Cards hope for bumper Sunday crowd

Woking v Ebbsfleet United
Ipm on Sunday 13 January 2013 (NB Date and kick-off time)

All Under 16s are being admitted free to this game, so bring everyone down to Kingfield this Sunday lunchtime for a football treat. The Cards are the great entertainers of the Blue Square Premier, with matches averaging nearly four goals a game – not always in the right net of course! To add to the fun KC Kat will be dishing out sweets at half-time.

WOKING

The Cards go into this game on the back of an exhilarating 3-1 win against Luton Town on New Year’s Day and a not wholly convincing 5-2 midweek win at Merstham in the Surrey Senior Cup. There has been good news in the form of the signing of John Nutter and extended loans for Billy Knott and Jayden Stockley. The fact that Billy chose to stay with the Cards in preference to going on loan to a League club is a coup for Garry Hill.

Brett Williams will still be missing, having had to wait to serve out the last game of his three-match suspension. Cards fans will hope that Lee Sawyer is fit to return from his month-long injury lay-off and that Bradley Bubb’s injury at Merstham was not as serious as it at first appeared.

Both sides will be very anxious to pick up points from this game, given how tight the league table is. Woking currently sit in 16th place, eight points above the Fleet in 22nd place, having played the same number of games. Although Woking have a good home record this season, Ebbsfleet have been something of a bogey side for us over the years.

EBBSFLEET UNITED

Fleet manager Liam Daish saw his two main strikers, Michael West and Calum Willock, head off for Crewe and Dover Athletic respectively in the summer. Former Card Liam Enver-Marum left for Stevenage on a short-term contract but, when things didn’t work out there, was very happy to return to Stonebridge Road. Another significant loss was that of Ricky Shakes.

Daish brought in Moses Ashikodi and Nathan Elder to replace West and Willock. Ashikodi, who, like Elder, has moved a good deal between clubs, scored 11 goals in 16 appearances for the Fleet in a loan spell back in 2010. Other arrivals in the summer included striker Phil Walsh from Dagenham and Redbridge, who can also play in defence, and experienced defender Patrick Ada, who, however, has now left the club. Midfielder Ashley Carew signed for Fleet just before the FA Cup encounter but was ineligible to play then.

Of course the best known Woking connection comes in the form of former Kingfield favourite and Fleet captain, Paul Lorraine. Two more Fleet players who have appeared in Woking shirts are capable midfielder Neil Barrett and young full-back Ryan Blake, who had a brief loan spell with us from Brentford.

Away from home the Fleet have won three, drawn two and lost seven in the league, scoring 17 goals and conceding 28. Over the holiday period they lost 3-1 at Dartford, drew 2-2 in the reverse fixture and, last Saturday, they drew 1-1 at home to Lincoln City.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults £15
Over 65s/Students £10
U16s FREE

The game is not expected to be segregated, so Fleet fans are welcome to use the Cardinals Bar.

MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

Saturday’s 56-page full colour programme is a blockbuster with a New Year interview with Garry Hill and a mid-season review by Peter Holdsworth of progress so far. The programme also includes an opposing view from a Fleet fan, plus all the news from the BSP, match reports, previews, superb action photos and much more. If you can’t get to the game, you can order a copy from the Club Shop on shop@wokingfc.co.uk

LAST TIME OUT

Woking 0 Ebbsfleet United 1
FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round
20 October 2012

This was a bitterly disappointing result for Garry Hill’s side, who were hoping for a decent Cup run to generate some extra income and raise the Club’s profile. Overall, Woking had more of the play but did not create enough chances and those that were created were spurned. The match seemed to be drifting towards a replay when, in the 88th minute, Fleet substitute Moses Ashikodi seized on a rebound in the box and smashed it into the roof of the net. Try as they might, there was no way back for the Cards.

Woking: Aaron Howe, Adam Newton, Mike Cestor, Mark Ricketts, Loick Pires, Jack Parkinson, Bradley Bubb, Kevin Betsy, Lee Sawyer, Brett Johnson (Brett Williams 90), Gavin McCallum

Unused Subs: Adam Doyle, Dean Sinclair, Sam Beasant, George Frith, Louie Meech

Caution: Mike Cestor 38

Ebbsfleet: Preston Edwards, Craig Stone, Patrick Ada, Phil Walsh (Nathan Elder 81), Paul Lorraine, Liam Enver-Marum (Moses Ashikodi 73), Tom Phipp, Joe Howe, Neil Barrett, Liam Bellamy, Lanre Azeez (Ben Greenhaigh 86)

Unused Subs: Lucas Menz, Adam Williams, James Folkes, Sam Akinde

Caution: Joe Howe 7, Liam Bellamy

NEXT GAME

The Cards entertain Farnham Town next Wednesday evening (16 January) in the Surrey Senior Cup. It’s a 7.45pm kick-off and reduced admission prices apply, with U16s again admitted free. The following Tuesday (22 January) the Cards have an enticing clash in prospect when Justin Edinburgh and Jimmy Dack bring high-flying Newport County to Kingfield.

Come on, you Cards!