Oxford tomorrow - pitch permitting!

Oxford United v Woking
FA Trophy 2nd Round
7.45pm on Tuesday 12 January 2010

It sounds as if there is at least an outside chance of Tuesday evening’s game being on. A further pitch inspection is due to take place at 1pm tomorrow. Oxford United’s Manager, Chris Wilder, will be focused on gaining automatic promotion to the League – a task looking harder by the week as Stevenage Borough pile on the pressure – so it might have been expected that he would play a ‘second string’ side for this encounter. But the weather has prevented any first team games for a month, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a strong Oxford side fielded for this Trophy tie. With £6,000 at stake for the winners of the tie, it would be nice, though, if the U’s decided to accord this game a low priority! The winners will be away to either Chelmsford City or Crawley Town in the next round, due to be played on 30 January.

WOKING

The Cards have a good record at the Kassam Stadium, having forced three 0-0 draws on their visits there, and won’t lack confidence this time round, given their fine away record this season. But they will be missing two players who’ve made quite an impact in recent games: their two Crystal Palace loanees, Matthew Wright (Trophy-tied anyway) and Nathaniel Pinney, who’ve returned to Selhurst
Park at least temporarily. Tom Hutchinson and Jamie Hand are also suspended. Woking fans can expect to see new signing Jamie Slabber, who had a brief spell with Oxford, leading the forward line, with Moses Ademola in support, and with Luke Medley and perhaps Delano Sam-Yorke on the bench.

In previous rounds Woking defeated St Albans City 6-0 and Forest Green Rovers 1-0, both at Kingfield.

OXFORD UNITED

Needless to say, Chris Wilder has assembled a very strong squad for this season’s onslaught on the BSP title and has recently been strengthening it with the signing of left-back Anthony Tonkin from Cambridge United. Up front, Jamie Constable has amassed 18 goals already this season. Wilder can also call on Franny Green, who’s just transferred permanently from Kettering following his loan deal, ex-Histon striker Jack Midson, Matt Green and Jamie Cook (with Crawley last season). But former York striker, Onome Sodje, has returned to Barnsley. In midfield the U’s can look to the likes of Dannie Bulman (ex-Stevenage), the highly-experienced Adam Murray, Simon Clist (ex-FGR) and Alfie Potter (best known for his FA Cup goal for Havant and Waterlooville at Liverpool). In defence the powerful ex-Kidderminster Harrier Mark Creighton will prove a considerable obstacle to Jamie Slabber.

In the previous round the U’s defeated Hayes and Yeading 1-0 at the Kassam Stadium.

Previous encounters
2006-07: Oxford United 0 Woking 0
Woking 1 Oxford United 0 (Smith)
2007-08: Oxford United 0 Woking 0
Woking 1 Oxford United 2 (Sole pen)
2008-09: Oxford United 0 Woking 0
Woking 0 Oxford United 2

Recent form
28 Nov FAC Oxford United 1 Barrow 1
1 Dec BSP Crawley Town 1 Oxford United 2
5 Dec BSP Oxford United 4 Ebbsfleet United 2
8 Dec FACR Barrow 3 Oxford United 1
12 Dec FAT Oxford United 1 Hayes and Y 0

GETTING THERE

Oxford United FC
Grenoble Road
Oxford
OX4 4XP

Tel: 01865 337500
Tickets: 01865 337533
Fax: 01865 337555
Website: www.oufc.premiumtv.co.uk

By coach
Leaves 5pm; £12 members; £17 non-members; phone 01483 772470 or email shop@wokingfc.co.uk

By car
Take the M25 and M40; the Stadium is just outside the ring road on the south of the city, and clearly signposted on all major routes into Oxford. There is plenty of parking at the ground.

By train
Getting there, the best route is probably to get the 17.16 from Woking, arriving at Basingstoke at 17.35 and then changing onto the 17.47, arriving at Oxford at 18.34. Returning is trickier. The 22.34 from Oxford gets you to Reading at 22.58, from where you can get the 23.12 to Virginia Water, arriving at 23.49 and then catching (if you’re lucky!) the 23.54 train to Woking, arriving at 00.18. A possible alternative for the return journey is to go via London. There are trains at 22.11 and 22.34 to London, arriving at Paddington at 23.27 and 23.38 respectively. Then scoot down the Bakerloo Line to Waterloo to catch the 00.05 or 00.09 to Woking or, at worst, the 01.05. Respective arrival times are 00.35, 00.57 and 01.35. All this assumes, of course, that train services are running properly!

Oxford station is a LONG way from the ground. A taxi looks the only sensible option on the way back. But, going there, you could take the number 5 bus (Stop R2) from the station to Knights Road in Blackbird Leys, which is about 5 minutes’ walk from the ground. Buses take about 25 minutes and run frequently.

ADMISSION PRICES

Ticket prices on the day are:

Adults: £14
Students: £12
Over 65s: £7
Under 16s: £5.

An under-16 accompanied by a full-paying adult or senior citizen can get in for £1. Children under 7 can get in for free when accompanied by a full-paying adult or senior citizen.

Tickets bought for Saturday’s postponed game are valid for Tuesday night. Those Woking fans who bought tickets from Kingfield but cannot attend the postponed game will be eligible for a refund – they should apply to Woking FC.

Come on, you Cards!