Cards hope for big crowd and three points on Friday

Woking v Macclesfield Town
Vanarama National League
3pm on Friday 14 April 2017

With free entry for kids and reduced admission for everyone else, the Club is hoping for a big crowd on Good Friday to cheer the Cards on to victory against Macclesfield Town. Garry Hill’s side remain one place and one point above the bottom four, so a win would be a huge boost in the fight against relegation. But the Silkmen have a strong away record and still harbour play-off ambitions, so the Cards have a real battle on their hands. Bring family and friends down to the Laithwaite Community Stadium this Friday afternoon!

WOKING

Not many will have fancied the Cards’ chances of gaining even a point at Barrow last weekend but, in the end, it was frustrating not to come away with all three. Barrow were reduced to ten men just before half-time but still managed to come back twice from being behind and, at the death, Woking were controversially denied what would have been the winning goal.

But other clubs at the bottom also had good results, with York City winning away at Chester and Torquay United gaining a point at Aldershot Town. However, Braintree Town lost, slipping into the bottom four, and Solihull Moors are looking in increasing danger after being hammered 9-0 by Tranmere Rovers in their fifth straight defeat.

The Cards are on 45 points, ahead of Braintree on goal difference, with Torquay United one point behind. Above the Cards are York City on goal difference, Solihull Moors on 48 points, and Maidstone United and Sutton United both on 50 points, but with the Stones having one game in hand. Some key fixtures on Good Friday are: Braintree Town v Guiseley, Lincoln City v Torquay United, Solihull Moors v York City, Wrexham v Maidstone United and Sutton United v Gateshead.

MACCLESFIELD TOWN

The Silkmen sit in 9th place in the table with 66 points. Their 3-0 home win over Maidstone United on Tuesday evening kept alive their slender play-off hopes: they are six points off 5th place with a game in hand. Their Achilles heel has been their home record, with only nine wins – only one more than Woking – but, away from home, they have notched up 11 wins, four draws and only five defeats, scoring 31 goals and conceding 23. Last Saturday they lost 4-1 at home to Dagenham and Redbridge, but on Tuesday night Rhys Browne gave them an early lead against the Stones, with the game being made safe late on with a penalty from Danny Whitaker and a strike from Joe Mackreth.

The Silkmen have reached the final of the Buildbase FA Trophy, beating Tranmere Rovers in the semi-final, and will be playing York City at Wembley.

Manager John Askey has a strong nucleus of players from last season, including midfielders Danny Whitaker and Danny Whitehead (the latter having returned on loan from Wigan Athletic), defenders Andy Halls, George Pilkington, David Fitzpatrick and Neill Byrne, and striker Chris Holroyd. New signings in the summer included winger Jack Mackreth, subsequently signed by Bury but who has recently returned on loan; combative midfielder Kingsley James, who was with FC Halifax last season; midfielder Ollie Norburn from Guiseley; left-back Mitch Hancox from Birmingham City, who was on loan to Crawley Town for part of last season; and keeper Craig Ross, a former England C international, who was at Whitehawk last season.

In the January transfer window Askey lost midfielders Paul Lewis and Danny Rowe to Cambridge United and Ipswich Town respectively, but made a number of signings, including keeper Scott Flinders, returning for a second spell from York City; Luke Summerfield, a very experienced midfielder from Grimsby Town; Andy Haworth, a winger from Barrow; defender Callum Evans on loan from Barnsley; and James Thorne, a striker from Nottingham Forest; striker Anthony Dudley, on loan from Bury; and Rhys Browne, a winger on loan from Grimsby Town.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults and Concessions £10
U16s FREE

There will be a marching band before the game and at half-time, and a penalty shoot-out involving the Junior Cards. KC Kat and KC Kitten will also be there handing out free sweets to the kids.

SPECIAL GUEST

Gez Sole is the special guest in the Geoff Chapple Lounge. Contact Elliot Machin to book a place in the Lounge.

LAST TIME OUT

Macclesfield Town 3 Woking 1
Vanarama National League
3 September 2016

Moss Rose is a ground where Woking rarely taste success and this trip followed the usual pattern. Though buoyed by their first win of the season, over Chester, the Cards struggled against a slicker Macclesfield Town side in the swirling rain. The ever-reliable Danny Whitaker gave the home side the lead in the 28th minute, with a sharp finish from Danny Rowe doubling the Silkmen’s lead in the 37th minute.

Dominating the midfield, Macclesfield continued to make chances before and after half-time but the Cards reduced the deficit in the 59th minute when Dennon Lewis shot home from 20 yards.

A fine run from Danny Rowe in added time opened the way for Chris Holroyd to add the Silkmen’s third goal.

Macclesfield Town: Craig Ross, Neill Byrne, George Pilkington, John McCombe, Jack Mackreth, Paul Lewis, Chris Holroyd, Danny Rowe, Ollie Norburn, Mitch Hancox, Danny Whitaker. 

Unused subs: Ritchie Branagan, David Fitzpatrick, Jack Sampson, Dan Cowan, John Roberts. 

Goals: Whitaker 28, Rowe 37, Holroyd 90.

Woking: Michael Poke, Jake Caprice, Joey Jones, Brian Saah, Ismail Yakubu (Charlie Carter 44), Nathan Ralph, Keiran Murtagh ©, Max Kretzschmar (Fabio Saraiva 74), Dennon Lewis, Charlie Penny (Zak Ansah 59), Gozie Ugwu. 

Unused subs: Brandon Hall, Ben Gordon.

Goal: Dennon Lewis 59.

Attendance: 1,221 (50 from Woking)

COMING UP

The Cards travel to Chester on Easter Monday. Book yourself on the Cards Trust coach on Saturday: only £10 for members. The Cards are at home to fellow relegation battlers, York City, on Saturday 22 April in a game which could determine the fate of both clubs. Make sure you’re there for the Cards’ final home game of the season! Woking end the season with a trip to Dagenham and Redbridge on Saturday 29 April (12.15pm kick-off).

Come on, you Cards!