Laithwaite Independent Financial Advisers

Match Preview | Cards looking to respond to York setback in first home league game

Glen Harrington
4:39pm, Fri 12th Aug 2022
Woking vs Dagenham & Redbridge
Vanarama National League
Saturday 13th August 2022


Woking will be looking to get their first points of the new season on the board on Saturday when they host Dagenham & Redbridge at the Laithwaite Community Stadium.

The Cards were poor in their opening game and were comfortably beaten by newly promoted York City at the LNER Community Stadium. Maziar Kouhyar and Michael Duckworth scored either side of half-time for last season’s National League North play-off winners, whilst Darren Sarll’s side struggled to muster a shot in anger, despite starting with Tyreke Johnson and James Daly in support of Padraig Amond in attack. Sarll and his team must now try to avoid Woking’s worst start to a league season since 2010, when the Cards last lost their opening two matches.

Woking will be boosted by a fine recent record against the Daggers, against whom they’ve taken 10 points out of a possible 15 since returning to the National League in 2019, including a win and a draw last season – which came courtesy of a Max Kretzschmar penalty, in a 1-0 home win, and a fine team goal finished by Inih Effiong in a 1-1 draw at the Chigwell Construction Stadium. In fact, Dagenham have lost on their last three visits to the Laithwaite Community Stadium, with their last win coming in August 2016.

Opposition Watch

Dagenham had a strong season last year as they finished in eighth place, their best position for five years, since coming fourth in 2016/17 the year after relegation from the Football League. They also reached the second round of the FA Cup for the first time in six years and the fourth round of the FA Trophy for the first time since 2006 – prior to their nine-year stay in the EFL. They missed out on the final play-off place by just one point to Chesterfield and will be determined to go one better this year.

It is no surprise that manager Daryl McMahon, in his second full season with the club following his appointment in January 2020, has kept faith with the bulk of his squad from last season. This summer he has added defenders Nikola Tavares (Wealdstone) and David Longe-King (Grimsby Town, on loan at Woking last year) and midfielder Omar Mussa (Weymouth), whilst retaining the likes of Paul McCallum and Junior Morias, who both scored in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Gateshead.

The Daggers certainly didn’t have it all their own way against last season’s National League North winners, finding themselves two goals down within 12 minutes, before McCallum pulled one back and Morias snatched a point in second-half stoppage time.

In terms of outgoings this summer, their biggest losses have been defender Will Wright and midfielder Brandon Comley, who have both moved into the Football League with Gillingham and Walsall respectively. Elsewhere, ex-Woking player Joey Jones joined Solihull Moors, Callum Reynolds moved to Bromley, and strikers Darren McQueen and Scott Wilson dropped a level to join Ebbsfleet and Bath City.

In pre-season, Dagenham won two and drew three, including draws with Leyton Orient and West Ham United’s Under-23 side.

Recent Meetings

• Dagenham & Redbridge 1-1 Woking – 22nd February 2022, National League (Effiong)
• Woking 1-0 Dagenham & Redbridge – 5th October 2021, National League (Kretzschmar)
• Dagenham & Redbridge 3-1 Woking – 3rd May 2021, National League (Ashford)
• Woking 2-0 Dagenham & Redbridge – 13th October 2020, National League (Cook, Napa)
• Dagenham & Redbridge 0-2 Woking – 3rd August 2019, National League (Ferdinand, Diarra)

Tickets

When pre-purchased, ticket prices are £20 for Adults, £15 for Concessions, £12 for Next-Gen and £5 for Under 16s. Tickets bought on the gate on the day are charged at an additional £2.

For more information and to book your ticket please click here.

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Woking Football Club Limited
A company incorporated in England and Wales (company number: ‍03329172)
Registered office The Laithwaite Community Stadium, Kingfield, Woking, Surrey, GU22 9AA

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