MKJ Group

Cards look to finish with strong display

Brian Caffarey
4:29pm, Thu 26th Apr 2012
Chelmsford City v Woking
3pm on Saturday 28 April 2012

The Champions travel to sixth-placed Chelmsford City on Saturday for their final league game of the season. Garry Hill will be keen to put on a good display against his local side but will nevertheless be relieved that his team managed to secure promotion ahead of this game since the Clarets had the better of the two previous encounters this season. It’s a very big game for Chelmsford, who have to win – and also rely on Basingstoke Town losing away to Welling United – to claim the remaining play-off place on goal difference.

WOKING

Subject to any new injury worries, Garry Hill will have everyone available for this game and will therefore have some difficult selection decisions, with, for example, Jack King, Tom Davis and Keiran Murtagh probably competing for two central midfield places and Joe McNerney and Adam Doyle looking to start alongside Alan Inns at centre back. Nice dilemmas for a manager to have!

CHELMSFORD CITY

Clarets fans must be disappointed that their side, which has reached the play-offs for the last three seasons, is not better placed as they head into the last game of the campaign, especially since, at times, they have looked more than capable of challenging Woking and Dartford for pole position. But they have compounded a slow start to the season with some inconsistent form in recent months to leave themselves short. They had a very fine unbeaten run in the autumn but the turn of the year saw them lose at home to Sutton United 2-3 and in the following 17 league games they won only six, drawing four and losing seven. Crucially, one of those defeats was a 0-1 home reverse to Basingstoke Town.

The Clarets have a strong squad, which includes the experienced Stuart Searle in goal; full back Justin Miller, whose enterprising runs caused the Cards problems in the previous two games; ‘player of the year’ central defender Kenny Clark, whose robust shackling of the Woking forwards was also a key factor in those games; skipper Dave Rainford in midfield; and Cliff Akurang, Kezie Ibe and ex-Card Jamie Slabber among the strikers. Winger Ricky Modeste and full back Ben Nunn are both suspended, however.

GETTING THERE

Melbourne Stadium
Salerno Way
Chelmsford
Essex
CM1 2EH

http://www.chelmsfordcityfootballclub.co.uk

By Coach

Departs: 12 noon
Members: £15
Non-Members: £20

Please ring the Club Shop on 01483 772470 or email shop@wokingfc.co.uk to book your place on the Cards Trust coach.

By Car

Exit junction 28 of the M25, onto the A12. After 10 miles exit junction 15 onto the A414. After two miles take 2nd exit at roundabout, then 1st exit at roundabout straight after, onto A1016 / Westway. After another two miles take a left onto Rainsford Road, then right into Park Avenue. Turn left onto Swiss Avenue, then immediately right onto Kings Road. Left onto West Avenue and keep straight on to Langton Avenue. Turn right onto Melbourne Avenue, and then immediately turn left onto Salerno Way, where the ground is on the left near the end of the road.

By Train

Nearest station: Chelmsford

From Woking the journey takes about two hours. Get the train to Waterloo, then Jubilee Line to Stratford, and then the train to Chelmsford. Trains leave Stratford at 09, 25, 38, 45 and 55 minutes past the hour and the journey takes about 25 minutes.

The station is 1.5 miles from the ground. Walking would take around 30 minutes, or you can take a taxi or bus. H1 and H2 services run to the ground: check at the bus station for the best option.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults: £11.50
Concessions: £7.50
U16s: £3.50
U11s: Free
Stand Transfer: £1

LAST TIME OUT

Chelmsford City 2 Woking 0
FA Trophy
26 November 2011

In midweek at Kingfield the two sides had shared the points in an entertaining 1-1 draw in the league, thus preserving their respective unbeaten home and away records but leaving the Clarets eleven points adrift of Garry Hill’s side.

Garry rang a few changes for the FA Trophy clash, with Jay Davies and Paris Cowan-Hall missing and Dale Binns and Wayne Gray dropping to the bench. In came Derek Duncan, Elvis Hammond, Giuseppe Sole and new loan signing Ben Smith.

The first half was a scrappy affair in blustery conditions, with little sign of the pacy, attacking play seen at Kingfield. However, the Cards more than held their own and had the better of the relatively few chances created, with Moses Ademola and Jack King going close before half-time.

Disappointingly, the Cards allowed Chelmsford to take control after the break. After five minutes the ball was in the Woking net direct from a corner but the effort was disallowed for a foul on Aaron Howe. After 69 minutes Garry brought on Binns and Gray for Duncan and Sole but the changes did not wrest back the advantage and, eight minutes later, the home side took the lead, with Aiden Palmer netting direct from an excellent free-kick from 25 yards, guiding the ball over the wall and into the bottom corner.

The Cards nearly responded with their next attack but two minutes after conceding the first goal they let in a soft second goal, Kezie Ibe collecting from a throw-in and shooting home.


Come on, you Cards!

P.S. Don’t forget that Woking play Sutton United in the Surrey Senior Cup Final at 7.30pm on Tuesday 8 May at Kingsmeadow. The Cards Trust are running a coach to this game, so contact the Club to book your place.

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