Boz's Fruit & Veg
BSBP
7:45pm - TuesdayTue 14th AugustAug 2012
The Laithwaite Community Stadium | Att: 1846

Woking
Woking
1 - 0

Dartford
Dartford

Cards look to get off mark

Brian Caffarey
8:39pm, Sun 12th Aug 2012
Woking v Dartford
7.45pm on Tuesday 14 August 2012

Garry Hill’s side will be hoping to get their season underway with a home win against fellow promotees Dartford on Tuesday evening. Both sides suffered an opening day defeat, with Dartford surprisingly beaten at home by unfancied Tamworth. But the Darts are a tough outfit, as we saw last season, and will undoubtedly give the Cards a run for their money in this fixture. Come down to Kingfield and cheer on Garry Hill’s side!

WOKING

Saturday’s reverse at Wrexham, though obviously disappointing, was no great surprise, given the Welsh side’s fine record last season and the general view that they will be vying again for automatic promotion in this campaign. There were clearly some signs of nerves in the first half but Garry took encouragement from a stronger second half display, which will have given the players confidence that they can do more than survive at this level once the side has gelled and found its feet. It will be interesting to see if Garry makes one or two changes in his line-up: Bradley Bubb in particular must have strengthened his case for a starting place with the goal he scored soon after he came on.

DARTFORD

The Darts, with an excellent home record at Princes Park last season, will have been very disappointed to have been beaten 3-2 by Tamworth on Saturday. They have not made many changes to their squad over the summer, believing, not unreasonably, that they had the foundations to survive at this level. Familiar names from last season include captain Elliot Bradbrook, midfielder Jon Wallis, strikers Jacob Erskine and Danny Harris, and ex-Card Adam Green. The most notable arrival was the hugely-experienced central defender Mark Arber, formerly with Barnet, Stevenage and Dagenham and Redbridge. Another Dagenham import was right back Richard Rose, whilst Nathan Collier, a right-sided attacking player, has made the step up from Hampton and Richmond Borough. A last-minute signing was that of Harry Crawford, a young striker from Southend. Both Rose and Collier were unused substitutes, though, on Saturday.

It sounds as though costly defensive errors were the Darts’ undoing on Saturday since they seem to have had more than their fair share of the play. Like Woking, though, they are finding that, at the higher level, mistakes are more likely to be punished than in the BSBS.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults £15
Over 65s/Students £10
U16s £5

MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

Tuesday’s packed 56-page programme includes Garry Hill’s pre-season thoughts; all the news of the comings and goings at Kingfield; and a look at all our BSP rivals; plus match reports, previews and some great action photos. If you can’t get to the game, you can order a copy from the Club Shop on shop@wokingfc.co.uk

BOOST THE BUDGET

Saturday’s game against Wrexham demonstrated what a big step-up the Cards have taken in re-joining the Blue Square Premier. Cards fans can help Garry and Steve ensure that we enjoy a successful first season by supporting the Cards Trust’s Boost the Budget initiative. Look out for details on Tuesday evening.

LAST TIME OUT

Woking 1 Dartford 0
18 February 2012

This vital win, which also saw the first start for Kevin Betsy since his return to Kingfield, took the Cards 14 points clear of second-placed Dartford, who continued to have two games in hand. As in the reverse encounter at Princes Park, the Darts’ defence conceded early on from a set piece, Alan Inns heading in Keiran Murtagh’s corner in the third minute. Thereafter, though, the visitors had more than their fair share of the play and, but for some wayward finishing and a certain amount of misfortune, ought really to have gained at least a share of the points. Elvis Hammond, though, could have extended the Cards’ lead in the first half as he crashed the ball against the bar in a one-on-one with the Darts’ keeper, Louis Wells. But Lee Noble also hit the bar before the break, with the woodwork also coming to the Cards’ aid in the second half. Shortly before full-time Mike Cestor picked up a second yellow card but Garry Hill’s side held on for seven minutes of added time to seal the win.

NEXT GAME

The Cards are at home again on Saturday 18 August, when Barrow are the visitors. This is another great opportunity to get some points on the board, so make your way to Kingfield again to cheer the side on.

Come on, you Cards!

Cards off the mark with vital win

Glen Harrington
9:14am, Wed 15th Aug 2012
Woking 1 Dartford 0
Blue Square Premier
14th August 2012


A Giuseppe Sole penalty ten minutes from time ensured the Cards claimed their first win of the season, as they saw off ten-man Dartford.

Both sides started slowly, but the game sparked into life when Darts’ winger Lee Noble picked up two bookings in four minutes, both for fouls on Kevin Betsy, and left his side with ten men.

The Cards dominated the remainder of the first half, coming close through Bradley Bubb, Lee Sawyer (pictured) and Brett Williams.

Proceedings retuned to being tight after the interval, and it took a clumsy challenge from Adam Green on Loick Pires, and Sole’s confidently taken spot-kick to separate the former Blue Square South title rivals.

With both teams coming into the game on the back of defeats, the Cards having gone down 3-1 at Wrexham while Dartford were losing 3-2 at home to Tamworth, the pressure was very much on to get points tallies up and running.

Garry Hill made just one change from his side’s loss, replacing Gavin McCallum with goal-scorer Bradley Bubb. The Darts were unchanged, with Tony Burman even being able to name nine of the starting line-up (in comparison with four Woking players), which last lost at Kingfield in February.

With skipper Elliot Bradbrook, returned from injury, and new signing Mark Arber the only additions to Dartford’s starting line-up, the game had an air of familiarity, as did the tense start to the match, where Joe McNerney’s mis-hit clearance was the closest anyone came to threatening either goal.

