Saturday's eagerly-awaited clash
Brian Caffarey
6:23pm, Thu 15th Mar 2012
Woking v Welling United
3pm on Saturday 17 March 2012
A big crowd is expected at Kingfield on Saturday for this enticing clash between the league leaders and third-placed Welling United, who lie nine points behind the Cards but who, back in September, inflicted the first defeat of the season on Garry Hill’s side. The Cards, with four goals in each of their last two games, are firing on all cylinders again after a shaky few weeks and look in good shape to take revenge on a Welling side who, however, are in very good form themselves. Come down early to Kingfield for what promises to be an outstanding game and take advantage of the special ‘early bird’ offers, including a ‘curry and a pint’ for £5!
WOKING
Some of Woking’s attacking play on Tuesday night against Dorchester Town was irresistible. Keiran Murtagh was back to his imperious best, freed to impose himself on the game by Tom Davis’s splendid covering and tackling. Kevin Betsy drifted past players as though he was still the teenager we remember from his all-too-brief apprenticeship with us before his very successful League career. Paris Cowan-Hall’s and Moses Ademola’s pace and trickery left Dorchester chasing shadows and Gez Sole, always a Kingfield favourite, looked rejuvenated. Dorchester were no ‘mugs’ but, in the end, they were overwhelmed by the sheer relentless quality of Woking’s attacking play.
Assuming everyone is fit, Garry will no doubt start with the same line-up but he won’t have Dale Binns on the bench this time since he begins his three-match suspension on Saturday, while Jack King will be serving the last game of his three-match suspension.
The Cards sit eight points clear of Dartford and nine points clear of Welling United but the Darts, who are at home to Havant and Waterlooville (come on, Ollie Palmer!), have a game in hand.
WELLING UNITED
Jamie Day continues to do an outstanding job at Park View Road. The Wings narrowly missed the play-offs last season as a result of a five-point deduction and have been doing even better this term. Day has managed to keep a number of players who seem to be coveted by bigger clubs, including strikers Loick Pires and Luis Cumbers, midfielder Jack Parkinson and defender Jack Obersteller. Other notable players include midfielder Lee Clarke, defender Andy Sambrook, keeper Craig Holloway and former Dover midfielder Harry Baker.
Welling have survived the loss of former top scorer Andy Pugh, who transferred to Cambridge United, and have recently been in a rich vein of form, having won five out of their last six league games, including victories away at Dover and Chelmsford City. The only blip was an away defeat at Staines Town.
Ben Martin and Joe Healy are both suspended for Saturday’s game.
ADMISSION PRICES AND SPECIAL PROMOTIONS
Adults £12
Concessions/Students £8
U16s £2
The game will be segregated, with Welling fans allocated the Chris Lane Terrace.
The Cardinals' Bar will be serving chilli con carne and curry before Saturday’s game. During the drinks promotion (up until 13:45) a curry and a pint will be £5.00. After the promotion it will cost you £6.00.
All draught beers will be on promotion at £2.00 from 12 noon and will be available at this price until 13:45. The FA Cup Quarter-Final between Everton and Sunderland, which kicks off at 12:45, will also be shown live.
And to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, there is a special offer on Guinness after teaming up with the Club’s drinks supplier, Fuller's.
After the Woking v Welling United main event, the Club will be screening the England v Ireland Six Nations Rugby Game. For the first half of the rugby there will also be a drinks promotion again, with all draught beers being on promotion at £2.00.
The main bar will be closing after the first half of the rugby due to a function starting at 7pm, but The Legends' Bar will be open to all afterwards.
MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
There is a bumper 56-page programme on Saturday – but still at the same price of £2.50. Highlights include a profile of Andy Little.
BOOST THE BUDGET
The Cards Trust will be beginning an ‘end of season’ drive to recruit more contributors to its highly successful ‘Boost the Budget’ scheme, which is adding over £2,000 a month to Garry’s playing budget in return for Club shares. Let’s start laying the foundations for the 2012-13 season!
LAST TIME OUT
Welling United 3 Woking 2
3 September 2011
This pulsating encounter on Non-League Day propelled the Wings five points clear of the Cards at the top of the table. A draw would probably have been a fair result on the balance of play but the Cards struggled to contain the threat which a big, strong Welling side posed at set pieces.
Ben Martin gave the home side the lead on ten minutes, bundling the ball in from Welling’s first corner of the game. Woking quickly hit back, with Paris Cowan-Hall executing a superb lob over the keeper after latching onto Moses Ademola’s clever flick.
But Welling regained the lead in the 26th minute as captain Jack Parkinson stabbed home from a free-kick.
Welling could not maintain their tempo in the second half and the Cards began to dominate play. However, more poor defending at a set piece allowed Welling to extend their lead against the run of play, Parkinson heading home at the far post.
Woking fought back superbly, with substitute Gez Sole chesting down a crossfield ball from Ademola before sending a left-foot volley into the far corner to make the score 3-2. The Cards came agonisingly close to levelling the scores in the remaining minutes but it was the Wings who celebrated a notable win. A great advert for non-League football!
Come on, you Cards!
