards from a good Trophy run are not insignificant - and, given Woking’s unexpectedly early exit from the FA Cup, would be especially welcome. The winners of Saturday’s tie will pick up £4k in prize money and, whichever team finally wins the competition, will have amassed £96k in prize money altogether, with gate receipts and other spin-offs to add on.

Quite apart from the financial rewards, of course, Woking have a great history in this competition and would love to lift the Trophy for the fourth time.

Please note that if a replay is required it will take place at Kingfield on MONDAY 28 November at 7.45pm and that Woking’s away game at Dartford on Tuesday night would be postponed. (The latter game would also be postponed of course if Dartford draw their Trophy tie.)

GETTING THERE

Chelmsford City FC
Melbourne Stadium
Salerno Way
Chelmsford
Essex
CM1 2EH
http://www.chelmsfordcityfootballclub.co.uk

By Coach

Departs: 12 noon
Members: £5 (thanks to an anonymous donation towards travel costs for Cards Trust members)
Non-Members: £20

By Car

Exit junction 28 of the M25, onto the A12. After 10 miles exit junction 15 onto the A414. After 2 miles take 2nd exit at roundabout, then 1st exit at roundabout straight after, onto A1016 / Westway. After another 2 miles take a left onto Rainsford Road, then right into Park Avenue. Turn left onto Swiss Avenue, then immediately right onto Kings Road. Left onto West Avenue, keep straight on to Langton Avenue. Turn right onto Melbourne Avenue, and then immediately turn left onto Salerno Way, where the ground is on the left near the end of the road.

By Train

Nearest station: Chelmsford

From Woking the journey takes about 2 hours. Get the train to Waterloo, then Jubilee Line to Stratford, and then the train to Chelmsford. Trains leave Stratford at 09, 25, 38, 45 and 55 minutes past the hour and the journey takes about 25 minutes.

The station is 1.5 miles from the ground. Walking would take around 30 minutes, or you can take a taxi or bus. The number 54 and 56 services run every quarter of an hour or so, with the journey taking about 15 minutes.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults: £11.50
Concessions: £7.50
U16s: £3.50
U11s: Free
Stand Transfer: £1

Come on, you Cards!

Cards Bow Out

Martin Townshend
12:42pm, Sun 27th Nov 2011
Chelmsford City 2 Woking 0
FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round
26 November 2011


The Cards exited the FA Trophy in a dour match at a blustery Melbourne Stadium in the week’s second encounter with the Clarets. Facing a largely unchanged City side, Jay Davies and Paris Cowan-Hall were missing from the squad, Garry Hill giving starts to Derek Duncan, Elvis Hammond, Giuseppe Sole and new loanee Ben Smith, with Dale Binns and Wayne Gray moving to the bench.

Right from the off it was clear that this was a different game entirely to the 1-1 draw on Tuesday night, with City barely resembling the fast, threatening, and slick-passing side they had been earlier in the week and displaying exactly why they have had such mixed results on their own patch this season. The Cards equally struggled to create anything significant in some scrappy opening exchanges, not helped by the wind, but managed the first few chances of the afternoon. With just five minutes gone outrushing home goalkeeper Stuart Searle hit his clearance straight at the advancing Smith, only for the ball to rebound harmlessly for a goal-kick.

Two minutes later a cross from Moses Ademola into the box found Smith again, but the midfielder’s first-time flick was comfortably held by Searle, before a neat back heel from Jack King (pictured) teed up Derek Duncan for a long-range effort that was deflected to safety.

With Chelmsford contributing little, save for some ultimately unproductive wing play from Warren Whitely and Cliff Akurang, Woking continued to notch a few efforts without ever really dominating the game, Ademola only able to find the athletics track with a long-range effort on the run, before whipping in a cross shortly afterwards which beat defence and attack alike.

Just after the half-hour, Moses managed to create some space for himself on the edge of the Chelmsford box only to fire his shot straight at Searle, before King had arguably Woking’s best effort of the match three minutes later, unleashing a dipping 25-yard volley that only narrowly cleared the bar. The remainder of the half petered out in much the same disjointed fashion as the early exchanges, with neither side managing to impose themselves on the game.

Half-time: Chelmsford City 0 Woking 0

The home side started the second period a little more proactively, a clever exchange between Corcoran and Whitely resulting in the first of several Chelmsford corners. Although this one was hit long and out, it proved a portent of things to come, as five minutes later City had the ball in the net direct from the corner spot, Aiden Palmer looping the ball accurately past Aaron Howe. Home celebrations were cut short, however, when the strike was disallowed for a foul on the Cards' custodian.

