Cards must maintain winning run

Weston-super-Mare v Woking
7.45pm on Tuesday 20 March 2012

Saturday’s win over Welling United, which continued to leave the Cards eight points clear of Dartford, confirmed that Garry Hill’s side have recovered the form which swept them to the top of the table. They will know, however, that they have to keep their three-match winning run going if they are to secure the title that has looked destined for Kingfield for many months. But on Tuesday evening they will be coming up against a side that is also recovering its form after a difficult patch, so no one should expect easy pickings for the Cards after their long journey.

WOKING

Once again on Saturday the central midfield of Keiran Murtagh and Tom Davis purred nicely, providing an excellent platform for the lively front two of Gez Sole and Paris Cowan-Hall. Gez, with five goals in four games, is enjoying a wonderful renaissance after some of us had feared, following his loan to Basingstoke, that his Kingfield career might be over.

Jack King’s three-match suspension has now been completed, so he will be available on Tuesday evening but, unless injuries dictate otherwise, it’s hard to see Garry Hill changing a line-up that has served him so well in the last three games. King, previously an ever-present in Hill’s side, may well have benefited from the enforced rest since he had been looking a little jaded in recent weeks.

Dale Binns will be serving the second match of his three-match suspension.

Cards fans will also be keeping an ear open for the result of the Dartford v Sutton United clash on the same evening.

WESTON-SUPER-MARE

The Seagulls are having a successful season, and all credit must go to their manager Craig Laird for competing strongly on what must be one of the smallest budgets in the league. They now sit in 9th place, with 47 points from 34 games, 11 points behind fifth-placed Chelmsford City.

Weston started 2012 in excellent form, reeling off four straight league wins, including a 2-0 defeat of Welling United. But they then nosedived spectacularly, losing their next seven league games, including 0-3 and 0-4 home defeats to Bromley and Dorchester Town respectively. A week ago on Saturday the recovery began with a 2-2 draw at home to Thurrock and, on Saturday, they won 1-0 at Farnborough, with the vital goal coming from Brett Trowbridge.

Sahr Kabba, top scorer with 14 goals, Kane Ingram and Nat Pepperell (with nine goals) are a threat up front, whilst at the back Lloyd Irish has been a normally reliable keeper and Matt Villis an uncompromising central defender. His defensive partner Jamie Price needs to be marked especially carefully at free-kicks, having notched a number of goals from set pieces. Dayle Grubb is often at the heart of the midfield and has also mustered his fair share of goals.


GETTING THERE

Woodspring Stadium
Winterstoke Road
Weston-super-Mare
Somerset
BS24 9AA
Tel: 01934 621618
Website
http://www.weston-s-mareafc.co.uk
By Coach

Departs: 3.15pm
Members: £19
Non-Members: £25

Phone or email the Club Shop to book: 01483 772470 or shop@wokingfc.co.uk

By Car

Head for the M4, leaving at J20 to join the M5. Leave M5 at J21 (Weston-super-Mare) and make your way towards the town centre. Follow the dual carriageway through three roundabouts and into a long straight road. You should see some large DIY stores in front. Keep left. At the 4th roundabout turn left by Blockbusters and go straight (2nd exit) at the small roundabout. Carry on along the road and over the small railway bridge. Keep looking right as you are almost there. When entering the ground you will see the offices at the front with adequate free parking for cars and coaches.

By Train

Nearest station: Weston-super-Mare

There are various routes, including:
1) Woking - Basingstoke - Reading - Weston
2) Woking - Basingstoke - Reading - Bristol Parkway - Weston
3) Woking - Guildford - Reading - Bristol Temple Meads - Weston

The journey should take around 3 hours but it will not be possible to return by train the same evening.

The ground is a 30-minute brisk walk from the station. Come out of the station using the exit and platform opposite the main entrance. Walk along till you come to a busy roundabout (you should see Aldi on your left). Walk across the roundabout and head towards Halfords. Walk to the right of it following the road through the shopping area which includes Comet, Currys and Pets at Home. Keep walking till you go past the Kentucky Fried Chicken ‘drive through’ and see a roundabout beyond it. Walk past that and up to a mini-roundabout. Turn right on the mini-roundabout and carry on walking over the railway bridge and the ground is on your right-hand side.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults: £10
Senior Citizens: £6
U16s: £6
Adult + U10: £11
Senior Citizen + U10: £7

LAST TIME OUT

Woking 4 Weston-super-Mare 1
24 October 2011

Patience was the order of the day in this Monday evening fixture. Garry Hill made one change from the side which had secured a not wholly convincing 1-0 win at Staines, bringing in Derek Duncan at left-back, and partnering Adam Doyle with Mark Ricketts in central defence, with Alan Inns stepping down.

A largely frustrating first half looked as though it would remain goalless till some clever play by ‘man of the match’ Moses Ademola drew a penalty on the stroke of half-time, which Jack King converted.

The Cards were clearly intent on getting a quick second goal after the break but several chances went begging. Weston, playing some neat, passing football, rallied but a further Woking breakthrough came in the 73rd minute when Ademola slipped in Elvis Hammond, who ‘dinked’ a shot over the keeper. A third goal followed almost immediately when Ademola’s smart strike beat the keeper. Gez Sole added a fourth with five minutes to go, turning and shooting crisply from a Nathan Koranteng pass.

Weston pulled a goal back at the death when Aaron Howe was adjudged to have brought an attacker down in the box. Nat Pepperell converted for the visitors.


Come on, you Cards!