Cards target strong finish

Lincoln City v Woking
3pm on Saturday 28 February 2015

The Cards continue their sequence of tough away games with this trip to Lincoln City on Saturday. Garry Hill’s side would need to string together an extraordinary run of results now to get in touch again with the play-off race but he will be keen to finish higher than last season’s 9th place if at all possible. Let’s hope that the Cards can finish the season with a flourish!

WOKING

With only one win in their last eleven league games, the Cards have inevitably slipped down the table and now lie in 9th position, nine points behind fifth-placed Forest Green Rovers. It’s not that the team has played particularly poorly: they have managed very respectable draws against the likes of Eastleigh (twice), Bristol Rovers, Gateshead and Kidderminster but they have failed to beat any of the top sides in a tough sequence of fixtures. However, the damage was really done in December with the defeats away at Macclesfield and Forest Green Rovers and, especially, at home to Southport and Aldershot Town.

Joe McNerney has served his one-match suspension for his sending-off at Barnet. Ross Lafayette’s loan from Luton Town ended with his substitute appearance in the Cards’ 1-1 draw at Kidderminster on 14 February. Cards fans will be hoping that Yemi Odubade, who has scored in his last two games, can add to his tally at Sincil Bank.

LINCOLN CITY

The Imps, who finished in 14th place last season, started this campaign promisingly with three wins and a draw in their opening four games but any optimism soon dissipated with a sequence of six defeats in the following seven fixtures. Things improved in late September/October with only one defeat in eight league and cup games. Lincoln enjoyed a good Christmas/New Year with three wins, including completing the ‘double’ over Barnet. But their subsequent away form has been poor, with four successive, decisive, away defeats at Eastleigh, Macclesfield, Chester and Bristol Rovers, although wins were obtained at home against Aldershot and Dover. However, their last outing saw a 1-0 defeat at home to Chester. Their midweek game at Torquay was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.

The Imps now sit in 12th place in the league, two points behind Woking from the same number of games.

Gary Simpson was relieved of his managerial duties in early November, being initially placed on gardening leave, with coach Chris Moyses being formally appointed as manager the following month.

The transfer window has seen a few changes of personnel. Ex-Card Delano Sam-Yorke converted his loan from Cambridge United into a permanent signing. Left-back Sean Newton joined Notts County, with the Magpies loaning Jordan Cranston as a replacement. Striker John Marsden has also arrived on loan from Southport. Other recent arrivals include Tom Davies, a defender on loan from Fleetwood Town, and Tyrell Waite, a striker from Notts County. Departures have included Karl Ledsham and Sahr Kabba.

GETTING THERE

Sincil Bank Stadium
Lincoln
Lincolnshire
LN5 8LD

Official website: www.redimps.co.uk

By coach

The Cards Trust’s coach leaves Kingfield at 10.00am. The cost is only £17 for members and £22 for non-members. Ring the Club Shop on 01483 772470 or email shop@wokingfc.co.uk to book your place. Book your place on Tuesday’s coach to Dartford at the same time!

By car
Exit the A1 at sliproad Lincoln A46. Follow the A46 into Lincoln (which leads onto the High St) and the ground is indicated from there. If you follow the signs for 'away coaches' then this leads you onto the A158 South Park Avenue, where there is plenty of street parking to be found (although it is a ten-minute walk to the ground.

By train
The nearest station is Lincoln Central, which is a 15-minute walk from the ground. Trains from London KX involve at least one change. The 10.22 would get you to Lincoln, via a change at Peterborough, at 13.22, with a similar journey an hour later. There looks to be a particularly good deal if you’re willing to make a very early start and catch the 08.05 from KX. Trains back are slower and some involve a bus journey. Check out www.nationalrail.co.uk or www.thetrainline.com for more details.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults: £18
Over 60/Disabled: £13
U18s/18-21 with student card: £7

The club runs an ‘early bird’ ticket purchase arrangement, giving a £2 reduction on adult tickets and £1 on other tickets: see the Lincoln City website for details.

Away supporters are housed in the Stacey West Stand.

LAST TIME OUT

Woking 3 Lincoln City 1
6 September 2014

The Cards stretched their unbeaten start to the season to seven games with this excellent win over the Imps.

In a dominant first-half display the Cards took the lead on 15 minutes when Scott Rendell won a flick-on, tore down the right flank and crossed towards Giuseppe Sole. Dean Morgan gave Gez a shout, with Dean then finishing superbly from the edge of the area.

Scott had an effort disallowed on the half-hour mark for offside but the Cards doubled their lead just before the break with a magnificent 25 yard free-kick from Josh Payne.

The Imps came out fighting after the break and grabbed a goal back in the 65th minute after the ball pinged around the box following a corner, with Jordan Burrow eventually poking the ball home off Aaron Howe.

An Imps’ come-back was thwarted nine minutes later when, playing on the break, Scott Rendell’s fierce shot was parried into Dean Morgan’s path for the striker’s second goal of the match.

Woking: Aaron Howe, Chris Arthur (Nick Arnold 82’), Joe McNerney, Mark Ricketts (c), James Clarke, Theo Lewis (Mike Cestor 65’), Josh Payne, Joey Jones, Dean Morgan, Giuseppe Sole (John Goddard 56’), Scott Rendell

Unused subs: Andy Little, Reece Beckles

Goals: Morgan 15, 73; Payne 44

Booked: Arthur

Lincoln City: Nick Townsend, Jake Caprice (Sahr Kabba 77’), Sean Newton, Hamza Bencherif, Tony Diagne, Alan Power (C) (Karl Ledsham 73’), Jordan Burrow, Ben Tomlinson, Arnaud Mendy, Jon Nolan, Delano Sam-Yorke (Marcus Marshall 65’)

Unused subs: Paul Farman, Todd Jordan

Goals: Burrow 64

Attendance: 2160

NEXT GAME

The Cards’ next game is a re-arranged fixture at Dartford on Tuesday 3 March. (The Cards Trust is running a coach to this match, leaving at 5pm.) The following Saturday, 7 March, the Cards have a home game at last: what should be a very competitive, and well-attended, contest against in-form Grimsby Town.

Come on, you Cards!

P.S. Don’t forget that the Cards Trust are holding one of their popular Race Nights on Friday 6 March. For more information or to request tickets please email martin.oakley@cardstrust.co.uk / rupert.phillips@cardstrust.co.uk or speak to any Cards Trust Board member.