William Bewsey
12:00pm, Mon 26th Feb 2024
Woking vs Gateshead
Vanarama National League
Tuesday 27th February 2024
19:45 Kick-Off
Woking will take on a Gateshead side who are currently one of the best form sides in the division.
Michael Doyle will be hoping that his side can pick up where they left off at the end of Saturday's game against Wealdstone, where the last ten minutes was the strongest period of the game for the Cards.
With another six-pointer around the corner vs Kidderminster on Saturday, this fixture offers a chance for the Cards to build some momentum ahead of the last ten games, but it will be particularly difficult considering Gateshead's goalscoring prowess and away form.
Around the Ground
Ticket pricing and other details are available
here.
This game is the second of the Two for Tuesday fixtures.
The Club reminds supporters, in light of the forecasted weather, that pointed umbrellas are not permitted in the ground. Smaller, non-pointed umbrellas are.
Opposition Watch
After losing to Halifax in the FA Trophy final following a run which saw relegation threatened Gateshead finish a comfortable 14th, manager Mike Williamson had to replace the likes of forward Adam Campbell who joined Crawley Town, along with midfielders Dan Ward and Owen Bailey, who joined Oldham Athletic and Doncaster Rovers respectfully. Incomings included midfielder Regan Booty from Maidstone, Notts County's penalty shootout hero Archie Mair, whilst former Card Kyran Lofthouse also joined the Heed on loan from Barnsley in October.
After Williamson departed for MK Dons in November, leaving Rob Elliott in charge, the Heed saw a mass exodus of players in January. An injury to star midfielder Ed Francis was followed by recalls for loan players Billy Chadwick, Lofthouse and Mair, with Lofthouse following Williamson to MK along with star forward Stephen Wearne, who is flying in Buckinghamshire.
Wearne, along with Marcus Dinanga, have provided the Heed with the ammunition to go up the table. Of the Heed's 64 goals scored (only Chesterfield and Barnet have scored more), Dinanga has scored 17 in 32 games, including a hat trick on the weekend against Oxford City, whilst Wearne bagged 11 in 23 before moving south.
The Heed currently sit 5th with 56 points from 33 games, winning 16, drawing eight and losing nine of their games thus far. Currently unbeaten in their last seven in league and trophy, with just one draw in that run, a win for Gateshead could see them close the gap on third placed Bromley, who they have two games in hand on with a six point deficit to make up.
Last Time Out
Goals from Jim Kellermann, Padraig Amond and Zak Bradshaw cancelled out Marcus Dinanga's first half opener as the Cards won 3-1 at the Gateshead International Stadium in August. In the 2022/23 season, Woking were victorious twice; again winning 3-1 in the North East in October 2022, before a 2-1 win at the Laithwaite in April courtesy of a Rhys Browne double.
Since 2012, the sides have met 15 times, with Woking victorious on nine occasions, drawing three times and the Heed coming out on top three times.
