MKJ Group
FCP
7:45pm - TuesdayTue 13th AugustAug 2013
| Att: 995

Braintree Town
Braintree Town
2 - 0

Woking
Woking

Another stiff test for Cards on Tuesday

Brian Caffarey
10:29am, Sun 11th Aug 2013
Braintree Town v Woking
7.45pm on Tuesday 13 August 2013

The Cards travel to Braintree on Tuesday evening for what is likely to be another stiff test. Woking have rarely had much joy there, but Garry will be hoping that the solidity which his side showed at home to Lincoln on Saturday will secure at least a point.

WOKING

The Cards had the better of the game against Lincoln, looking the more accomplished footballing side and creating more chances, though neither keeper was kept busy, but the lack of sufficient penetration up front was plain to see. Gavin McCallum and substitute Joe McNerney, in their very different ways, both worked hard at the spearhead of the attack but neither looked particularly comfortable leading the line. Garry has clearly been trying his utmost to bring in another striker and will no doubt succeed before long. However, there is no need to panic: there is plenty of invention and skill in the Cards’ midfield and goals will surely come.

BRAINTREE TOWN

Alan Devonshire and his team did superbly last season to finish in 9th place, only being prevented by Dartford’s superior goal difference from claiming the title of ‘best part-time side’. In doing so, they defied all predictions that they would suffer from the ‘second season syndrome’, bettering by three places their finish the previous year. As at Woking, the emphasis at the Amlin Stadium this summer has been on retaining the bulk of a successful side. So, we will see Dean Wells in central defence, inspirational skipper Kenny Davis in midfield and dangerous strikers Sean Marks and Dan Holman up front.

An interesting new signing is ex-Card Liam Enver-Marum, joining from Ebbsfleet. The only other completely new faces appear to be 20 year-old midfielder Chez Isaac signed from Boreham Wood and originally a trainee at Watford; 19 year-old defender Newton Carney, signed from Dunstable Town but formerly with Luton; and 20 year-old Scott Griffiths, a defender who captained Brentford’s development squad.

On Saturday the Iron had much the better of the game at Hereford United but were forced to share the points as the Bulls grabbed a late equaliser. Enver-Marum came on as a substitute for Holman.

GETTING THERE

The Amlin Stadium,
Clockhouse Way,
Braintree,
Essex
CM7 3RD

Website: www.braintreetownfc.org.uk

By coach

The Cards Trust coach leaves Kingfield at 5pm. £16 members, £21 non-members. Ring (01483 772470) or email (shop@wokingfc.co.uk) to reserve your place.

By car

Leave the M25 at J27 and head north on the M11. Leave at J8A and head east on the A120 for 16 miles until you reach the Galleys Corner roundabout, recognisable by the large McDonalds logo. Take the first exit towards Braintree College. This is Cressing Road and the ground is hidden behind new flats (called Iron View, as the higher ones get a free view of the ground) on the left-hand side, 0.7 miles from the roundabout. Look out for the Orange Tree pub on the right-hand side and then take the next turning on the left into Clockhouse Way. There is a small road sign pointing the way on the right-hand side of the road.

By train

Trains take about an hour from Stratford (which can be reached via the Jubilee Line from Waterloo). The 17.26 gets in at 18.28 via a change at Chelmsford. The 18.09 arrives at 19.19, as does the 18.21 from Stratford via a change at Witham. On the way back you’d want to leave the ground promptly to get the 22.00, arriving at Stratford at 22.52. The next train after that is at 22.56 and, via a change at Witham, doesn’t reach Stratford till 23.55. Braintree Station is about a 15-minute walk from the ground, although there is a taxi rank outside the station.

LAST TIME OUT

Braintree Town 1 Woking 1
19 March 2013

This was a tough outing for the Cards on a bitterly cold night against an in-form Iron side. Braintree soon had Woking on the back foot but it was the visitors who took the lead against the run of play in the 22nd minute with a superb 25-yard volley from Jayden Stockley. The second half followed a similar pattern, although the Cards had decent chances to seal the game when Kevin Betsy twice set up Bradley Bubb. But as full-time drew near Dan Holman produced a fine strike from the edge of the area to give the home side a well-deserved point.

