Glen Harrington
10:33am, Fri 17th Feb 2023
Altrincham vs Woking
Vanarama National League
Saturday 18th February 2023
Woking will be aiming to get back to winning ways when they travel to Altrincham on Saturday afternoon in National League action.
For the second time in four days, the Cards came from behind on Tuesday evening, as Rhys Browne’s penalty earnt Darren Sarll’s side a 2-2 draw with title-chasing Wrexham – making Woking the first team to take anything from a trip to the Racecourse Ground so far this season. Padraig Amond had earlier given the visitors the lead, but an Anthony Forde free-kick and a Paul Mullin penalty had put the Red Dragons ahead, before James Daly was felled and Browne dispatched his 10th Woking goal and 17th National League goal of the campaign in total.
The Cards will have been justly delighted with the draw, but will want to get back to winning ways after tasting victory in just one of the last five league games, drawing three and losing one of the other four. Sarll made two changes against Wrexham from the team which drew 2-2 with Boreham Wood last weekend, with Joe McNerney replacing Scott Cuthbert at centre-back, and Kyran Lofthouse coming in for Jake Hessenthaler to make his first start in nine. The boss is likely to rotate again as his side prepare for a fifth outing in 15 days.
Opposition Watch
Altrincham have enjoyed a good season and are on track for their best National League finish since returning to the fifth tier in 2020. After finishing 17th and 14th in the past two seasons, they are currently in 14th place again, with 36 points from 30 games – but with two games in hand on Aldershot, one place and two points better off. Their home record is particularly impressive, with 24 points from 16 games, including seven of their nine league wins.
Despite their productive campaign, they have lost their last four league outings, having been defeated at Chesterfield, and at home to Boreham Wood, Wrexham, and Bromley. They did taste victory last weekend, beating Bracknell Town in the FA Trophy (setting up a quarter-final tie with York City), whilst their last league win came against Maidenhead United in mid-January.
Manager Phil Parkinson has endured a tough start to the year, losing several of his star players to other clubs, including top scorers Chris Conn-Clarke, who’s loan from Fleetwood Town ended at the end of last month, Ryan Colclough, who joined Chesterfield, and Marcus Dinanga, who moved to Gateshead. Highly-rated defender Toby Mullarkey also moved into the Football League with Rochdale. Recent additions to look out for include striker Michael Gyasi, on loan from Chesterfield, and Tyrese Sinclair, a midfielder on loan from Rochdale.
Recent Meetings
• Woking
1-1 Altrincham – 19th November 2022, National League (Amond)
• Altrincham
2-2 Woking – 5th February 2022, National League (Effiong, Lofthouse)
• Woking
3-2 Altrincham – 30th October 2021, National League (Kretzschmar, Effiong, Campbell)
• Woking
1-1 Altrincham – 16th March 2021, National League (Lofthouse)
• Altrincham
1-0 Woking – 2nd March 2021, National League
Tickets
Prices are £19 for Adults, £15 Concessions/Students, £7 Juniors (12-18) and Under 12s £2. For more information and to book your ticket please
click here.
