Lovetts

Garry calls for support!

Brian Caffarey
6:59am, Thu 2nd Apr 2015
Woking v Welling United
3pm on Saturday 4 April 2015

With only five games left, every match seems more critical than the last in the chase for the play-off places. Saturday’s game is one the Cards will be desperate to win, playing at home against a side struggling against relegation – but that means that Welling too have a huge incentive to get a result. Garry has urged Woking fans to turn up in numbers on Saturday – and it’s a KIDS FREE day (plus some Easter chocolate!), so bring the whole family down to Kingfield to cheer on the Cards!

WOKING

The Cards’ 3-2 win at Chester – sealed by an amazing strike from Josh Payne – was their sixth in their last seven outings and the fourth successive win away from home. The Cards now sit only one point behind fifth-placed Forest Green Rovers from the same number of games.

Nearly half of the Conference Premier games are taking place on Friday afternoon, so Woking will know how some of their rivals have fared when they take the field on Saturday afternoon. Cards fans will be particularly interested in the outcome of the Forest Green Rovers v Aldershot Town and FC Halifax v Macclesfield Town encounters. For once, Woking fans will be cheering on the Shots! Macclesfield, in fourth place, are now only four points ahead of the Cards from the same number of games, while Halifax are four points behind Woking with a game in hand.

On Tuesday evening Gateshead, Woking’s next opponents at Kingfield, could only draw 1-1 at Dartford and now lie six points behind the Cards from the same number of games, so their chances of making the play-offs now seem very remote.

Manny Oyeleke, signed on loan from Brentford just before the game at Chester, was an unused substitute there. Garry Hill, not surprisingly, has moved in the week to extend Brian Saah’s loan from Dagenham and Redbridge till the end of the season. Saah has performed extremely well in the absence of Joe McNerney, injured at Dartford.

James Clarke, Adam Newton, Aswad Thomas and Mike Cestor were also still on the ‘defenders, injured’ list at Chester.

WELLING UNITED

The Wings seem to have been badly hit by the departure of former manager Jamie Day in early December, joining ambitious neighbours Ebbsfleet United after a five-year spell at Park View Road in which he achieved wonders on a very limited budget. His immediate successor, Jody Brown, lasted only 73 days, being dismissed after the Wings had suffered their seventh defeat in a row. Tough-tackling full back Loui Fazackerley was appointed caretaker manager and results have certainly picked up a little with a draw at Gateshead and a win at Lincoln City but they were then beaten 5-0 at Barnet, with Chris Bush being sent off, and last Saturday lost 2-0 at home to Grimsby Town.

Welling now sit in 22nd place, seven points adrift of Alfreton Town but with a game in hand.

There has been quite a change-over in personnel since Jamie Day’s departure but one face will be very familiar to Woking fans: the Wings have re-signed Ross Lafayette on loan from Luton Town, the striker having only recently had a loan spell at Kingfield. Other recent arrivals include striker Tashan Adeyinka from Maidenhead United; Harry Osbourne, a defender having another loan spell from Charlton Athletic; Anthony Jeffrey, a striker most recently with Boreham Wood but who was formerly with Arsenal and Wycombe Wanderers. The loans of keeper Jonathan Henly (Reading) and defender Sam Berry (Sheffield United) have recently been extended. Two experienced players have recently left the club: Karl Duguid and Darren Purse, both brought in by Jody Brown.

ADMISSION

Adults: £15
Over 65s and Students with a valid NUS card: £10
U16s: FREE

The Cardinals Bar will be open from 12.30pm, with the big match between Arsenal and Liverpool shown on the Big Screen from 12.45pm.

MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

The Club’s stylish matchday programme is the same price as last season (£3) but now has 64 pages, with a soft laminate cover, a high quality ‘finish’ and improved design. Saturday’s edition includes a look at all the relegation and promotion issues and an update on the Academy. If you can’t get to the game, you can pre-order a copy from the Club Shop on shop@wokingfc.co.uk

ONLINE COMMENTARY

If you can’t get to the game BBC Radio Surrey will be providing an online commentary at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/13629210

LAST TIME OUT

Welling United 1 Woking 1
23 August 2014

This was a frustrating afternoon for Cards fans. Woking had gone into this game on the back of an opening day win at Alfreton Town and two somewhat disappointing draws at home to Dartford and Macclesfield Town. Woking proceeded to completely dominate the first half hour but rarely troubled the Wings keeper, with the best chance falling to Theo Lewis, who saw his shot touched onto the post and away.

Just beyond the half-hour mark Harry Beautyman, later signed by Peterborough United, got in behind the left of the Woking defence, beat the on-rushing Aaron Howe and fired home to give the Wings a most unlikely lead.

The goal lifted the Wings and from then on the game was much more evenly balanced. The Cards didn’t look like making a breakthrough till Adam Newton came on in the 70th minute, immediately finding good positions out right. And it was Newton who salvaged a point for Garry Hill’s side, nodding home after Joe McNerney had flicked on.

The prescient match reporter ended his report by saying that he thought that, if only Woking could get an early goal, a resounding win would follow. The Cards beat Dover Athletic 6-1 in their next game!

Woking: Aaron Howe, James Clarke, Mark Ricketts, Joe McNerney, Chris Arthur, Theo Lewis (Adam Newton 70), Josh Payne, Joey Jones (Keiran Murtagh 62), John Goddard (Giuseppe Sole 62), Scott Rendell, Dean Morgan

Unused subs: Jake Cole, Nick Arnold

Booked: Joe McNerney

Welling United: Lee Butcher, Loui Fazakerley, Jamal Fyfield (Barney Williams 46), Jake Gallagher, Zack Fagan, Chris Bush, Harry Beautyman, Kieron St Aimie, Tyrone Marsh (Malachi Hudson 77), Afolabi Obafemi (Jon Nouble 72), Sam Corne

Unused subs: Jamie Turner, Charlie Gorman

Booked: Afolabi Obafemi, Sam Corne

Attendance: 634

COMING UP

The Cards are away at Dover Athletic on Easter Monday afternoon with a 3pm kick-off. Check at the Club Shop on Saturday to see if there are any places left on the coach or email shop@wokingfc.co.uk . On Saturday 11 April Woking play their penultimate home league fixture when Gateshead visit Kingfield.

Come on, you Cards!

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