The Clarets continued to press without creating any clear chances, a low cross turned wide by the Woking defence for another corner, this time headed clear to Whitely, who hoofed the ball over the goal and the stand behind, before a Parker volley from the edge of the box was comfortably saved by Howe.

Gray and Binns entered the fray on 69 minutes, replacing Duncan and Sole, but had little impact on the proceedings. As the game looked to be heading for a Monday night replay the hosts took the lead after 77 minutes, Palmer stepping up to curl a 25-yard free-kick over the Woking wall and into Howe’s bottom left-hand corner to jubilation from home supporters hoping to avoid another trip around the M25.

Woking almost ground out an immediate response, Hammond’s break into the box stopped by a crowded City defence, with both Ademola and Gray not quite able to create the space to get a shot in, but two minutes later it was effectively all over, Kezie Ibe firing home following a throw from the right to make it 2-0 and secure City’s club record of 19-games unbeaten in all competitions.

Ola Sogbanmu replaced Hammond after 83 minutes but suffered the same fate as the previous substitutes, as the Clarets played out the remaining minutes content to punt the ball downfield whilst Woking huffed and puffed without creating any clear chances.

Although this may not be seen as a bad defeat in some quarters, the Cards losing to arguably the best team faced this season and now free to apply that old chestnut of concentrating on the league, it will have to go down as a missed opportunity to add some pennies to the coffers in another disappointingly early departure from a cup competition.

Woking: Aaron Howe, Adam Newton, Derek Duncan (Dale Binns 69), Mark Ricketts, Alan Inns, Adam Doyle, Ben Smith, Jack King, Moses Ademola, Elvis Hammond (Ola Sogbanmu 85), Giuseppe Sole (Wayne Gray 69)

Unused subs: Josh Griffiths, Andy Little

Cautions: Adam Doyle

Chelmsford City: Stuart Searle, Justin Miller, Aiden Palmer, Adam Tann, Kenny Clark, Craig Parker, Warren Whitely, Sam Corcoran, Kezie Ibe, Max Cornhill, Cliff Akurang

Unused subs: Michael Bakare, Joe Benjamin, Jermaine Brown, Mark Hughes, Ben Nunn

Cautions: None

MOTM: Jack King. Bustled around in the centre and was involved in the majority of Woking’s creative play.

Attendance: 740
Chelmsford City LINEUP
1Stuart Searle
2Justin Miller
3Aiden Palmer
4Adam Tann
5Kenny Clark
6Craig Parker
7Warren Whitely
8Sam Corcoran
9Kezie Ibe
10Max Cornhill
11Cliff Akurang
BENCH
12Michael Bakare
14Joe Benjamin
15Jermaine Brown
16Mark Haines
19Ben Nunn
WOKING LINEUP
1Aaron Howe
2Adam Newton
3Derek Duncan ('69)
4Mark Ricketts
5Alan Inns
6Adam Doyle
7Ben Smith
8Jack King
9Moses Ademola
10Elvis Hammond ('85)
11Giuseppe Sole ('69)
BENCH
12Wayne Gray ('69)
14Dale Binns ('69)
15Josh Griffiths
16Ola Sogbanmu ('85)
18Andy Little

Chelmsford City 2 - 0 Woking (Garry Hill Interview)

Ben Smith Interview

David Holmes
12:15am, Sun 27th Nov 2011
Interview with Ben Smith following Woking's 2-0 defeat at Chelmsford in the FA Trophy.

Ben Smith:








Requires Adobe Flash Player

Shop Online

adidas 1/4 Zip Training Top

adidas 1/4 Zip Training Top

BUY NOW »
adidas 2023/24 Away Shirt

adidas 2023/24 Away Shirt

BUY NOW »
adidas 2023/24 Home Shirt

adidas 2023/24 Home Shirt

BUY NOW »
adidas Laithwaite Financial Services Boz's Fruit and Veg Jewson MKJ Peacock Construction Seymours The National League Vanarama

Woking Football Club Limited
A company incorporated in England and Wales (company number: ‍03329172)
Registered office The Laithwaite Community Stadium, Kingfield, Woking, Surrey, GU22 9AA

Click here to read our Data Protection Privacy Policy
Click here to read our Accessibility Statement