Match Preview | Cards continue pre-season against Southern League side

Stratford Town vs Woking
Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday 26th July 2022

Woking will be looking to further build their pre-season momentum on Tuesday evening as they travel to Southern League Premier Central Division side Stratford Town.

The Cards produced their most impressive result of pre-season so far last time out as a Padraig Amond goal earned Darren Sarll’s side a 1-0 win over League Two outfit Sutton United. The U’s, who finished eighth in the fourth-tier last season and reached the EFL Trophy final, were undone by Amond’s well-taken second-half goal and a well-organised and structured defensive performance from the visitors.

The only downside for Sarll and co was the loss of midfielder Jack Roles, who limped off after a miss-timed challenge early on but was later reported to have not suffered a serious blow. Woking fans will hope that neither Jack, nor forward Reece Grego-Cox, who missed the game, are going to be out for any prolonged period of time.

Stratford Town, also known as the Bards, are from Warwickshire. They play in the seventh tier of English Football and came 13th out of 21 teams last season – with 47 points from 40 games. Banbury United were the champions of the division, whilst Peterborough Sports were also promoted via the play-offs, beating Coalville Town in the play-off final.

The are coached by joint managers Dean Holdsworth and Gavin Hurren. Holdsworth will be known to Woking fans from his time in charge of local rivals Aldershot Town between 2011 and 2013. The most well-known names amongst their squad are goalkeeper Liam O’Brien, who has made Football League appearances for Barnet, Dagenham & Redbridge, and Coventry City; former England youth international midfielder Ash Sammons, and ex-Birmingham striker Jack Storer.

So far, their pre-season has been a challenging one, albeit against predominately higher-ranking opponents, with defeats to Burton Albion, West Bromwich Albion, Cheltenham Town, Leicester City, Oxford City, and Coventry City. They did pick up a win against Coventry Sphinx and drew 2-2 with Daventry Town. Like Woking, this is Stratford’s penultimate pre-season game, with their league season starting at home to Bedford Town on 6th August.