Tough trip for Cards on Saturday

Chelmsford City v Woking
3pm on Saturday 3 October 2009

The Cards face their toughest away trip of the season so far when they visit Chelmsford City on Saturday, one of only two sides to have inflicted defeats on Graham Baker’s side. The Cards will be missing influential midfielder Harry Arter and powerful striker Delano Sam-Yorke, both suspended, and will be hoping that one or two players can return from the treatment room in time. (If you can’t make it to Chelmsford, why not come along to Kingfield and see the reserves take on Welling United?)

WOKING

Today’s news (see previous news item) is of course that last season’s top scorer, Wilfried Domoraud, has re-joined the Club. Since turning down the terms offered in the summer Wilfried has had trials at various clubs but no-one has come in to buy out his registration. Graham tells me that Wilfried is returning in a very positive frame of mind. His strength and ability to hold the ball up front could be very useful, especially if he could also rediscover the goalscoring form which deserted him in the latter part of the season.

On the injury front, Graham relayed the following earlier this afternoon: Aswad Thomas is fit and will probably play; Jamie Hand is fit and available for selection against his former club; Nicky Nicolau is still recovering from aggravating a hamstring injury and won’t figure on Saturday; Tony Sinclair is still suffering from bad bruising and pain – although another check has confirmed that he hasn’t broken anything – and probably won’t play; Moses Ademola will be out for several weeks following his injury at Hythe; Jon Boardman trained today but presumably won’t be in the reckoning yet; and Billy Hussey is still on the mend.

Graham confirmed that Ola Sogbanmu will travel with the party on Saturday, but Graham will want to bear in mind that the youth side are playing Molesey on Monday in the FA Youth Cup. A place on the bench at most seems likely.

Graham says Chelmsford have made a couple of changes since we last played them but are essentially much the same as the side that beat us 2-1 at home in our first home game. He expects it to be a tough match but seems confident in our ability to continue our good away form.

Graham mentioned, finally, last night’s 7-2 win by the reserves at Cobham. He welcomed the fact that players like Gavin Miller – a player who, like Joe McNerney, can play up front as well as in defence and who scored four goals in yesterday’s game – are pushing for places in the first team squad and providing competition for the senior players.

CHELMSFORD CITY

The Clarets, one of the bookies’ pre-season favourites for promotion, have had a mediocre start to the season. They currently sit in 11th place, with five wins, one draw and five defeats to date in the league. At home they’ve beaten Bath City, St Albans and Lewes, drawn against Dover Athletic and lost to Bromley. In the Cup last Saturday they beat Enfield 1983 away 5-0.

The Clarets can take comfort, though, from the knowledge that they’ve beaten Graham Baker’s side once already this season. Cards fans would rather reflect on the fact that Woking deserved a draw on the balance of play but displayed some naivete – now banished, we hope – in the second half, which allowed Glenn Pennyfather’s side to walk off with all three points.

The City side certainly looks strong on paper, with the likes of Craig Holloway in goal; the experienced Steve Ward (ex-Canvey) in defence, John Martin (ex-Grays and Stevenage), and captain Dave Rainford (ex-Dagenham) in midfield, and pacy winger Ricky Holmes, Anthony Cook, Antonio Murray (with Histon last season), Rob Edmans and the reliable Danny Hockton providing choices up front. Young central defender Ben Martin, at 6’7�, might even just be able to look down on Fola Onibuje!

Among the changes in personnel in the last month and a half have been the surprising departure of ex-Card Danny Bunce and Jamie Hand’s switch to Kingfield.

TRAVEL DETAILS

See yesterday’s news item for travel details.

RESERVE GAME ON SATURDAY

Woking v Welling United, 3pm
Admission: £4 adults; £2 season ticket holders/concessions/U16s.

Come on, you Cards!