Cards look to boost away form

Alfreton Town v Woking
3pm on Saturday 9 February 2013

Garry Hill’s side are on a fine run with five wins in their last six league fixtures, although the weather has meant that those games stretch back to the victory over Lincoln City as long ago as 4 December. The Cards have been boosted by the news of the extended loans of Billy Knott and Jayden Stockley and will be keen on Saturday to boost their relatively meagre points haul away from home. Alfreton have already beaten the Cards at Kingfield, though, and will be equally keen to do the double over Garry Hill’s side as they fight to keep clear of the relegation zone.

WOKING

After last Saturday’s hard-fought 2-1 home win over Hyde, which took Woking to 38 points and 11th place in the table with a game to spare on many clubs, Garry Hill’s side had a very comfortable 5-0 victory over Farnham Town on Tuesday evening in the Surrey Senior Cup.

Cards fans will have been absolutely delighted with the news that the hugely-talented Billy Knott’s loan has been extended to 2 March: another terrific coup for Garry. Jayden Stockley too has contributed important goals to the Cards’ cause and will continue to provide Garry with a very useful striking option. Unless the weather plays havoc again, this means that Billy should be available to play in six more league games. By that stage we hope that Garry’s initial target of 50 points will have been reached and, who knows, an outside chance created of making the play-offs.

ALFRETON TOWN

Alfreton are in their second season in the BSP, having finished in 15th place last season after a very difficult start.

Nicky Law’s side currently sit 17th in the table with 34 points from 28 games: four fewer points than Woking and with one game more played. At home they’ve won three, drawn five and lost five, with 18 goals scored and 25 conceded. They’ve gone four league games without a win since beating Dartford 3-2 at home on 5 January.

Alfreton will be missing long-serving Anton Brown while central defender Adam Quinn, whom we’ve seen playing against the Cards for Halifax amongst other clubs, faces a late fitness test. Other familiar names include former Shot, Louie Soares, who was with Hayes and Yeading before being signed by Grimsby but has now gone on loan to the Reds till the end of the season. Recent loan signings are 19 year-old midfielder Steven Hewitt from Burnley and Scott Boden, an experienced striker on loan from Chesterfield.

GETTING THERE

The Impact Arena
North Street
Alfreton
Derbyshire
DE55 7FZ

Official website: www.alfretontownfc.com

By coach
The Cards Trust coach leaves Kingfield at 10.00am. The cost is £17 for members and £22 for non-members. Ring or email the Club Shop (shop@wokingfc.co.uk) to book your place.

By car
From M1: Turn off at junction 28 onto the A38 towards Derby. Follow for two miles then take the slip road onto the B600. Turn right at main road towards the town centre. After half-a-mile, immediately after Catholic Church on left, turn left into North Street. The ground is 150 yards down on the right.

By train
Alfreton Station is about 15 minutes’ walk from the ground. You’d need to take a train from St Pancras International to either Nottingham or Chesterfield and then catch a train to Alfreton. For example, the 11.15 to Nottingham arrives there at 12.59, with a train to Alfreton leaving at 13.15 and arriving at 13.29. Or you could catch the 11.55 to Chesterfield, arriving at 13.46, and then the 13.53 to Alfreton, getting in at 14.03. Look up www.trainline.com or www.nationalrail.co.uk for options and prices.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults: £18
Over 65s & Under 16s: £12

The game will not be segregated but Woking fans are asked to enter the stadium via the away turnstiles at the Alma Street end of the Impact Arena only.

LAST TIME OUT

Woking 1 Alfreton Town 2
17 November 2012

Another frustrating afternoon for the Cards as they failed to turn dominance into points. Lee Sawyer and Bradley Bubb were missing but there were debuts for new loan signings John Nutter and Jayden Stockley.

The Reds took the lead against the run of play: as so often in previous games, it was a set piece that was the Cards’ undoing, the hard-working Paul Clayton heading home Josh Law’s corner.

Brett Williams levelled the score in the 38th minute after Alfreton’s keeper had spilled John Nutter’s free-kick.

The Cards were in the ascendancy again after the break but, having conceded the lead again to another Clayton header after Aaron Howe had parried a long-range shot, they simply couldn’t break down an obdurate Alfreton defence.

Woking: Aaron Howe, Adam Newton, John Nutter, Joe McNerney, Jack Parkinson (Brett Johnson 82), Mark Ricketts, Dean Sinclair, Kevin Betsy, Gavin McCallum (Loick Pires 74), Brett Williams, Jayden Stockley

Unused Subs: Sam Beasant, Adam Doyle, George Frith.
Goal(s): Williams 38

Booked: Betsy 45

Alfreton Town: Jon Stewart, Leigh Franks, Theodore Streete (Adam Quinn 90), Connor Franklin, Ross Killock, Matthew Harriott (Anton Brown 81), Dan Bradley, Daniel Meadows, Paul Clayton, Joshua Law, Nathan Arnold

Unused Subs: Simon Russell, Ben Tomlinson, Ashley Worsfold.
Goal(s): Clayton 26 & 54

Booked: Clayton 45

MOTM: Joe McNerney

Attendance: 1,537

NEXT GAME

The Cards have a very attractive home fixture the following Saturday (16 February) when they play their re-scheduled game against Justin Edinburgh’s and Jimmy Dack’s Newport County, currently lying 4th in the table. (This match replaces the match against Grimsby Town, who are playing in an FA Trophy semi-final. That match will now take place on Tuesday 16 April.)

The Cards also have an interesting Surrey Senior Cup quarter-final tie at in-form Godalming Town on Tuesday 12 February.

Check the website and make sure that you’ve got all Woking’s re-arranged fixtures in your diary!

Come on, you Cards!