Cards hope for away joy

Welling United v Woking
3pm on Saturday 18 January 2014

Garry Hill’s side continue their quest for mid-table safety with a trip to old foes Welling United on Saturday. Last season’s Conference South champions started the season strongly but have faded a little, so the Cards will be hoping for some joy at Park View Road. The Wings, however, will be smarting from their midweek home defeat by Hyde United and will be keen to complete a ‘double’ over Woking. So, expect the usual fiercely-contested game between these two clubs.

WOKING

The departures of loanees Jack Marriott, Scott Rendell and Charles Banya may have left the Cards looking depleted up front but a fine, spirited all-round display, with Gez Sole leading the line, produced a much more emphatic victory against Braintree Town than the 1-0 scoreline suggests. But Garry Hill will be well aware that his side will need more than scrambled goals from a central defender if they are to fare as well in the coming weeks, so he will undoubtedly be continuing to do his best to strengthen his strike force.

The Cards, in 17th place in the table, are five points above the relegation places but with a game in hand on several of the clubs around them.

WELLING UNITED

The Wings, last season’s Conference South champions, sit in 14th place in the table, three points above Woking, having played one game more. Jamie Day’s side have hit a sticky patch recently, winning only one of their last seven league games (2-1 at Dartford on Boxing Day). They hit their lowest point of the season on Tuesday night when they were surprisingly beaten 2-0 at home by bottom-of-the-table Hyde, the latter’s first win of the campaign. Welling were beset by injuries, with key striker Ross Lafayette and midfielders Jake Gallagher and player/manager Jamie Day missing, whilst ex-Card Loick Pires was also unavailable, having suffered a leg fracture. Jamie Day described the performance as ‘rubbish’, the worst he’d experienced as Welling’s manager. Hyde played well and thoroughly deserved their victory by all accounts, with the Wings looking weak up front. Skipper Lee Clarke and Kiernan Hughes Mason came off the bench when the Wings were one goal adrift but were unable to change things round.

Jamie Day, like Garry Hill, has experienced a frustrating time so far during the transfer window but hopes to bring in a loanee before Saturday and may well pick himself to start too.

GETTING THERE

Welling United FC
Park View Road
Welling
Kent
DA16 1SY
Website:www.wellingunited.com

By Coach

The Cards Trust coach leaves Kingfield at 12.30pm. Prices are £12 for members and £17 for non-members. Ring (01483 772470) or email the Club Shop (shop@wokingfc.co.uk) to book.

By Car

Leave the M25 at Junction 2. At the roundabout, take the A2 towards Central London. Leave the A2 at the third exit (Danson Interchange, signposted A221 to Bexleyheath and Sidcup). Turn right (second exit) at the roundabout at the end of the slip road, and then turn right (third exit) at the next roundabout. Go under the A2 bridge and up the slope to another roundabout. Take the second exit and follow the road (Danson Road) to the traffic lights at the end. Turn left at the lights onto Park View Road. The ground is on the left. There is no car park, but plenty of street parking is available.

By Train

Nearest station: Welling

From Woking take the train to Waterloo. Then from Waterloo East catch the train to Welling. Direct trains, from Platform A, are at 05 and 35 minutes past the hour and take 28 minutes e.g. the 13.35 arrives at 14.03 and the 14.05 arrives at 14.33. Other trains involve a change at London Bridge – or, alternatively, you could get the tube to London Bridge from Waterloo and start your journey from there. On the way back, direct trains to Waterloo East are at 04 and 34 minutes past the hour, with slower trains (involving a change at London Bridge) leaving at 13 and 43 minutes past the hour. The ground is an easy 15-20 minutes’ walk from the station. Just walk down to the main road (Bellegrove Road/Welling High Street), turn left and keep going till you reach the ground on your right. Buses 89, 486 and B16 pass the ground.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults: £15
Students: £10
Concessions (Over 60/U16): £9
U12: Free with an adult
Seating: £1 – pay at grandstand

LAST TIME OUT

Woking 2 Welling United 4
24 August 2013

A good away win at Chester on the previous Saturday did not prepare Cards fans for this morale-sapping defeat against Jamie Day’s side in the second home game of the season. Garry Hill’s side had only themselves to blame, giving away three goals in a dreadful 15-minute spell midway through the first half. First, Aaron Howe managed to punch the ball into his own net. Four minutes later Doug Bergqvist had acres of space to head home Joe Healy’s cross. Then Brett Johnson dallied and was robbed by Ross Lafayette, who crossed for an easy goal for former Woking trialist and ex-Sutton favourite Harry Beautyman. Johnson pulled a goal back before half-time as he converted a pull-back from Gavin Williams.

Things got worse immediately after the break when Jack Parkinson, playing against his former club, picked up a second harsh yellow card and was sent off. (This was Woking’s third red card in successive games, following those waved at Gez Sole and Josh Payne.) Joe McNerney was thrown up front to partner George Bowerman but, almost inevitably, the returning Loick Pires added a fourth for the Wings on the break. McNerney immediately pulled a goal back to make it 2-4 but plenty of Woking pressure did not produce another goal.

This defeat turned out to be the first of four successive losses.

COMING UP

The Cards are at home to Chester on Tuesday 21 January. Kick-off is at 7.45pm. Woking will be keen to keep as much distance as possible between themselves and Chester, so come along and support the Cards in this important game. Make sure you’ve got a note too of the re-arranged home game against Hereford United: Monday 3 February.


Come on, you Cards!