WOKING v OXFORD UNITED
3pm on Monday 13 April 2009
This should be a cracker! The play-off chasing U?s can be expected to bring a large following to Kingfield tomorrow as they take on a Woking side which should be full of confidence after a morale-boosting win at Forest Green Rovers yesterday. The Cards? need for three points is equally as pressing as their visitors?, with two more wins out of the remaining three games still needed to make escape probable rather than just a tantalising possibility. (Note for Oxford fans: if you?re travelling down by train to Woking from Waterloo, allow longer for your journey because of engineering works.)
WOKING
Graham Baker will have Colin Miles back from suspension and, in spite of Dan Sintim?s performance winning him the NLP?s ?Player of the Match? award yesterday, he may be tempted to go with Colin?s greater experience and also to give the 18 year-old a rest after a couple of tough matches. Unfortunately, Alex Rhodes will not be available, having limped off with a recurrence of his hamstring injury not long after his super strike. If Graham decides to go for a 4-4-2 formation, we could see a start for Liam Marum or Manny Williams up front alongside Wilfried Domoraud.
Woking?s win took them out of the relegation places but they are still in a perilous position, especially with Grays picking up another win. York City may be trailing the Cards by two points but they have two games in hand, and two of their remaining fixtures are against Lewes and Weymouth. On Monday, though, they face a tough trip to Barrow. It?s hard to know from the Cards? point of view what the best result would be ? perhaps even a draw. Meanwhile Grays Athletic travel to Eastbourne Borough. But, while Woking fans can pore over fixture lists, the team must just concentrate on getting three points to give themselves the best possible chance of survival.
OXFORD UNITED
The U?s, at one stage languishing dangerously near the bottom of the table, have been transformed by the arrival of Chris Wilder, the former Halifax manager, who of course led the Shaymen to the play-offs after rescuing them from relegation. In James Constable ? currently the subject of a wrangle between Oxford and Shrewsbury Town, from whom he joined Oxford on season-long loan ? they have one of the leading strikers in the BSP. The battle with Paul Lorraine will be worth the admission money on its own! The pacy Yemi Odubade is a familiar threat and in Adam Murray the U?s have one of the best midfielders in the league. Billy Turley is a highly experienced keeper, who was Rushden?s custodian when they won the Conference title.
The U?s gave their play-off chances an enormous boost with an injury-time winner yesterday from Constable over Wrexham after the Red Dragons? keeper had been sent off. They now lie in 7th place, three points off the play-off places, but have played more games than the clubs around them so, like Woking, will be desperate to make every game count.
PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS
08-09: Oxford United 0-0 Woking (see below)
07-08: Oxford United 0-0 Woking
Woking 1-2 Oxford United
06-07: Oxford United 0-0 Woking
Woking 1-0 Oxford United
REVERSE FIXTURE
Oxford United 0 Woking 0
25 August 2008
Woking picked up their first point of the 2008/09 season away at the Kassam Stadium on August Bank Holiday Monday. Kim Grant was pleased with earning a draw against the Yellows and was delighted with his team?s work rate. In the first half, two free-kicks ? one for each team ? came closest to breaking the deadlock, with Giuseppe Sole forcing a good save out of Oxford keeper Jake Cole and the home side?s Chris Carruthers seeing his curling effort shave the top of the crossbar. Woking also threatened through a Giuseppe Sole effort that hit the side netting and Delano Sam-Yorke?s shot, which was well dealt with by Cole. Both sides had good chances to grab a goal in the second half, with Woking threatening through El Kohlti?s crosses and Konan?s long throw-ins. Hutchinson went closest when his deflected shot had to be tipped over the bar by the back-pedalling Cole. The game finished in a goalless draw, although Woking went home happy with a much-improved performance.
MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
See the news item to the right for details of Monday?s matchday programme, including an important interview with Club owner, Chris Ingram
Come on, you Cards!
P.S. Don?t forget that the Cards are at home again next Saturday, when Mansfield Town pay their first-ever visit to Kingfield.
