Cards looking to reach FA Trophy second round

Maidstone United vs Woking
The Buildbase FA Trophy
Tuesday 18th December

It’s credit to how much the club has progressed in recent weeks that manager, players and supporters were left somewhat disappointed as the Cards were held to a draw by National League side Maidstone on Saturday.

Despite the potential distractions of a top of the table league game with Billericay Town, a double header with Dowse’s former club Hampton & Richmond Borough, and of course that FA Cup game with Premier League Watford, all of which are due to take place in the next three weeks, Woking were once again excellent as they stretched their unbeaten run to 10 games in all competitions.

The Stones, hampered by Ollie Muldoon’s first-half red card as well as the absence of cup-tied striker Jake Robinson, looked out of sorts for much of the game and were fortunate to take the lead against the run of play through Sean Shields. The Cards continued to press however and were justly rewarded when Toby Edser scored his second FA Trophy goal of the season to earn his side a replay.

The two teams will now do it all again at the Gallagher Stadium tomorrow evening and we hope as many supporters as possible will make the journey to support the team. The winners of the replay will face either Maidenhead United, another relegation-threatened National League side, or Oxford City in the next round. Their game was abandoned on Saturday with Oxford leading 1-0.

Even with the much-discussed fixture congestion, Dowse is likely to stick with a strong team for the game against Maidstone, as he looks to advance in a third cup competition. On Saturday, he handed debuts to two new loanees in Aaron Eyoma and Noel Leighton as they joined Paul Hodges and Max Kretzschmar in a new-look front four, while Edser partnered Christian Jolley in midfield. There are options in the squad to change this with Greg Luer, Nicky Wheeler and Jake Hyde all available.

For those wishing to travel, the Gallagher Stadium can be found on James Whatman Way with the postcode ME14 1LQ. It’s approximately a one hour and five-minute drive from the Laithwaite Community Stadium. The nearest station is Maidstone East which is less than a 10-minute walk from the ground. Ticket prices are the same as Saturday – £10 for adults, £5 for concessions and £1 for under-16s.