Glen Harrington
11:02pm, Wed 8th Sep 2021
Wrexham vs Woking
Vanarama National League
Saturday 11th September 2021
Woking return to action on Saturday as they travel to Wrexham in the National League. The Cards will be looking to pick up where they left off after a near two-week break from competitive action.
In arguably the best all-round performance of manager Alan Dowson’s three plus years in charge, his side were in scintillating form on August Bank Holiday Monday, as last year’s runners-up Torquay United were dispatched 4-0 away from home – the perfect response to a disappointing 3-2 loss at home to FC Halifax Town 48 hours earlier. Tahvon Campbell and Rohan Ince gave the visitors the perfect start with two goals inside the first 10 minutes, before Campbell and substitute Kane Thompson-Sommers completed the rout in the second-half.
Two impressive cameos from the Birmingham City loanee and the impending return of striker Inih Effiong from illness could leave Dowse with a couple of selection headaches for the trip to Wales. But an improved defensive performance at Plainmoor is likely to mean that the boss sticks with a 5-3-2 formation, with Tom Champion starting alongside Joe McNerney and Moussa Diarra at the heart of defence, with Thomson-Sommers competing with Rohan Ince and the equally impressive Solomon Nwabuokei for a midfield berth.
Opposition Watch
Wrexham’s future on and off the pitch has undoubtedly been the biggest talking point in non-league football over the summer break. A takeover, led by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, was completed in February, and the celebrity duo have wasted little time in revolutionising things at the Racecourse Ground with the Red Dragons, who finished just outside the play-offs in eighth place last season, desperate to end a 13-year stay outside of the Football League.
Managerial duties were handed over to Phil Parkinson in the summer – the former Bradford City, Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland boss who has won multiple Football League promotions and reached a League Cup final in his career. Meanwhile, the club’s summer recruitment drive has been the envy of many, with additions including Paul Mullin, League Two’s top scorer for Cambridge United last season; defender Ben Tozer, part of the League Two title winning Cheltenham Town side; and midfielder James Jones, who was a regular for League One side Lincoln City last season. They’ve also signed former Woking striker Jake Hyde from FC Halifax Town.
Despite the club’s big spending early results have been mixed as Parkinson’s new-look side adjusts to playing together and, no doubt, to the weight of expectation from a huge home support. They have won one and drawn three of their four league matches so far – winning away at Eastleigh (2-0) and picking up a point against Solihull Moors (2-2), Notts County (1-1) and Southend United (2-2).
Recent Meetings
• Woking
0-4 Wrexham – 17th April 2021, National League
• Wrexham
2-0 Woking – 16th February 2021, National League
• Wrexham
3-0 Woking – 18th January 2020, National League
• Woking
1-1 Wrexham – 5th October 2019, National League (Ferdinand)
• Woking
2-2 Wrexham – 17th March 2018, National League (Staunton, Jones)
On the Day
Wrexham’s home ground is the Racecourse Ground. The postcode is LL11 2AH.
This game is all ticket. Tickets are available from the club shop or, if this is not convenient for you, collection can be arranged outside the stadium on the day. There is no option to purchase away tickets online or to buy from a turnstile on the day of the game. For full details, including ticket prices and information on the Cards Trust coach, please
click here.
