WOKING v MANSFIELD TOWN

Brian Caffarey
12:00am, Fri 17th Apr 2009

3pm on Saturday 18 April 2009

This is it! The Cards have to win this game to have any realistic chance of avoiding relegation. Even then a win may not be enough ? if other results go against us next week ? to take the battle to the wire at Rushden and Diamonds on Sunday 26 April. Come down to Kingfield and support the Cards in this vital game!

The remaining fixtures for all the clubs concerned are shown at the end of this preview.

WOKING

Graham Baker?s side have played some decent football in the four games he?s been in charge, which have resulted in two wins and two defeats. Unfortunately, for some time we?ve been in the position of having played more games than our relegation rivals but without the additional points to show for it ? and that has now finally caught up with us, meaning that our fate isn?t entirely in our own hands. Two wins from the last two games is a tall order, especially given our problems in putting the ball in the net, but it?s certainly not beyond us ? and the team must simply ?go for it? on Saturday and then see what happens.

Although there has been speculation about some of Woking?s walking wounded ? in particular, Tom Hutchinson and Danny Bunce ? donning the shirt again before the season ends, they will lack match fitness even if recovered from injury, and it seems much more likely that Graham will have to stick with the players he?s used in the last few games. But Alex Rhodes will certainly miss Saturday?s game and it would be surprising if his hamstring injury is sufficiently recovered to put him in the reckoning for the Rushden game.

It will be interesting to see if Graham perseveres with the 4-5-1 formation he?s tended to favour in recent games or whether he throws one of Liam Marum, Manny Williams or Joel Ledgister up front to play alongside Wilfried Domoraud in the quest for goals.

MANSFIELD TOWN

Mansfield sit in mid-table at the end of their first season since their relegation from the League. It may give the Cards some hope to note that their main problem has been their poor away form: 5 wins, 3 draws and 14 defeats, with 20 goals scored and 34 conceded. Manager David Holdsworth castigated his team following their 2-0 defeat at Northwich Victoria and said that they would all be out of the Field Mill door at the end of the season if there wasn?t an improvement in the club?s remaining fixtures.

There are a few familiar faces in the Stags? squad, including ex-Shot Ryan Williams; nippy striker Aaron O?Connor, with Grays Athletic last season; boxer Curtis Woodhouse, who joined from Rushden; and striker Darryl Clare, who recently joined on loan from Rushden. Look out too for midfielder Jon D?Laryea, who seems to have been the Stags? star this season.

Recent results:

Northwich Victoria 2 Mansfield Town 0

Mansfield Town 2 Barrow 2

Mansfield Town 2 Ebbsfleet United 0

Wrexham 2 Mansfield Town 0

Histon 3 Mansfield Town 0

Mansfield Town 1 Torquay United 1

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTER

Mansfield Town 0-1 Woking

4October 2008

Woking came away from their first-ever visit to Field Mill with three valuable points after Giuseppe Sole?s penalty was enough to end Mansfield?s unbeaten home record. Woking created little until the final minute of the half when a Tom Hutchinson header hit the bar. Wilfried Domoraud just needed to tap in but was unfortunately beaten to the ball by Patrick Gamble. In the 58^th minute, however, referee Mr Mohareb adjudged that Domoraud had had his shirt pulled in the box and gave Woking a contentious penalty. Cool-headed Sole stepped up to beat the keeper and put Woking one up. Woking?s defence held firm until the final whistle, to claim their first away win of the season.

MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

We?ve got a very full programme lined up for you on Saturday, including David Taylor?s review of the season. For further details click on yesterday?s news item to the right.

Come on, you Cards!

REMAINING FIXTURES

18. BARROW (46 points, 3 games left, GD -16)

Sat: Crawley Town (h)

Tues: Torquay (h)

Sun: Eastbourne Borough (a)

19. GRAYS ATHLETIC (46 points, 3 games left, GD -20)

Sat: Altrincham (a)

Tues: Crawley Town (h)

Sun: Forest Green Rovers (h)

20. WOKING (43 points, 2 games left, GD -21)

Sat: Mansfield Town (h)