Each team slowly grew into the fixture, with half-chances coming for both the host’s Brett Williams, who shot wide, and the visitors’ Jacob Erskine, who forced a fairly routine save from Aaron Howe after being played through on goal by Noble.

Bubb then drew Louis Wells into action for the first time, latching onto a long ball from Adam Newton, skilfully turning his man and driving his effort towards goal – the Dartford keeper making a smart save.

The game's first and perhaps most decisive moment came just after the half-hour mark. A visibly frustrated Noble, who had already been pulled up by referee Dean Treleaven for several poor challenges, belatedly found his name in the book after tripping Betsy just inside the Dartford half.

A mere four minutes later, Noble again tripped Betsy, in almost exactly the same position on the pitch. Despite his teammates' protest, the officials were left with little choice but to send him from the field.

The Darts were briefly in turmoil, disorganised and frustrated, desperately in need of a half-time regroup. No doubt sensing their advantage, the Cards pressed forward, on four occasions forcing saves from Wells – Sawyer thrice striking from range, while Williams’ twisting and turning on the edge of the area eventually allowed him room to get a shot in. Bubb also saw an effort fly narrowly wide.

Half-time: Woking 0 Dartford 0

Dartford returned their organised and focused selves after the break, working hard to ensure Noble’s absence went almost unnoticed.

For long spells the home side were finding it no easier to break down ten blue shirts than they had eleven, Newton’s stunningly controlled half-volley on the hour, spectacularly saved by Wells, comfortably the closest either side had come to breaking the deadlock.

The home side replaced Williams and Bubb with Sole and McCallum mid-way through the second-half, bringing some much-needed fresh legs to Woking’s tiring forward line, who had endured a frustrating evening.

Meanwhile, Dartford introduced a second of their new singings, striker Harry Crawford, who had scored the second of his team’s goals at the weekend.

Despite these introductions, the game seemed to be winding toward a draw. That was of course until a five-minute spell of madness in front of the Leslie Gosden Stand.

Pires, who had been having a quiet night before he muscled his way through on goal with ten minutes remaining, advanced on Wells, only to be apparently hauled down by Green. Despite many seeming unsure as to whether the foul had been committed inside the box or out, Mr Treleaven had no such doubts, and pointed to the penalty spot.

Several minutes of protest raged, and eventually, excruciatingly, Sole confidently stepped up to take the kick. Having coolly dispatched the penalty high to Wells’s right, the striker screamed his approval toward the celebrating home supporters, drawing more ugly scenes as the Darts furiously continued to debate the situation that had befallen them.

Woking might have made the game safe, and prevented a nerve-jangling six minutes of added time, had McCallum had more luck in front of goal. Having found himself in oceans of space on the edge of the area, his turn and shot was well saved by Wells, who dived strongly to his left.

Equally, the Darts might have claimed a late equaliser, as Ricketts's attempted clearance looped agonisingly into the path of Crawford, only for the striker to find a sprawling Howe to be blocking his path, his effort thudding into the keeper’s midriff.

In spite of the late scare, the Cards held on and claimed a vital three points that gets them off the mark for the season, and moves them off the bottom, up to fourteenth in the table.

Although not at their fluent best, there were many positives to take out of the game, other than the result, with Lee Sawyer, Joe McNerney and Adam Newton particularly impressive. The Cards will also have a chance to build on tonight’s performance on Saturday, when they host Barrow.

Woking: Aaron Howe, Adam Newton, Mike Cestor, Joe McNerney, Brett Johnson, Mark Ricketts (Dean Sinclair 90), Lee Sawyer, Bradley Bubb (Gavin McCallum 67), Kevin Betsy, Loick Pires, Brett Williams (Giuseppe Sole 67)

Unused Subs: Sam Beasant, Jack Parkinson

Goal(s): Sole 81

Booked: Bubb 44, Cestor 69

Dartford: Louis Wells, Lee Burns, Adam Green, Tom Bonner, Mark Arber, Tom Champion, Lee Noble, Elliot Bradbrook, Jacob Erskine (Harry Crawford 68), James Rogers (Richard Rose 87), Danny Harris (Nathan Collier 78)

Unused Subs: Ryan Hayes, Jon Wallis

Booked: Noble 31 & 35, Wells 80, Champion 90

Sent-off: Noble 35

MOTM: Lee Sawyer – Had a productive game, definitely the bright-spark for Woking going forward, coming close from long range on several occasions and passing well throughout.

Attendance: 1,846
WOKING LINEUP
1Aaron Howe
2Adam Newton
3Mike Cestor
16Brett Johnson
5Joe McNerney
4Mark Ricketts ('90)
15Lee Sawyer
11Kevin Betsy
7Loick Pires
9Bradley Bubb ('67)
14Brett Williams ('67)
BENCH
18Sam Beasant
8Jack Parkinson
17Dean Sinclair ('90)
19Gavin McCallum ('67)
10Giuseppe Sole ('67)
Dartford LINEUP
1Louis Wells
20Lee Burns
6Tom Bonner
3Adam Green
14Lee Noble
4Tom Champion
10Elliot Bradbrook
13James Rogers ('87)
9Jacob Erskine ('68)
11Danny Harris ('78)
16Mark Arber
BENCH
8Jon Wallis
2Richard Rose ('87)
15Nathan Collier ('78)
7Ryan Hayes
21Harry Crawford ('68)

Woking 1-0 Dartford (Garry Hill Interview)

Lee Sawyer Interview

David Holmes
11:29pm, Tue 14th Aug 2012
Sponsors’ MotM Lee Sawyer talks to David Holmes after the game against Dartford.

Lee Sawyer:







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