Cards on road to Cambridge

Cambridge United v Woking
3pm on Saturday 9 March 2013

The Cards have one of their shorter journeys on Saturday when they travel to the Abbey Stadium to take on the U’s for what should be an attractive game between two sides who like to play attacking football. Garry would no doubt dearly like to grab three more points to achieve that initial 50-point target.

WOKING

Despite drawing at home to Lincoln City last weekend and losing to Mansfield Town on Wednesday evening the Cards still sit comfortably in 10th place in the table with 48 points.

New loan signing Adam Francis made his debut as a substitute striker on Wednesday but, in the continued absence of Billy Knott and Lee Sawyer, Garry had few options to freshen things up or rest tired legs. Lee’s four-match suspension is now served but whether Garry will consider him for selection must be open to question.

CAMBRIDGE UNITED

The U’s sit in 12th place in the table with 46 points from 36 games, having played two more matches than Woking. At home they’ve won seven league games, drawn four and lost seven, scoring 27 goals and conceding 26.

Top scorer Michael Gash has recently left for Kidderminster Harriers but the U’s have gained in exchange Nathan Blissett on loan, who proved quite a handful when the Harriers came to Kingfield in November, scoring both their goals. He was on target again after only 17 seconds on Tuesday night in Cambridge’s 2-1 defeat at Southport. In their last home game the U’s drew 0-0 with Forest Green Rovers but, prior to that, suffered defeats at the hands of Hereford and Alfreton.

Recent signings include former Card Joe Anderson, who has joined from Billericay; striker Jamie Reed on loan from York City; and Finnish international keeper, 19 year-old Jesse Joronen, on loan from Fulham. The squad also includes former Welling forward Andy Pugh.

GETTING THERE

The R Costings Abbey Stadium
Newmarket Road
Cambridge
CB5 8LN

Official website: www.cambridge-united.co.uk

By coach
The Cards Trust coach leaves Kingfield at 11.00am. The cost is £15 for members and £20 for non-members. Phone the Club Shop or email shop@wokingfc.co.uk to book your place.

By car
Take the M11 to Junction 14 and then join the A14 towards Newmarket. Turn off onto the B1047 sign-posted for Cambridge Airport. At the top of the slip road turn right towards Fen Ditton. Go through Fen Ditton until you reach a T Junction, where at the traffic lights you turn right into Newmarket Road. Go straight across the roundabout (McDonalds on one corner) and you will come to the Abbey Stadium on your left-hand side.

By train
Trains run from KX and Liverpool Street. Generally, the former are quicker but not always so. Check www.nationalrail.co.uk or www.thetrainline.com for times and prices.
It’s about a 25/30-minute walk to the ground or you can take a bus or taxi from the station. If you’re walking, head away from the station along Station Road. Take first right (Tenison Road). Take first right again (Devonshire Road) and follow round to the left up to next T-junction. Turn right again onto Mill Road. Walk over railway bridge. Take third left (Sedgewick Street). Follow past set of traffic-calming barriers and shops (in Cromwell Road) to T-junction (Coldham’s Lane). Go into large field ahead of you and follow path under bridge to away turnstiles.

The C3 Citibus runs from the station every 10 minutes through the city centre to a stop (Ditton Walk) a few yards from the ground.

LAST TIME OUT

Woking 2 Cambridge United 1
9 October 2012

A hard-fought, high-quality game saw the Cards just edge home after surviving some heavy pressure from the U’s. Bradley Bubb’s header in the 19th minute, from a clever cross by ‘man of the match’ Kevin Betsy, gave Woking a first-half lead, to which Betsy himself added in the 59th minute with a superbly-worked goal. But Cambridge almost immediately pulled a goal back through Robbie Willmott’s header from a corner and the Cards had to defend stoutly to hang onto three valuable points.

The game was also notable for Billy Knott’s debut, which was unfortunately cut short by an injury which resulted in his temporary return to his parent club, Sunderland.

Woking: Sam Beasant, Mark Ricketts, Mike Cestor, Brett Johnson, Joe McNerney, Jack Parkinson, Lee Sawyer, Billy Knott (Dean Sinclair 69), Kevin Betsy, Gavin McCallum (Adam Doyle 88), Bradley Bubb (Brett Williams 76)

Unused subs: Loick Pires, Andy Little

Booked: Mike Cestor, Lee Sawyer, Joe McNerney

Cambridge United: Jonathan Hedge, Josh Coulson, Tom Shaw (Ricky Wellard 58), Michael Gash, Tom Elliott (Andy Pugh 60), Rory McAuley, Rossi Jarvis (Adriano Moke 53), Luke Berry, Jonathan Thorpe, Robbie Willmott, Daniel Andrew

Unused subs: Michael Wylde, Craig Ross

Attendance: 1420

NEXT GAME

The Cards make the long journey to Macclesfield on Tuesday evening. They are then at home to AFC Telford on Saturday 16 March.

Come on, you Cards!