Laithwaite Independent Financial Advisers
FCP
3:00pm - SaturdaySat 24th AugustAug 2013
The Laithwaite Community Stadium | Att: 1430

Woking
Woking
2 - 4

Welling Utd
Welling United

Wings provide stiff test on Saturday

Brian Caffarey
7:08am, Thu 22nd Aug 2013
Woking v Welling United
3pm on Saturday 24 August 2013

Jamie Day’s confident Welling side can be relied on to give the Cards a very stiff test on Saturday, having made an encouraging start to their life back in the Conference Premier despite some tough opening fixtures. Both sides have picked up a win, a draw and a defeat so far and will know that a couple of decent results over the Bank Holiday weekend would put them in a very promising position in the league table. Come on down to Kingfield for what should be a very competitive and entertaining encounter.

WOKING

Garry will have been relieved and pleased – and perhaps a little surprised – to come away with three points from the trip to Chester. He usually ensures that his side bounces back quickly from a defeat but even he must have thought the odds were against us when we went down to ten men, with Josh Payne’s sending-off before half-time, at the Deva Stadium. To go on and win 2-0 from that position says a lot about the character and determination of the side.

But Garry will no doubt have impressed on his players the importance of greater discipline, following the red card also given to Gez Sole at Braintree. The consequence of both players’ misdemeanours is that neither will be available for this game or the encounter with Aldershot Town at the Rec on Monday afternoon. With a small squad, you really can’t afford to lose players unnecessarily in that way.

Cards fans will no doubt be hoping to see new loan striker, Freddie Ladapo, make his home debut.

WELLING UNITED

Jamie Day’s side have returned to the Conference Premier after a 13-year gap. He has done an amazing job, on a tight budget, in putting together a team that looks more than capable of holding its own at this level. He has continued to pull in young players whom he has coached at youth level and to add some astute signings, of whom midfielder Harry Beautyman, who’s just arrived from Sutton United, is the latest.

Day has kept the nucleus of last season’s Conference South-winning side but has had to bring in two new centre backs, following the departure of Anthony Acheampong to Barnet and the release of Ben Martin. Arriving at Park View Road have been Doug Bergqvist, who joined Exeter City from Aldershot Town in the close season but who then started a season-long loan to the Wings, and Blaine Hudson, on loan from Cambridge United. Another arrival has been Loick Pires, returning to Welling after his unsuccessful spell at Kingfield last season. No doubt he will feel that he has something to prove: let’s hope his former Welling team-mate, Jack Parkinson, ensures he doesn’t succeed!

The main goal threat comes from Ross Lafayette, who notched 22 goals last season, but Day can also call on Kiernan Hughes-Mason, who scored 12 last year, and Kurtis Guthrie, a recruit from Bath City. Other players to look out for include the hugely-experienced skipper Lee Clarke, full back Jack Obersteller, midfielders Alex Dyer and Joe Healy and goal-scoring defender Fraser Franks.

The Wings have made a promising start to the season. By all accounts they were very unlucky not to come away with at least a point from their opening day trip to Wrexham, succumbing 2-1 to a late goal. They shared the points in a thrilling 2-2 draw at home to early pace-setters Cambridge United and then beat fancied Grimsby Town 1-0 at Park View Road.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults £15
Over 65s and students (with valid student card) £10
U16s £3

BOOST THE BUDGET

The Cards Trust will be having a bucket collection at the game in aid of its Boost the Budget initiative, which aims to provide over £30k to Garry’s playing budget this season in return for shares in the Club. Please give as generously as you can. You know that Garry will spend it wisely.

MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

Don’t miss out on the Club’s excellent matchday programme! In a packed edition Chairman Mike Smith marks the historic signing of the new lease for Kingfield. David Horncastle reveals all the hard work that has gone on this summer to produce a beautiful playing surface at Kingfield. Malcolm Wyatt, a one-time Shots fan, ventures down memory lane as we prepare for the derby game at the Rec on Monday. And of course there are all the usual match reports, previews, news and great photos. If you can’t get to the game, you can order a copy from the Club Shop on shop@wokingfc.co.uk

LAST TIME OUT

As if to underline the problems indiscipline can cause, we can look back to last season’s disappointing 1-0 home defeat by the Wings in the FA Trophy. The Cards conceded an early goal from a Jamie Day free-kick and then went down to ten men in the 18th minute when Brett Williams perpetrated a dreadful lunge. Bradley Bubb picked up a second booking early in the second half to reduce the numbers still further. Not surprisingly, Welling held on fairly comfortably to their lead.

