WOKING v STEVENAGE BOROUGH
3pm on Saturday 1 November 2008
A big day on Saturday! The visit of ?the team we love to hate? (and secretly rather envy?) plus the launch of the Cardinals Supporters? Society and the new Woking FC shares scheme. So, cast off your FA Cup blues and make your way down to Kingfield. What better tonic could there be than to see us put one over the Boro!
WOKING
Not surprisingly, after the very disappointing display down at Stonebridge Road on Tuesday evening, Phil Gilchrist will be looking to his side to prove themselves against our old foes. It will be interesting, though, to see if he decides to make some changes to the side which started the last two games. Most fans could name a few candidates for the chop.
Lenny Pidgeley seems likely to return in goal in his last home league appearance before his loan spell expires on 16 November.
On the injury front, Goma Lambu is presumably still a doubt and Colin Miles limped off at Ebbsfleet.
STEVENAGE
Graham Westley, who returned to Boro in the summer, succeeding Peter Taylor, oversaw the usual huge turnover in playing staff at Broadhall Way. Arrivals included Ashley Bayes (Crawley), Lee Boylan (Cambridge), Mark Albrighton (Cambridge), Iyseden Christie (Kidderminster), Eddie Anaclet (Oxford), Craig Westcarr (Kettering), David Bridges (Kettering),Gary Mills (Kettering), Anthony Thomas (Barnet), Michael Bostwick (Ebbsfleet) and Andy Drury (Lewes). Westcarr returned to Kettering almost immediately. They joined the likes of top scorer Steve Morison and Mitchell Cole to form the nucleus of a very strong squad, which, not surprisingly, gave rise to the usual Boro pre-season hopes ? often dashed ? of a strong challenge for promotion.
Boro?s start could hardly have been much worse: a 5-0 thrashing away at Wrexham followed by a 3-1 home defeat by Eastbourne Borough. A draw at Weymouth raised hopes, which were then doused again by a thumping 4-0 defeat at Ebbsfleet United. Things have picked up considerably since then, with some good results (3-1 at Barrow, 4-1 at home to Burton Albion and 3-0 at Forest Green Rovers) propelling them up the table. They now sit in 9th place with 24 points from 16 games, eight points behind leaders Kettering Town.
Both teams tend to perform better at each other?s place: Stevenage have an excellent record in the league at Kingfield, so the Cards will need to be good form if their recent poor run is to be halted.
Boro struggled to get past Horsham in the FA Cup but have been awarded with a plum tie away to Leicester City in the First Round. How we could have done with that!
Boro?s recent form
29 Oct Horsham 1 Stevenage Borough 4 (FAC replay)
25 Oct Stevenage Borough 2 Horsham 2 (FAC)
18 Oct Stevenage Borough 2 Salibury City 0
12 Oct Eastbourne Borough 2 Stevenage Borough 0
7 Oct Stevenage Borough 3 Mansfield 2
4 Oct Torquay United 3 Stevenage Borough 0
RECENT ENCOUNTERS
06-07 Stevenage Borough 3-2 Woking
(Murray, Berquez)
Woking 0-1 Stevenage Borough
05-06 Woking 3-2 Stevenage Borough
(Selley, MacDonald, Ferguson)
Stevenage Borough 1-1 Woking
(McAllister)
Last season
Stevenage Borough 1-1 Woking (9 October 2007)
One of the better performances last season. Stevenage struck first after a Daryl McMahon cross fell in the path of Craig Dobson, who guided the ball past Nick Gindre with a strong side-foot into the back of the goal. The Cards hit back after eighteen minutes when Matt Ruby headed a parried save into goal following a shot of his own. A point deserved, and a very good performance by the Cards.
Woking 2-1 Stevenage Borough (22 December 2007) Setanta Shield 4th Round
Only 830 attended Woking?s start of their defence of the former GLS/Conference Cup. Neither team really stepped out of first gear, but it was Woking who wanted to win more, with Stevenage obviously keener to concentrate on their league form. Liam Marum scored the first goal after 50 minutes, collecting the ball on the edge of the penalty area before bursting into the box and unleashing a powerful shot into the back of the goal. A Gez Sole free-kick saw Woking 2-0 up, with Ronnie Henry scoring a consolation goal for Boro in the 90th minute.
Woking 0-2 Stevenage Borough (8 April 2008)
Frank Gray?s last game in charge saw the team playing with no passion, creating no chances and looking all over the place. Stevenage rarely threatened aside from their first goal, with ex-Card Luke Oliver scoring the second.
SATURDAY?S MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
Saturday sees the official launch of the new supporters? society, the Cardinals Supporters? Society, membership of which will enable fans amongst other things, to buy shares in the new Woking FC share scheme. In Saturday?s programme James Aughterson, Finance Director, explains the background to the setting-up of the Cardinals Supporters? Society and answers some ?frequently asked questions? about the new share scheme. Application forms to join the Cardinals Supporters? Society will also be available at the game.
Saturday?s programme also includes:
- trenchant comments by David Taylor and Phil Gilchrist on Tuesday?s cup exit
- Lewis Hulatt?s profile of the leonine Lenny Pidgeley
- Tom Barnardo?s reflections on Woking v Stevenage rivalry
- Russell Higgs and Marc Fleckney on derbies and grudge games
- ?Kingfield Ender? in the ?fanfare? chair
plus all the usual reports and previews, including a report of the FA Youth Cup win over Sutton United (something to cheer us up!), and of course fantastic photos from David Holmes and Lewis Hulatt.
Great value at only ?2.50. Make sure you get your copy!
Come on, you Cards!
