Tough Tuesday trip
Brian Caffarey
8:26pm, Sun 17th Mar 2013
Braintree Town v Woking
7.45pm on Tuesday 19 March 2013
Assuming Braintree’s ground isn’t waterlogged again, the Cards will be travelling to Cressing Road on Tuesday evening to take on Alan Devonshire’s side, who are in excellent form with four impressive wins on the trot. Woking rarely do well against Braintree, so a very determined display will be needed, no doubt on a boggy pitch, if Garry Hill’s side aren’t to come away empty-handed.
WOKING
The Cards are up to 10th place after their 5-2 home win over Telford on Saturday. The scoreline suggests a very comfortable victory but some casual play in the second half allowed the bottom-of-the-table side to get right back in the game before a couple of somewhat fortuitous goals enabled the Cards to ease away in the last few minutes. It’s very unlikely that Braintree will be as forgiving on Tuesday evening.
Lee Sawyer will be missing again as he completes his two-match ban for picking up his 10th yellow card of the season at Macclesfield.
BRAINTREE TOWN
Braintree’s last four results show what the Cards are up against:
Braintree Town 2 Grimsby Town 0
Braintree Town 2 Luton 0
Gateshead 1 Braintree Town 1
Stockport County 1 Braintree Town 3
The Iron now sit in 14th place, five points behind the Cards but with four games in hand. At home they’ve won six, drawn three and lost seven, scoring 21 goals and conceding 28.
Fixture congestion means that the Iron will be playing two midweek games, with Nuneaton Town visiting Cressing Road on Thursday evening.
Garry Hill and Steve Thompson will be well aware of the threat Dan Holman and Sean Marks represent up front, well supported by Luke Daley and skipper Kenny Davis. Other familiar names include defender/midfielder Dean Wells, who was with Devonshire at Hampton and Richmond, and ex-Don James Mulley.
GETTING THERE
The Amlin Stadium,
Clockhouse Way,
Braintree,
Essex
CM7 3RD
Website: www.braintreetownfc.org.uk
By coach
The Cards Trust coach leaves Kingfield at 4.30pm. The cost is £16 for members and £21 for non-members. Phone the Club Shop or email shop@wokingfc.co.uk to book your place.
By car
Leave the M25 at J27 and head north on the M11. Leave at J8A and head east on the A120 for 16 miles until you reach the Galleys Corner roundabout, recognisable by the large McDonalds logo. Take the first exit towards Braintree College. This is Cressing Road and the ground is hidden behind new flats (called Iron View, as the higher ones get a free view of the ground) on the left-hand side, 0.7 miles from the roundabout. Look out for the Orange Tree pub on the right-hand side and then take the next turning on the left into Clockhouse Way. There is a small road sign pointing the way on the right-hand side of the road.
By train
Trains take about an hour from Stratford (which can be reached via the Jubilee Line from Waterloo). The service isn’t very frequent. The 17.26 (with a change at Chelmsford) would get you there at 18.28. The next train at 18.09 is direct but doesn’t arrive till 19.19. Braintree Station is about a 15-minute walk from the ground, although there is a taxi rank outside the station. On the way back you’d have to make sure you got the 22.00, arriving at Stratford at 22.54.
LAST TIME OUT
Woking 1 Braintree Town 4
28 August 2012
This result came as a shock for Cards fans after home wins against Dartford and Barrow. The Iron took an early lead after Dan Holman punished a defensive slip by Mike Cestor. Brett Williams levelled things up before the break but more poor defending shortly after the interval restored the Iron’s lead via a Cestor own goal and then two wonder-strikes in the second half – one from the half-way line after Aaron Howe had mis-kicked – produced a scoreline that flattered the visitors on a night when everything seemed to go their way.
NEXT GAME
The Cards are away at Nuneaton Town next Saturday (23 March) and then travel again, to in-form Kidderminster Harriers, the following Tuesday (26 March). Woking’s next home game is against Hereford United on Saturday 30 March.
Come on, you Cards!
