Glen Harrington
9:22pm, Fri 3rd Mar 2023
Yeovil Town vs Woking
Vanarama National League
Saturday 4th March 2023
Woking will be striving to strengthen their grip on a play-off place as they travel to Yeovil Town, former club of manager Darren Sarll, for their latest National League fixture.
The Cards endured a mixed February, with two wins, three draws, and two defeats from the run of seven games in three weeks. Stirring performances against Chesterfield, Wrexham, and Bromley, were interspersed by disappointing ones against Eastleigh and Altrincham, whilst Saturday’s draw with Wealdstone was also somewhat underwhelming after the Cards had taken a first-half lead through Marcus Dackers’ well-timed header – ex-Woking midfielder Max Kretzschmar tying it up with a late penalty, his second goal against the Cards this season.
Despite a run of just two wins in eight, following four straight wins either side of the turn of the year, the Cards remain extremely well-placed, third in the league table with 12 games remaining, whilst the poor form of Barnet and Chesterfield has actually seen them strengthen their advantage in the race for a first-round bye and home play-off semi-final – they have a six-point cushion to fourth-place Barnet and a ten-point advantage on eighth-place Boreham Wood, who both have a game in hand.
However, Sarll will be weary that the job is not yet done, and that a trip to Huish Park, a ground on which Woking have lost four times out of four since the teams were reunited in the National League in 2019, is unlikely to be made easier by a minor injury crisis. Luke Wilkinson and James Daly were both forced off against Wealdstone and will be doubtful for this one, whilst Rhys Browne (suspended), Jermaine Anderson, Reece Grego-Cox, Sid Nelson (all injured), remain out. Jake Hessenthaler also sat out the Wealdstone game, but Sarll has previously suggested it’s a minor issue.
Opposition Watch
It’s been a hugely difficult and challenging season for Yeovil, who’s fortunes have gone in the opposite direction to Woking’s since Sarll traded the Glovers for the Cards in March of last year. They are currently 19th in the league table, one point above the bottom four, thanks in part to a recent one-point penalty to Gateshead for fielding an ineligible player. They are also on their second manager of the season, having swapped Chris Hargreaves for Mark Cooper in October.
Despite their struggles, they continue to be hard to beat, with their tally of 11 losses better than sixth-place Eastleigh and tied with fourth-place Barnet. They are particularly strong at home, where they have taken 23 of their 33 points, and lost just four times. Their biggest issue is scoring goals – their total of 28 is comfortably the worst in the league, at least 10 less than all of the teams below them in the table, and six less than the second-lowest scorers, Halifax.
They are currently on a run of six games without a win, drawing three and losing three, including three of the last four. They put an end to their losing streak in mid-week when a late penalty secured a 1-1 draw with Altrincham. Elsewhere this month, they’ve lost at York, Maidenhead, and at home to Notts County, whilst also conceding a stoppage time equaliser to draw 2-2 with lowly Maidstone.
There are several familiar faces in the Yeovil squad – Jordan Maguire-Drew has scored three times since his move from Grimsby, initially on loan, in November. Fellow former Cards include club captain Josh Staunton and midfielder Charlie Cooper, son of manager Mark. Their top scorer is Alex Fisher with five.
Recent Meetings
• Woking
1-0 Yeovil Town – 1st November 2022, National League (Amond)
• Woking
0-1 Yeovil Town – 29th January 2022, National League
• Yeovil Town
3-1 Woking – 18th December 2021, FA Trophy (Campbell)
• Yeovil Town
2-0 Woking – 26th October 2021, National League
• Yeovil Town
2-1 Woking – 13th March 2021, National League (Kretzschmar)
Tickets
Prices are £15 for Adults, £12 Seniors/16-23s/Armed Forces, £5 Under 16s and £2 Under 12s. Woking supporters will be situated in the Screwfix Stand. For more information and to book your ticket please
click here.