Woking: Seb Brown, Adam Newton, Joe McNerney, Brett Johnson, Mike Cestor, Mark Ricketts, Jack Parkinson, Kevin Betsy, Billy Knott (George Frith 85) Bradley Bubb, Jayden Stockley

Unused subs: Elvijs Putnins, John Nutter, Adam Francis, Gavin McCallum

Braintree Town: Nathan McDonald, Ryan Peters, Alan Massey, Dean Wells, Sam Habergham, Luke Daley (Jordan Cox 68), Nicky Symons, Kenny Davis, Dan Sparkes, Dan Holman, Sean Marks

Unused Subs: Danny Naisbitt, Ryan Watts, Aaron Wickham, Jake Turner

Attendance: 506

NEXT GAME

The Cards travel to Chester on Saturday 17 August and are then at home to old rivals, newly-promoted Welling United on Saturday 24 August. Make sure you’ve got the date in your diary!


Come on, you Cards!


Cards Slip To Away Defeat

Phil Batts
12:19pm, Wed 14th Aug 2013
Braintree Town 2 Woking 0
Skrill Conference Premier
13th August 2013

After an encouraging home performance in the opening game of the season, Woking came down to earth with a bump against a lively Braintree side. After a fairly even opening fifteen minutes, the visitors quickly found themselves two goals behind courtesy of strikes from the Iron's front men Dan Holman and Sean Marks. It was always going to be an uphill battle after such a disastrous start and, although there was a marked improvement in the second half, particularly following the introduction of substitutes Giuseppe Sole and Anthony McNamee, the Cards never looked likely to get anything out of the game. To compound matters Sole, who looked sharp and lively up front after coming on in the second half, was sent off in the last minute after appearing to kick out at home team captain Kenny Davis.

Woking made one change to the team which drew against Lincoln City the previous Saturday. Captain Mark Ricketts sustained an injury in that game and was replaced by Joe McNerney, who started as the lone striker. In front of Aaron Howe was a back four of Adam Newton, Brett Johnson, Jack Parkinson and John Nutter. The midfield comprised Lee Sawyer, Gavin Williams, Josh Payne, Kevin Betsy and Gavin McCallum with the intention, seemingly, of Betsy and McCallum pushing up in support of McNerney whenever possible. In truth, however, this rarely happened as a result of the efforts of the hardworking home team, who had their opponents on the back foot for large chunks of the game, particularly in the first half. There was a place on the Woking bench for latest recruit, striker Jordan Ivey-Ward, released by MK Dons earlier in the year.

On a pitch which appeared bumpy and slightly over-grassed, the Cards were quickly into their stride and created the first opportunity of the match. An excellent interchange of passes between Sawyer and Betsy down the right-hand side opened up the home defence and the ball was pulled back to McCallum but his shot was hit high over the bar when he might have expected to do better.

Although the home side was having slightly more of the early possession, Woking were holding their own in the initial exchanges and it came as a surprise, therefore, when the Iron took the lead in the seventeenth minute. A corner was played in low from the left and the ball somehow found its way through a tangle of legs to Dan Holman inside the six yard box and he had the simplest of tasks to slot home the opening goal.

The visitors had barely recovered from this setback when they were hit by a second goal just two minutes later. The ball was crossed from the right to Sean Marks, whose first effort rebounded off the bar but the striker had time and space to calmly tap the ball into an empty net. This represented a dreadful start to the game for the Cards, particularly as they would have felt that both goals had been preventable.

For much of the remainder of the half, the visitors were very much on the back foot as the confident home side looked to increase their advantage with some quick and incisive football. It was not all Braintree, however, and as the half wore on good work from Betsy, Sawyer and Payne in midfield occasionally suggested that Woking might yet claw their way back into the game. Indeed, in the final seven minutes of the opening period, two half chances came their way. Firstly, following a mix-up in the home defence, Sawyer played in McNerney with an intelligent pass but the makeshift striker was driven wide and was unable to trouble Nathan McDonald in the home goal. Soon afterwards, it was McNerney again, whose looping header from a Williams free-kick, hit the top of the crossbar before going behind for a goal-kick.

Despite these occasional rays of hope for the away fans, there was no doubt that the home side had been the better of the two teams and were good value for their interval lead.

