Cards and Shots go head to head

Aldershot Town v Woking
3pm on Saturday 26 December 2015

The Cards and the Shots do battle on Boxing Day in the first ‘leg’ of their Christmas/New Year ‘double header’. Garry Hill’s side, coming off the back of four wins in their last five games, including an outstanding 5-1 win at Gateshead last Saturday, will be hoping for some rare success at the Rec against a Shots side whose victory over Guiseley last weekend ended a run of seven straight defeats. Switch off the TV and get down to the Rec to cheer on the Cards!

WOKING

The Cards’ triumph at Gateshead provided irrefutable evidence that Garry Hill’s side have truly recovered from their own dreadful run from mid-September to late November which saw them win only once in eleven games, including suffering a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Maidenhead Town in the FA Cup. The tide turned at Chester on 21 November and since then, in spite of a narrow defeat at Barrow, the Cards have notched up impressive victories over Tranmere Rovers and Lincoln City at home, and Boreham Wood and Gateshead away.

Garry has been able, at last, to send out a settled side in recent games and it would be no surprise if, barring any new injuries, he sticks to the same line-up in this match, although with three games in a week you’d expect Keiran Murtagh in particular to get some more game time following his return from an operation. Cards fans will be fervently hoping that in-form Dan Holman, who had a successful loan spell with the Shots last season, will have recovered from the knock he received at the International Stadium.

ALDERSHOT TOWN

Barry Smith, formerly manager of Alloa Athletic and Dundee FC, took over the reins at Aldershot in late April. A few players remain from last season, including defenders Sam Hatton and Joe Oastler, midfielder Damon Lathrope and keeper Phil Smith, but Smith made a number of signings in the summer, concentrating mainly on young players who were keen to have the opportunity to play regularly at this level. Several had already been on loan at the EBB Stadium, including defender Tom Richards, formerly with Fulham; defender Sean McGinty from Rochdale but who numbers Charlton Athletic, Manchester United and Sheffield United among his former clubs; and midfielder Jim Stevenson, previously with Luton Town. Other additions included Charlie Walker, a striker from Luton Town; ex-Card Luke Oliver, previously with Forest Green Rovers, Bradford City and Stevenage; Jack Saville, a defender who was with Barnet; Omar Beckles, a defender formerly with Millwall and St Albans City; Dan Walker, a striker previously with Braintree Town; and Jake Gallagher, a midfielder with Welling United. Also signed were two experienced strikers in Matthew Barnes-Homer and Richard Brodie but the former has returned to one of his many former clubs, Kidderminster Harriers, on loan.

Two recent ‘on loan’ additions are 19 year-old winger Marcus Harness from Burton Albion and 21 year-old striker Daniel Carr from Cambridge United.

The Shots had a slow start to the season, not picking up a win till their fifth match but their recent poor run began in November with defeats in the league against Lincoln, Wrexham and Cheltenham at home and Kidderminster away and continued into December, with a 5-2 defeat at Dover, followed by defeat at Eastleigh in the FA Trophy. They currently lie in 16th place with 31 points from 25 games, six points and six places below the Cards. The Shots’ home form has been their Achilles heel, with only four wins in thirteen outings

GETTING THERE

Aldershot Town Football Club
EBB Stadium
High Street
Aldershot
Hants
GU11 1TW

Official site: www.theshots.co.uk

By coach

The Cards Trust coach leaves the Laithwaite Community Stadium at 1pm.

By car

Head for Aldershot town centre. The ground is just by the railway bridge. Parking is available in the town centre ‘pay and display’ car parks, about a five-minute walk from the ground.

By train

There are no trains running on Boxing Day between Woking and Aldershot.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adult – Seating - £19; Standing - £17
Concession (Over 65, Military personnel ID required, Student 16-21 ID required) – Seating - £15; Standing - £13
Junior (11-U16) – Seating - £7; Standing - £5
Under 11’s – FREE (with paying adult – max 2 per adult)

Disabled same as above, with carer free in both sections.
Students can obtain a concession rate on production of an NUS card.

LAST TIME OUT

Woking 1 Aldershot Town 2
28 December 2014

The Shots gained their revenge for the Cards’ early season victory at the Rec with this victory a year ago. Woking went into this game on the back of a commendable 2-2 draw at Eastleigh on Boxing Day, although their recent form had been generally poor, whilst the Shots had suffered their fourth defeat in a row, against Barnet. But Garry Hill’s side were lacklustre, barely offering any threat to the Shots’ goal till the final ten minutes or so, when Jack Marriott pulled a goal back.

Woking got off to the worst possible start, conceding a goal as early as the 7th minute. Andre McCollin clipped the ball in with the outside of his boot with no great pace. However, Ross Worner, playing his last game of his second loan spell, seemed to be distracted by an attempted header and the ball trickled into the far corner.

Aldershot doubled their lead in the 28th minute. A cross came in which, perhaps, Worner should have come for. Brett Williams headed it goalwards. Worner got his hand to it but could only tip it onto the bar, presenting Williams with a simple tap-in.

Jack Marriott’s goal in the 88th minute came when he deflected the ball past Dan Thomas after Josh Payne’s cross had looped off a defender.

Woking: Ross Worner, James Clarke, Joe McNerney, Joey Jones (Adam Newton 26), Chris Arthur, Jack Marriott, Keiran Murtagh, Josh Payne, John Goddard (Kevin Betsy 46), Giuseppe Sole (Scott Rendell 70), Dean Morgan

Unused subs: Jake Cole, Theo Lewis

Goal: Jack Marriott 88

Aldershot Town: Dan Thomas, Joe Oastler, Chris Barker, Sam Hatton, Brett Williams, Jaydon Gibbs, Jordan Roberts, Kieran Forbes, Andre McCollin (Dan Fitchett 80), Manny Oyeleke, Dan Holman

Unused subs: Anthony Tonkin, Tristan Plummer, Naby Diallo, Tom Derry

Goals: Andre McCollin 7, Brett Williams 28

Attendance: 3556 (746 away fans)

NEXT GAME

The Cards are at home to Boreham Wood at 3pm on Monday 28 December, and then entertain the Shots in the ‘return leg’ of the Christmas/New Year ‘double’ at 3pm on Monday 2 January 2016.


Come on, you Cards!