Cards look to turn the tables
Brian Caffarey
4:06pm, Thu 25th Feb 2016
Grimsby Town v Woking
FA Trophy Quarter-Final
3pm on Saturday 27 February 2016
The Cards travel to Cleethorpes again on Saturday hoping to reverse the outcome of Tuesday night’s league defeat at the hands of the Mariners. Garry Hill rested several players for that game whom we can expect to see on Saturday, while Grimsby Town, whose priority is cementing their play-off place, may be tempted to rest a few of Tuesday’s line-up.
WOKING
Keeper Jake Cole, top scorer John Goddard, captain Mark Ricketts and target man Joe Quigley were among those who didn’t start on Tuesday. Grimsby’s manager, Paul Hurst, says that he remarked to Garry Hill as the sides left the pitch that he knew Garry would play ‘a completely different team’ on Saturday. While that may be an exaggeration, Cards fans will be surprised if all four of the players mentioned aren’t in the starting line-up this time. But a ‘man of the match’ performance from Godfrey Poku – who has figured very infrequently this season – might just have given Garry an interesting selection dilemma.
Woking’s progress so far has been:
1st Round: Boreham Wood 1 Woking 2
2nd Round: Woking 6 Maidenhead United 1
3rd Round: Woking 1 Oxford City 0
The Cards have won the Trophy three times, in 1994, 1995 and 1997, and were runners-up in 2005.
The other quarter-final ties are:
Nantwich Town v Dover Athletic
FC Halifax Town v Gateshead
Bognor Regis Town v Torquay United
Woking go into this game on the back of poor league form, having failed to register a win in their last six outings. Their last league victory was a superb 3-1 away win at Wrexham: let’s hope that’s the standard they set themselves on Saturday.
GRIMSBY TOWN
The Mariners’ progress so far has been:
1st Round: Grimsby Town 1 Solihull 1
1st Round Replay: Solihull 2 Grimsby Town 3
2nd Round: Grimsby Town 3 Weston-super-Mare 1
3rd Round: Grimsby Town 3 Havant and Waterlooville 0
Grimsby lost on penalties to Wrexham in the 2013 Trophy Final.
The Mariners are now in their sixth season in the non-League’s top tier. They’ve reached the play-offs in the last three seasons, losing out to Newport County and Gateshead in the semi-final play-offs before, last season, losing on penalties to Bristol Rovers in the Final. They currently sit in 3rd place in the table, seven points clear of Tranmere Rovers and Gateshead, and look odds-on to make the play-offs once more. At home in the league they have won eleven, drawn five and lost two, scoring 41 goals and conceding 14.
Not surprisingly, Grimsby have a strong squad. Familiar names include keeper James McKeown, defenders Josh Gowling (ex-Kidderminster) and Toto Nsiala; midfielders Craig Disley and Nathan Arnold; and strikers Padraig Amond, Omar Bogle and Jon-Paul Pittman. Amond has already plundered 24 goals this season in the league, including two on Tuesday night.
Craig Disley, suspended on Tuesday, will be available for this game.
Recent signings are 20 year-old winger Ryan Jennings, on loan from Wigan Athletic; midfielder Anthony Straker, part of the Shots’ Conference-winning side, subsequently with Southend and York City; Evan Horwood, an experienced left back, joining on loan from Northampton Town; Jon Nolan, the former Lincoln City midfielder; and Conor Henderson, signing from Crawley Town after a previous loan spell. Jack Mackreth and Scott Brown both left by mutual consent.
GETTING THERE
Blundell Park
Cleethorpes
Lincolnshire
DN35 7PY
Official website: www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk
By coach
The Cards Trust coach leaves The Laithwaite Community stadium at 8.30am, and costs £20 for members, £30 for non-members, and £10/£15 for under 16s (maximum of two per paying adult). Ring the Club Shop on 01483 772470 or email shop@wokingfc.co.uk to book your place.
By car
Follow the signs for Grimsby on the M180. Continue on this road when it becomes the A180 towards Cleethorpes. This road runs right past the ground, which is next to the McDonalds Drive-thru.
By train
Nearest station: Cleethorpes. All services involve a change at Doncaster. The 09.48 train from London KX would get you there at 12.51. The 10.48 would get you there at 13.49. Trains back are at 17.26, getting you to KX at 20.40, and the 18.26, with an arrival time of 22.53.
The station is just over 1 mile away from the stadium. Walking would take about 20 minutes. On leaving the station turn right down the High Street and follow the signs till you reach the ground on your right. Public transport is available: Stagecoach services 9, 13 and 46 run to the ground.
ADMISSION PRICES
There are reduced admission prices for this match:
Adults: £10
Over 65s & Young Adults (15-18): £5
Juniors (Under 15): £1
Away fans sit in the Osmond Stand in the south side of the ground. Entry to this stand is from Harrington Street.
LAST TIME OUT
Grimsby Town 3 Woking 1
Vanarama National League
23 February 2016
A much-changed Woking side, coming off the back of a poor display in their 2-1 defeat at Bromley, fought hard at Blundell Park but were undone by some poor defending.
Employing a 4-5-1 formation, only Jake Caprice, Matt Robinson and Bruno Andrade retained their places from the game at Hayes Lane. Nick Hamann started in goal for only the second time this season. New loan signing from Ipswich Town, 19 year-old central defender Joe Robinson, was given an immediate start by the manager and he was joined in the defence by Caprice, Joey Jones and Scott Griffiths. Godfrey Poku made a rare start and was accompanied in midfield by Andrade, Matt Robinson, Keiran Murtagh and Alex Smith. Giuseppe Sole was employed as a lone striker.
Garry Hill’s side were immediately aware of the tough task facing them as they conceded from the first attack of the game, with Amond nodding back for Pittman to open the scoring. Sole replied midway through the first half after leaping above his marker to head home a cross from Bruno Andrade.
However, Sole’s efforts were quickly undone by Amond, as two quick-fire finishes at the end of the first half put the Mariners firmly in control of the game. Despite no shortage of effort from the Cards in the second half, Grimsby held on to their two-goal lead to take the three points and enhance their play-off push.
Woking: Nick Hamann, Jake Caprice, Joey Jones (Cameron Norman 80), Keiran Murtagh, Giuseppe Sole (Joe Quigley 76), Godfrey Poku, Matt Robinson, Bruno Andrade (Chris Arthur 67), Alex Smith, Scott Griffiths, Joe Robinson
Unused subs: Jake Cole, John Goddard
Goal: Sole (34)
Grimsby: James McKeown, Richard Tait, Shaun Pearson, Jon Nolan, Josh Gowling, Craig Clay, Andy Monkhouse, Jon-Paul Pittman (Omar Bogle 74), Nathan Arnold, Evan Horwood, Padraig Amond (Ryan Jennings 84)
Unused subs: Gregor Robertson, Aristote Nsiala, Conor Henderson
Goals: Pittman (4), Amond (37), (42)
COMING UP
The Cards are away to Molesey on Tuesday 1 March in the Surrey Senior Cup, subject to there being no replay in the FA Trophy tie, before entertaining Dover Athletic on Saturday 5 March in the Vanarama National League.
Come on, you Cards!
P.S. Make sure you’ve got 7pm on Thursday 10 March firmly in your diary, when a Celebs XI take on a Woking Legends XI. See the news item of 22 February for more details, including some of the great players who are lined up for both sides.