In the league the previous season the Cards lost 3-2 at Park View Road in a pulsating encounter which saw Jack Parkinson score twice for the home side – and Loick Pires get booked for leaving the field of play to go to the toilet! Paris Cowan-Hall and Gez Sole scored for Woking. At Kingfield later in the season the Cards effectively ended the Wings’ title challenge with a 2-1 win. Jack Parkinson gave the Wings the lead but it was cancelled out by Tom Davis, with Gez Sole netting the winner straight from the kick-off at the start of the second half.

NEXT UP

The Cards make the short trip to Aldershot Town on Monday afternoon for the eagerly-awaited match against the Shots. The following Saturday (31 August) Woking entertain Gateshead.

Come on, you Cards!

Cards Made To Rue Defensive Errors

Glen Harrington
7:56am, Sun 25th Aug 2013
Woking 2 Welling United 4

Skrill Conference Premier

24th August 2013

Despite dominating long periods of their match against Welling United, a disastrous 15-minute period mid-way through the first half meant that the Cards eventually succumbed to a 4-2 defeat.

After making a bright start, the home side fell behind to a bizarre mistake from goalkeeper Aaron Howe, who somehow contrived to deflect a Harry Beautyman corner into his own net. Defender Doug Bergqvist added the visitors' second with a calm header, while Beautyman, a triallist with Woking earlier this year, took advantage of Brett Johnson’s mistake to slot home a third. Johnson went some way to atoning for his error by pulling a goal back before the half-time break after good work on the left by Gavin Williams, but Jack Parkinson’s controversial red card soon after the re-start had the Cards on the back foot once again. Loick Pires, who had a fairly unsuccessful year at Kingfield last season, returned to haunt his former side as he headed Welling’s fourth from close range and, despite Joe McNerney almost instantly reducing the deficit to two with a header from Anthony McNamee’s well-taken corner, the Wings were simply able to protect their lead for the remainder of the game.

Garry Hill’s side began the match with two changes from the side that won at Chester last Saturday – McNamee replacing the suspended Josh Payne, and new signing George Bowerman relegating fellow striker Freddie Ladapo to the substitutes' bench. McNamee started on the left-hand side of a five-man midfield, with Kevin Betsy on the right and Williams moving into a more central role alongside Lee Sawyer and Mark Ricketts.

Woking began the game well, and could have gone ahead when McNamee’s cross, whipped across the box from the right-hand flank, found its way to Betsy at the back post, only for a combination of goalkeeper and defender to smuggle the ball behind for a corner.

After struggling for possession in the opening exchanges, the visitors found the net after mounting their first serious attack of the game, albeit in fortuitous circumstances. Having initially done well to turn Jake Gallagher’s low drive around the post for a corner, a moment of madness from Howe saw him attempt to punch clear Beautyman’s resulting set piece – despite being under minimal pressure – and only manage to deflect the ball agonisingly back into his own net.

Buoyed by having been gifted a surprise lead, Welling kicked on, and scored a second just four minutes later – Bergqvist, in oceans of space in the Cards' penalty area, coolly cushioning a header from Joe Healy’s cross comfortably past Howe.

The Woking stopper had to be back to his best to stop the Wings adding to their lead yet further – palming away a hopeful effort from Jack Obersteller, before denying Kurtis Guthrie in a one-on-one situation.

McNamee, one of the brighter Woking players throughout the day, came close to grabbing a goal back for the hosts as he forced a fine save from visiting keeper Lee Butcher with a long-range effort, while he was also unlucky not to find Bowerman with another of his dangerous crosses.

Unfortunately for the Cards, who had been working their way back into the match, disaster struck again on the half-hour mark. Johnson, dwelling too long over an attempted clearance, allowed Ross Lafayette to steal the ball off his toe. The Wings’ top scorer unselfishly squared for Beautyman, who tucked his shot neatly under the despairing dive of Howe.

Woking did deservedly get themselves on the score-sheet ten minutes later: Bowerman holding the ball up well in the Welling penalty area and laying it out wide for Williams, whose neat pull-back found Johnson lurking on the edge of the area, allowing the defender to fire high into the net and redeem his earlier error.

The Cards proceeded to finish the half strongly, and could have narrowed the gap yet further when McNamee found Bowerman at the back-post, only for the ball to escape the young striker’s feet and bobble into the grateful arms of Butcher.

