MKJ Group

Cards seek cup glory

Brian Caffarey
7:48am, Fri 2nd Dec 2016
Woking v Accrington Stanley
Emirates FA Cup 2nd Round
2pm on Sunday 4 December 2016

The prize money of £27k for the winners of this tie, and of course potentially a much bigger pay-out in the Third Round, is a huge incentive for both teams on Sunday. With reduced admission prices, including FREE entry for U16s, the Club is hoping for a big turnout from Woking fans. Spread the word and bring your family and friends to the Laithwaite Community Stadium to cheer the Cards on to a Third Round tie! But take note that it is a 2pm kick-off.

WOKING

The Cards have reached this stage as follows:

4th Qualifying Round: Torquay United 1 Woking 1
4th Qualifying Round Replay: Woking 2 Torquay United 1
1st Round Proper: Stockport County 2 Woking 4

The Cards haven’t reached the Second Round since 2005-06.

The side’s confidence will have been boosted by Tuesday night’s 2-1 win over Bromley: the Cards’ third win in their last four league games. A weakened side battled hard to gain a hugely important victory, which left the club three points above the relegation places. Gozie Ugwu scored his ninth goal in the last six league and FA Cup games, while Fabio Saraiva scored another ‘piledriver’ from midfield.

Garry Hill will have Joey Jones available after his one-match suspension and may be tempted to start Ismail Yakubu in defence for such an important game. Other players coming into contention may include Dennon Lewis and Nathan Ralph. Frazer Shaw, likely to start at left back, joined Accrington in the summer but left without making an appearance.

ACCRINGTON STANLEY

Accrington’s manager, John Coleman, is now in his second stint at the club which he originally led from the Unibond North league in 1999 to promotion to the Football League in 2006. To cap that, he then achieved a higher place finish each year in League 2, culminating in reaching the play-offs in 2011, where they lost to Stevenage. After brief spells at Rochdale and Sligo Rovers Coleman returned to Accrington in September 2014, leading them to the play-offs again last season, where they were defeated by AFC Wimbledon. Coleman’s achievements are especially remarkable when you consider the low gates the club attracts in comparison with its rivals. Coleman is a great motivator of his sides, commenting recently that, if his team couldn’t win, he nevertheless expected them to be ‘carried out on their shields’. He is also a fan of the FA Cup, crediting Stanley’s FA Cup runs as laying the foundation for full-time football at the club and, ultimately, promotion to the Football League.

This season Stanley started promisingly but have recently hit a poor patch in the league, losing four games in a row and failing to score before, last Saturday, drawing 1-1 at home to Yeovil with an injury-time equaliser. They now sit in 20th place in League 2, with 21 points from 19 games. Away from home in the league, they have won two, drawn three and lost four. Games have tended to be tight, with only seven goals scored and ten conceded. In the FA Cup they had an excellent 2-1 win at Bradford City in the First Round Proper.

Most of Accrington’s squad were recruited in the summer. Notable exceptions, however, are striker Billy Kee, in his second spell at the club, having scored 17 goals last season; midfielder and captain Seamus Conneely, who was with Coleman at Sligo Rovers; Sean McConville, a midfielder who is also in his second spell at the club and who has turned out for a number of League and Conference sides; defender Matty Pearson, formerly with FC Halifax Town; Terry Gornell, a striker in his third spell at the club; and Scott Brown, an experienced midfielder who was with Coleman at Southport.

Among the summer signings were Rommy Boco, an attacking midfielder and Benin international, joining the club for his third stint, who has bags of experience in the League and Conference as well as in India and China. Boco was in the last Accrington side to play at Kingfield over 10 years ago (see below). Other arrivals included keeper Elliot Parish from Colchester United; Martin Hughes, a centre back with over 200 Football League appearances to his credit, most recently with Stevenage; Arron Davies, a former Welsh international midfielder, whose previous clubs include Nottingham Forest and Bolton; defender Omar Beckles, with Aldershot Town last season; midfielder Jordan Clark, who made 26 appearances for Shrewsbury last season; midfielder Bastien Henry, who started his career in the PSG Academy before joining Sheffield Wednesday, Rochdale and Carlisle; defender Callam Jones, a 20 year-old loanee from WBA; Paddy Lacey, a midfielder from Barrow; Luke Wall, a wing back from Blackburn Rovers; and midfielder Steven Hewett, originally with Burnley. Defender Zak Vyner is on loan from Bristol City and midfielder John O’Sullivan is on loan from Blackburn Rovers.

However, Stanley’s best-known player is striker Gary Taylor-Fletcher, signed on non-contract terms in October. Taylor-Fletcher, 35, was at Tranmere Rovers last season and has previously played for Blackpool in the Premiership.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults/Concessions £10
U16s FREE

The gates and Cardinals Bar open at 12 noon. The game will be segregated with Accrington fans allocated the (uncovered) Chris Lane terrace and part of the (seated) Leslie Gosden Stand.

If a replay is needed it is likely to take place on Tuesday 13 December.

EMIRATES FA CUP

If Woking make it through to the Third Round, all Cards fans will be glued to BT Sport or BBC2 on Monday when, at about 7.10pm, the draw will be made. Ties will be played on the first weekend (5th-8th) in January.

MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

Don’t forget that Sunday’s matchday programme will contain a voucher giving priority for the purchase of tickets if the Cards make it through to the Third Round.

LAST TIME WE MET

Woking 0 Accrington Stanley 1
Nationwide Conference
15 April 2006

This win assured Accrington of the Conference championship and promotion to the Football League. In the away fixture, in September 2005, Stanley had also come out on top, winning 2-1.

The only goal of the game was scored eight minutes before the break by legendary Accrington striker Paul Mullin. The Cards passed up an opportunity to level the scores in the second half when the Accrington keeper saved Justin Richards’s spot kick – and then saved again when the kick was ordered to be re-taken.

The Cards went on to lose to Grays Athletic in the FA Trophy Final at West Ham.

Woking: Jalal, Jackson, Nethercott, Hutchinson, MacDonald, Oyedele, Smith (Buari 80), Murray, McAllister, Ferguson, Richards.
Subs Not Used: El-Salahi, Blackman, Liam Cockerill, Davies.

Accrington Stanley: Elliot, Cavanagh, Welch, Edwards, Richardson, Todd, Williams, Boyd (Jagielka 76), Roberts, Mullin, Boco (Mangan 68).
Subs Not Used: Alcock, Brown, Ventre.

Goals: Mullin 38.

Attendance: 2,665

COMING UP

On Saturday 10 December 2016 the Cards travel to Ebbsfleet United in the FA Trophy. They are then at home to Guiseley on Saturday 17 December.

Come on, you Cards!



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