Half-time: Braintree Town 2 Woking 0

Whatever Garry and Steve said to the players during the half-time interval must have had a positive effect as they came out in determined fashion and took the game to their hosts in an effort to reduce the deficit. Firstly, good work down the left led to a dangerous Nutter cross which the home side cleared with difficulty. Shortly afterwards, intricate skills from Betsy led to a right-wing corner. From this, the ball fell to McCallum but his shot from twelve yards flew narrowly wide.

With a two-goal lead, the home side appeared content to sit back and allow Woking more of the ball than they had previously seen. The second half was thus much more evenly contested, although the visitors were still having difficulty creating any clear-cut chances.

On sixty-four minutes, the Cards made a double substitution, replacing McCallum and McNerney with McNamee and Sole. This seemed to give the team fresh impetus as they proceeded to enjoy their best period of the match.

With fifteen minutes remaining, the visitors were unlucky not to pull a goal back. Sole made good progress through the middle before finding Payne thirty yards out. He cleverly evaded a couple of tackles before unleashing a fine shot from the edge of the area which, agonisingly, hit the inside of the post before being cleared to safety.

As the time ticked by, another sweeping move featuring Betsy and Sole led to McNamee shooting just wide of the left-hand post.

It was not all Cards' pressure, however, with Marks almost converting a slick home move at the near post.

As the match entered stoppage time, the final action centred around an incident which the away team could have well done without. Giuseppe Sole and Kenny Davis tangled just inside the Braintree half and the Woking player was given his marching orders as he appeared to kick out at his opposite number.

There is no doubt that the home side deserved their victory. They had much the better of the first half and, although Woking came into the game more in the second period, they struggled to create sufficient chances to suggest that they could get back on level terms or better.

So, not the greatest of starts to the new season with one point from the opening two games and no goals scored. It is early days, however, and our experienced management duo will not be panicking. They will be hoping, though, that they can unearth a new striker sooner rather than later who can finish off the chances created by a more than able group of midfielders.

Next up, a long away trip on Saturday to Chester FC who are pointless from the opening two matches of the season.


Woking: Aaron Howe, Adam Newton, Brett Johnson, Jack Parkinson, John Nutter (Jordan Ivey-Ward 79), Josh Payne, Lee Sawyer, Gavin Williams, Kevin Betsy, Gavin McCallum (Anthony McNamee 64), Joe McNerney (Giuseppe Sole 64)

Unused subs: Sam Beasant, George Frith

Sent Off: Giuseppe Sole (90)

Cautions: Josh Payne (80), Jack Parkinson (85)


Braintree Town: Nathan McDonald, Ryan Peters, Samuel Habergham, Matthew Paine, Dean Wells, Chez Isaacs (Dan Sparkes 80), Kenny Davis, Luke Daley, Alan Massey, James Mulley, Sean Marks (Liam Enver-Marum 90), Dan Holman

Unused subs: Newman Carney, Nicky Symons, Nikon Hamann,

Goals: Dan Holman (17), Sean Marks (19)

Cautions: Chez Isaacs (75), Kenny Davis (80)

MOTM: Lee Sawyer - 100% commitment to the cause and was involved in most of the team's best moments

Attendance: 995
Braintree Town LINEUP
1Nathan McDonald
2Ryan Peters
3Sam Habergham
19Dean Wells
15Alan Massey
4Chez Isaacs ('80)
5Matt Paine
8Kenny Davis
12Luke Daley
9Sean Marks ('90)
10Dan Holman
BENCH
7Nicky Symons
14Newman Carney
18Liam Enver-Marum ('90)
20Nik Hamann
11Dan Sparkes ('80)
WOKING LINEUP
1Aaron Howe
2Adam Newton
3John Nutter ('79)
5Joe McNerney ('64)
6Brett Johnson
8Jack Parkinson
20Josh Payne
7Lee Sawyer
11Kevin Betsy
9Gavin Williams
29Gavin McCallum ('64)
BENCH
18Sam Beasant
16George Frith
14Anthony McNamee ('64)
10Giuseppe Sole ('64)
15Jordan Ivey-Ward ('79)

Braintree Town 2 - 0 Woking (Garry Hill Interview)

Mark Ricketts Interview

David Holmes
12:56am, Wed 14th Aug 2013
Mark Ricketts Interview

Mark Ricketts:







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