Lewes, here we come!

Lewes v Woking
3pm on Saturday 26 February 2011

Cards fans are expected to turn out in force at the Dripping Pan tomorrow in the hope of seeing their side’s sixth successive league win. But Lewes, though near the bottom of the table, have been in good form themselves, so it’s got all the makings of a compelling encounter.

WOKING

Woking’s hard-fought but thoroughly merited 1-0 win at Maidenhead United on Tuesday night made it five league wins on the trot, with 10 goals scored and none conceded. You can’t ask for better than that! And we’ve seen some lovely passing football to boot. It was only a few weeks ago that the side was languishing 14 points off the play-off places. The gap is now down to five points. Another win would set the scene perfectly for Kingfield clashes against high-flying Ebbsfleet on Tuesday and Farnborough next Saturday.

Barring injuries Garry Hill may be tempted to start with the side that began the second half at Maidenhead, when Craig Dobson came on for Ricky Anane. Dobson’s pace and trickery certainly helped to unsettle the Maidenhead defence. Joe McNerney’s three-game suspension for his sending-off doesn’t kick in till the away game at Weston-super-Mare, so at least he’ll be available on Saturday and for the keenly-awaited Ebbsfleet and Farnborough matches.

LEWES

The Rooks, in 21st place in the table, have been fighting all season to preserve their BSS status. A run of five unbeaten games was ended on Wednesday night by Ebbsfleet United, who came away from the Dripping Pan with a possibly flattering 3-0 win. The Rooks’ recent results, starting with that game, have been:

Lewes 0 Ebbsfleet United 3
Lewes 2 Havant and Waterlooville 1
Hampton and Richmond Borough 1 Lewes 2
Maidenhead United 0 Lewes 2
Lewes 2 Boreham Wood 2

Lewes have won three, drawn four and lost eight games at home, scoring 13 goals and conceding 25.

Manager Tim O’Shea has brought in striker Ben Hunt and midfielder Joe Tabiri, both from Dover Athletic, to aid their relegation fight. Gary Noel has been signed on dual registration forms from Carshalton Athletic and Lyle Taylor was brought in from Bournemouth in the transfer window.

GETTING THERE

Lewes FC
The Dripping Pan
Mountfield Road
Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 2XD
Website: www.lewesfc.com

By coach
Leaves 11.30am; £12 members, £17 non-members. Phone the Club Shop (01483 772470) or email shop@wokingfc.co.uk today.

By car
The Dripping Pan is at the very start of Mountfield Road, directly behind the station. If you are coming from the north or west, turn off the A27 for Lewes and turn right (signposted Rodmell and Piddinghoe) after about a mile at the first set of traffic lights, adjacent to the prison. Follow that road until you get to a mini-roundabout by The Swan pub and turn left. Continue along this road to the ground.

There are limited car parking spaces in the Sussex Downs College and Priory School car parks down Mountfield Road past the ground. Metered street parking is available and there is a pay and display car park directly outside the ground but please be aware that Lewes has quite a number of 'keen' traffic wardens patrolling the town.

By train
You need to catch the train up to Clapham Junction to pick up the Lewes service (usually from platform 13). The 12.38 from Woking would get you to Clapham Junction at 13.11, from where you could get the 13.23 to Lewes, arriving at 14.22. Or if you want to give yourself more time to wander around Lewes and/or indulge in the splendid Harvey’s beer, you could travel an hour earlier, catching the 11.38 from Woking. On the way back there’s a train at 16.50 to Clapham Junction, arriving at 17.52, from where you could pick up the 18.02 to Woking, arriving at 18.27. The next train from Lewes is the 17.20.

Lewes railway station is only a two-minute walk from the Dripping Pan. When you leave the main entrance, turn left and follow the path over the bridge. The ground will be in front of you.

ADMISSION

£10 adults; £5 concessions; children free.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS

This season

Woking 2 Lewes 1
24 August 2010

The Cards notched up their second win of the season, following disappointing defeats at the hands of Dover and Chelmsford and a much-needed away win at Dorchester. Once again it was Dave Gilroy whom the Cards mainly had to thank for the three points as he netted two more goals. In an exhilarating first half display Gilroy opened the scoring in the third minute, delicately deflecting Moses Ademola’s cross inside the near post. The second followed on the half-hour mark as Jerome Maledon made a fine break down the left flank, setting up Gilroy perfectly to slam the ball home. The second half was a different story as Woking struggled to maintain any impetus. Lewes pulled a goal back in the 55th minute when Jordan Lang converted a rebound off the post. Graham Baker threw on Gomez Dali and Craig Faulconbridge for Gilroy and Andy Forbes but without any effect. In the end the Cards hung on nervously and unconvincingly for the three points.

Last season

Lewes 0 Woking 2
29 August 2009

A Bank Holiday Saturday trip to Lewes was much enjoyed, for several reasons, by a large contingent of Woking fans. As usual, the Cards struggled to make their superiority count over a young Lewes side, with the home club’s very existence threatened by HMRC. Sam Sloma was influential but it was a counter-attack just before half-time that produced the lead, Ricky Anane surprisingly popping up at centre forward to smash the ball home. As Woking struggled to make the game safe Delano Sam-Yorke and Charlie Moone came on for Gez Sole and Craig Watkins, and it was Charlie’s snap shot four minutes from time that allowed Woking fans to truly celebrate. In the meantime Graham Baker had been red-carded for kicking the ball towards the linesman in an attempt to attract his attention for a substitution!

Woking 2 Lewes 0
3 April 2010

Two headed goals from Craig Faulconbridge, making it five goals in five games, earned a comfortable victory for the Cards in what proved to be the third win in the sequence that produced the improbable surge into the fifth play-off place last season. Faulconbridge, partnering Nathaniel Pinney up front, put the Cards in front in the 20th minute with a header from Nicky Nicolau’s corner and then doubled the lead in the 60th minute with a diving header from his strike partner’s cross.


Come on, you Cards!

P.S. Don’t forget that the Cards are at home on Tuesday evening when play-off contenders Ebbsfleet United are the visitors. Make a date in your diary too for the Race Night next Friday evening. Tickets, only £5, including food, are available from the Club Shop at the Ebbsfleet match.