MKJ Group

Cards aim for Trophy success

Brian Caffarey
10:04am, Thu 10th Dec 2015
Boreham Wood v Woking
FA Trophy 1st Round
3pm on Saturday 12 December 2015

Garry Hill has made no secret of his disappointment that, while he and Steve Thompson have met with much success in the league in their rein at Kingfield, a good FA Cup or FA Trophy run has eluded them. With three wins in the last four league games easing worries about slipping into a relegation fight, there is every incentive for the Cards to pull out all the stops to make progress in this year’s Trophy competition. It won’t be easy at Boreham Wood but the tie is certainly winnable if the Cards can approach the form they showed in recent wins over Tranmere Rovers and Lincoln City. Make the trip if you can to cheer on Garry Hill’s side!

WOKING

Last Saturday’s 3-1 win over Lincoln City saw the Cards play what was probably their best football of the season, looking solid at the back, creative in midfield and clinical up front. Everyone contributed strongly, including outstanding performances from Dan Holman, John Goddard, Bruno Andrade and Matt Robinson.

Both Chris Arthur and Keiran Murtagh should be available to challenge for a starting place, and Gez Sole and Godfrey Poku ought to have returned from their loan spells, but it would be no surprise if Garry decided to stick with the same line-up which began the game against Lincoln.

BOREHAM WOOD

The two sides last met in the Trophy in the semi-finals in 2005-06, with Woking progressing but going on to lose to a talented Grays Athletic side in the Final at Upton Park. Since then the Wood have scaled several rungs of the football pyramid to join the Cards in the Vanarama National League.

As predicted by many, Boreham Wood have found life tough following promotion: following Southport’s midweek win at Gateshead they have now slipped into the bottom four, with 22 points from 24 games. At home they have drawn their last three games: goalless draws against Chester and, most recently, Tranmere and a 1-1 draw against Lincoln City. As these results suggest, goals are proving hard to come by but, on the other hand, not many are being conceded either.

With the Wood moving to daytime training, long-serving manager Ian Allinson stepped down in October with assistant manager Luke Garrard taking over as player-manager, although Allinson has since returned as Director of Football.

The Wood’s success last season owed a lot to the goalscoring exploits of Lee Angol, who was on a season-long loan from Luton Town and who joined Peterborough United in the summer. But the Wood managed to secure the services of experienced striker Charlie MacDonald, perhaps surprisingly released by Barnet. Other signings included Danny Woodards, Scott Doe and Luke Howell – all with plenty of League experience. Doe and Howell were team mates of Brian Saah’s at Dagenham and Redbridge. Other additions include ex-Chelsea youngsters, midfielder/striker Billy Clifford and striker Conor Clifford (unrelated). More recently, the Wood signed ex-Barnet defender David Stephens. Ricky Shakes, formerly with Ebbsfleet United but also with plenty of League experience, missed much of Wood’s last season, while midfielder Clovis Kamdjo, often influential for Salisbury City against us, is on loan from Forest Green Rovers. Another talented midfielder, on loan from Barnet, is Mauro Vilhete. Anthony Jeffrey is a pacy wide man.

GETTING THERE

Meadow Park
Broughinge Road
Borehamwood
Hertfordshire
WD6 5AL

Website: www.borehamwoodfootballclub.co.uk

By Coach

The Cards Trust coach leaves the Laithwaite Community Stadium at 12.30pm and costs £13 for members and £18 for non-members, with accompanied U16s at £7/£9 (a maximum of two with one adult). Phone or email (shop@wokingfc.co.uk) the Club Shop today to book your place.

By Car

Head for M25 west bound and exit J23, A1 Southbound to London. Exit slip road to Borehamwood. Join A5135 and go straight over two roundabouts. At third roundabout take second exit into Brook Road. Away supporters’ car parking is in the Brook Road car park. There is also parking in the Civic car park about five minutes’ walk away. The AA gives the journey time from Woking as about an hour.

By Train

Nearest station: Elstree & Borehamwood on the Thameslink line

Take the train to Waterloo and then go by tube to St Pancras International or Kentish Town to pick up the Thameslink train to Elstree and Borehamwood. Direct trains from St Pancras International go from Platform B at 10, 24, 40 and 54 minutes past each hour and take 22/24 minutes.

Walking from the station to the ground takes around 20 minutes. When you come out of the train station, turn right and walk all the way down Borehamwood High Street until you come to McDonalds on your left. Turn left into Brook Road. The car park and the away supporters’ entrance is on the right-hand side in Brook Road.

Trains back are at 08, 23, 38 and 53 minutes past each hour.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults: £16
Over 65s: £12
U16s: £8

The game is expected to be segregated, with away supporters occupying the South Stand, which can be accessed only from the entrance and turnstiles in the Brook Road car park.

If a replay is required, it will take place on Tuesday 15 December with a 7.45pm kick-off.

LAST TIME OUT

Boreham Wood 1 Woking 1
29 August 2015

Most Woking fans will remember this game as the one in which Ismail Yakubu suffered his season-ending cruciate injury – such a blow to Ismail personally and to the club at a point when the Cards had made such a promising start to the season in spite of the similar injury suffered by Scott Rendell in the opening game at Tranmere Rovers. Arguably, Woking’s defensive jitters began that day and have only been allayed by the recent partnership of Joey Jones and Brian Saah.

Things all looked fairly rosy at half-time, with the Cards generally dominating the game and having taken a 1-0 lead in the 40th minute through a superb Kadell Daniel free-kick after Keiran Murtagh had been brought down on the edge of the box. The only real concern at that stage was the sight of Joey Jones limping off to be replaced by Godfrey Poku.

The Cards started the second half looking determined to grab a second goal, going close on several occasions. But the goal didn’t materialise and the Cards’ cause was then weakened by an injury to Mark Ricketts, who, after limping in midfield for twenty minutes or so, was eventually substituted by Bruno Andrade. The Wood sensed that there was a way back into the game and the crucial factor was the appearance of the speedy Junior Morias, who duly equalised in the 83rd minute after a pacy run into the box and smart finish. To make matters worse for the Cards, Ismail Yakubu suffered his serious injury in the process.

In the remaining minutes the home side threatened to grab all three points but the makeshift Woking defence somehow held on.

Boreham Wood: Preston Edwards, Ben Nunn (Junior Morias 76), Danny Woodards, Scott Doe, Callum Reynolds, Ricky Shakes, Luke Howell (Matthew Whichelow 54), Charlie MacDonald (Harry Crawford 54), Graeme Montgomery, Conor Clifford, Billy Clifford

Unused subs: James Russell, Josh Hill

Goal: Junior Morias 83

Woking: Jake Cole, Jake Caprice, Chris Arthur, Mark Ricketts (Bruno Andrade 77), Brian Saah, Ismail Yakubu (Ben Pattie 87), Joey Jones (Godfrey Poku 48), Keiran Murtagh, John Goddard, Kadell Daniel, Dan Holman

Unused subs: Nick Hamann, Giuseppe Sole

Goal: Kadell Daniel 40

Attendance: 601 (258 Woking fans)

COMING UP

The Cards are away to Gateshead next Saturday (19 December) and then away again at Aldershot Town on Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December). Their next home game is against Boreham Wood on Monday 28 December.


Come on, you Cards!

P.S. Don’t forget to come along to the Laithwaite Community Stadium next Wednesday evening (16 December) for the Cards Community Christmas event. Look up the website for full details.

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