Boz's Fruit & Veg

Home pressure on Cards

Brian Caffarey
11:48am, Sun 27th Aug 2017
Woking v Torquay United
Vanarama National League
3pm on Monday 28 August 2017

Both sides will be very keen to get something out of this game after unimpressive starts to the season. Saturday saw the Cards lose their third away game in succession, to Wrexham, while the visitors, who have already sacked their manager and have yet to win, will have been very disappointed to have lost at home to Solihull Moors. A bright note for Anthony Limbrick’s side, however, was the display of second-half substitute, Jason Banton. Come down to the Laithwaite Community Stadium tomorrow afternoon to cheer the Cards on to three vital points!

WOKING

The pressure will be on Anthony Limbrick and his side to grab all three points tomorrow afternoon after another defeat on the road and following the disappointing loss at home to Leyton Orient in the previous outing. As Anthony is clearly aware, Monday’s game will be the first in which, on paper at least, the Cards will be favourites and therefore there will be a greater onus on them to deliver a positive result. As Cards fans will recall only too well, it was the Club’s often poor showing against lower-placed teams last season which underpinned the long struggle against relegation. September’s fixtures look a little easier in theory than August’s, so the emphasis must be on amassing a decent points haul to move the Club away from the danger zone.

Joey Jones was still missing on Saturday, along with Fabio Saraiva. Charlie Carter started in place of Jamie Philpot, with Banton coming on for the last 20 minutes in place of Bobson Bawling. Once again, the Cards looked lightweight as an attacking force, having managed only five goals in six games so far.

TORQUAY UNITED

The recent turmoil, on and off the pitch, at Plainmoor has continued this summer. Having narrowly escaped relegation last season, manager Kevin Nicholson was sacked after only four games of this campaign. To an outside observer, that decision seems extremely harsh, given Nicholson’s record and the very difficult start handed to the Gulls by those opening fixtures. These resulted in a commendable 0-0 draw at home to Tranmere Rovers and unsurprising defeats to Aldershot (3-2 away), Gateshead (3-0) away and Boreham Wood (4-2 at home).

Assistant Manager Robbie Herrera was appointed caretaker manager while Torquay search for a permanent successor. (Today’s Non-League Paper talks of the possibility of Paul Cox, who has just left Barrow, returning.) Herrera’s first game in charge saw a 3-2 defeat at Guiseley. He will have hoped for better things from yesterday’s visit by Solihull Moors. But the Gulls succumbed to a 2-1 defeat, with the visiting keeper scoring the Moors’ second goal direct from a goal kick, the ball bouncing over Torquay’s keeper, Dan Lavercombe.

Nicholson had expressed confidence that his squad would come good and have a successful season. There are undoubtedly some useful players on Torquay’s books – which no doubt added to Nicholson’s frustration over a couple of the performances. They include new keeper, Ryan Clarke, with 400 appearances, including, most recently, with AFC Wimbledon and Eastleigh; experienced defenders Josh Gowling (ex-Kidderminster and Grimsby) and Myles Anderson, plus ex-Manchester United FA Youth Cup winner, Sean McGinty, who had a spell with Aldershot; midfielders Luke Young, Yan Klukowski (ex-Forest Green Rovers, Newport County and York City), Jake Gosling (formerly with Bristol Rovers), Damon Lathrope and James Gray (formerly with Wrexham and Southport); and strikers Jon-Paul Pittman, Jamie Reid (in his third loan spell from Exeter City), Rory Fallon (35-year-old striker with four seasons at Plymouth Argyle), Ruairi Keating and Andy Haworth, who made 50 appearances for Barrow and had a short spell at Macclesfield.

The unfortunate keeper on Saturday, Dan Lavercombe, returned to Plainmoor this week on loan from Wigan Athletic.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults £18
Over 65s £13
Disabled (Including carer) £13
Students (U19) £5
U16s £5

Season ticket holders have the chance to sample the delights of the Geoff Chapple Lounge for only £36. See the website for details.

MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

Don’t forget to grab a copy of ‘Cardinals’. Only £3 for interviews, previews, match reports, Academy updates and great photos. Monday’s edition features an interview with Nathan Ralph.

COMING UP

The Cards travel to Macclesfield Town on Saturday 2 September. The Cards Trust is running a coach, so book your place on Monday. That is followed by a trip to Maidstone United on Saturday 9 September. The next home game is against Solihull Moors on Tuesday 12 September.

Come on, you Cards!


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