Half-time: Woking 1 Welling United 3

Whatever the Woking management team said and planned at half-time had to be immediately scrapped, as after a matter of seconds Parkinson picked up his second yellow card and, with it, a red against his former club. The defender will no doubt feel aggrieved at his punishment – his first yellow (picked up mid-way through the first-half), given for a late challenge in midfield, was no worse that several other challenges that went unpunished in the opening period, while his second was issued for an inconspicuous elbow aimed towards the head of Lafayette. By the letter of the law the referee was entitled to send him off, but the decision certainly appeared to be a harsh one to say the least.

Woking quickly changed tack, bringing on McNerney and Mike Cestor in place of Williams and John Nutter, while rearranging their line-up to a 3-4-2 formation which included McNerney partnering Bowerman up-front. However, this left the Cards short on numbers defensively, and inevitably, Welling took advantage with a flowing counter-attack move mid-way through the second-half: Healy crossing for the unmarked Pires to head home, cueing a lengthy and elaborate celebration from the striker – clearly aimed as both a parting gesture to his former side, and a delighted appreciation of his new supporters.

Not to be denied, the Cards came storming back again and, just two minutes, later pulled a goal back when McNerney nodded home McNamee’s in-swinging corner.

Betsy, McNamee and Cestor all saw efforts saved as, even with ten men, the Cards dominated the final 20 minutes of the match, while the visitors, protecting their lead, reduced themselves to playing purely on the counter-attack with Pires and the dangerous Lafayette.

Even a home debut for Ladapo, on loan from Colchester, could not force a third Woking goal, as the hosts eventually appeared to run out of steam as the match entered five minutes of added-on time.

Woking will take heart from their impressive second-half performance, but will be desperately frustrated at the manner in which they gave away the three early goals. Controversial or not, Parkinson’s red card is the Cards' third dismissal in as many games, and this apparent lack of discipline is undoubtedly something that Hill and assistant Steve Thompson will be keen to address.

The Cards will, of course, be without Parkinson when they make the short trip to Aldershot Town on Bank Holiday Monday, while Payne and Giuseppe Sole will also still be missing through suspension.

Woking: Aaron Howe, Adam Newton, John Nutter (Mike Cestor 52), Jack Parkinson, Brett Johnson, Mark Ricketts, Gavin Williams (Joe McNerney 54), Lee Sawyer, Anthony McNamee, Kevin Betsy, George Bowerman (Freddie Ladapo 76).

Unused Subs: Sam Beasant, Gavin McCallum.

Goals: Johnson 38, McNerney 69.

Booked: Parkinson 18 & 46, Sawyer 52, Newton 62.

Sent-off: Parkinson 46.

Welling United: Lee Butcher, Doug Bergqvist, Fraser Franks, Blaine Hudson, Jack Obersteller, Alex Dyer, Harry Beautyman (Loick Pires 60), Jake Gallagher, Joe Healy, Kurtis Guthrie (Joe Obersteller 80), Ross Lafayette.

Unused Subs: Jamie Turner, Lee Clarke, Callum Webb.

Goals: Howe O.G. 15, Bergqvist 19, Beautyman 29, Pires 67.

Booked: Pires 79, Jack Obersteller 90.

MOTM: Mark Ricketts – A tireless effort as ever from the Cards' skipper in midfield. Tracked back well defensively, covering for Parkinson at centre back, while kick-starting many of the home side’s attacks with his clever passing.

Attendance: 1,330


WOKING LINEUP
1Aaron Howe
2Adam Newton
3John Nutter ('52)
8Jack Parkinson
6Brett Johnson
4Mark Ricketts
7Lee Sawyer
9Gavin Williams ('54)
14Anthony McNamee
11Kevin Betsy
19George Bowerman ('77)
BENCH
18Sam Beasant
5Joe McNerney ('54)
15Mike Cestor ('52)
22Freddie Ladapo ('77)
29Gavin McCallum
Welling United LINEUP
1Lee Butcher
3Jack Obersteller
4Jake Gallagher
5Fraser Franks
6Doug Bergquist
9Kurtis Guthrie ('80)
10Ross Lafayette
14Blaine Hudson
15Alex Dyer
21Harry Beautyman ('60)
33Joe Healy
BENCH
8Lee Clarke
11Loick Pires ('60)
13Jamie Turner
17Callum Webb
19Joe Obersteller ('80)

Woking 2-4 Welling United (Garry Hill Interview)

Mark Ricketts Interview

David Holmes
6:21pm, Sat 24th Aug 2013
Interview with Mark Ricketts

Mark Ricketts:







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