LCS Events
FCP
3:00pm - SaturdaySat 31st AugustAug 2013
The Laithwaite Community Stadium | Att: 1230

Woking
Woking
1 - 2

Gateshead
Gateshead

Points at a premium on Saturday

Brian Caffarey
10:22am, Thu 29th Aug 2013
Woking v Gateshead
3pm on Saturday 31 August 2013

It’s too early in the season to start talking of ‘six pointers’ but both sides, after disappointing results, will be keen to haul themselves up the table with a win from this game. Garry Hill will certainly have impressed on his players the need to put in a far more convincing performance than those we saw in last weekend’s two defeats at the hands of Welling United and Aldershot Town. Now is the time for fans to get behind the team, so come down to Kingfield and roar them on to victory!

WOKING

Garry didn’t mince his words after the Welling and Aldershot games: sloppy defending and a lack of any real threat up front was his verdict. Having tried several combinations of defenders, it will be interesting to see who lines up on Saturday. Jack Parkinson will be available again but there will surely be a place for Mike Cestor, one of the few players to impress at Aldershot.

It will be equally intriguing to see who plays up front. George Bowerman has not so far been able to make much impression but, in fairness, he doesn’t look ideally suited to a lone front man role – which seems to have been largely his fate so far. Once again, at Aldershot, it was only when Joe McNerney was thrown forward that we looked as though we might score. Garry will also have Gez Sole available after his three-game suspension, but Josh Payne will be serving out the final match of his ban.

GATESHEAD

It’s been a disastrous start to the season for the Heed, losing their manager in very odd circumstances after only three games, and picking up just one point from their five opening games. That point, though, came on Monday as Gateshead fought back from 0-2 down to draw 2-2 at home to Macclesfield – so the Cards need to be warned! The equalising goal came from Liam Hatch, coming on as a substitute for Richard Brodie – and the Cards will certainly need to be alert on Saturday to counter the tall striker’s renowned ability in the air.

To be fair, Gateshead (unlike Woking?) look as though they were handed some particularly testing opening fixtures, although it’s clear from the reports that they did not perform well for the most part. Their results so far have been:

Kidderminster Harriers 3 Gateshead 1
Gateshead 1 Grimsby Town 2
Gateshead 1 Barnet 2
Southport 2 Gateshead 1
Gateshead 2 Macclesfield Town 2

It sounds as though manager Anth Smith realised that he had been over-hasty in tendering his resignation after the first three games but the Board felt that he’d compromised his position and handed the reins, temporarily at least, to David Rush.

There were nine new additions to the Heed squad in the summer. They were Brodie, arriving from Crawley Town, who paid York City £275k for his services; Colin Larkin, another striker, who turned out for Lincoln City and Harrogate Town last season; Adam Boyes, yet another striker, who notched 40 goals for Barrow in 99 games; defenders Craig Baxter and Dan Smith, both rejoining the club after earlier spells; Josh Walker, a midfielder from Scunthorpe; Luke O’Brien, a defender with Oxford United last term; Joe Tait, a defender from Darlington; and Marcus Maddison, a midfielder from Newcastle United.

ADMISSION PRICES

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

MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

Don’t miss out on the Club’s excellent matchday programme! In a packed edition Ian Nicholson interviews our new physio, Paul Smith. Damian Buxton looks at the rivalry between BT Sport and SKY. And Richard Mason recalls the day the lights arrived at Kingfield. 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

The clubs shared the points last season, both sides winning their home games 2-1. The Cards’ victory on 22 September 2012 was their third in a row. Jack Parkinson, playing in midfield, saw a 25-yard effort deflected into the net in the fifth minute. That was followed by a second in the 23rd minute, this time from Gavin McCallum, with a fine left-footed strike. Brett Johnson struck the post in the second half before Gateshead reduced the deficit, Phil Turnbull netting after some clever approach play, including a back-heel from Yemi Odubade. Gateshead’s Chris Bush picked up a second yellow card eight minutes from the end and the Cards’ defence withstood some late pressure to hold onto the three points.

In the away match, brought forward to 3 November 2012, the Cards travelled north on the back of a stunning victory at Newport County. Again, it was Jack Parkinson who put the Cards in front. Josh Gillies equalised for Gateshead and the decisive goal came, a minute before the break, from the dangerous Liam Hatch, with a back-post header.

NEXT UP

The Cards travel to Alfreton Town next Saturday (7 September). The following Friday (13 September) Woking entertain Tamworth.

Come on, you Cards!

Cards stumble to third successive defeat

Phil Batts
9:41pm, Sat 31st Aug 2013
Woking 1 Gateshead 2
The Skrill Premier
31st August 2013

Things went from bad to worse this afternoon at Kingfield as Woking succumbed to their third consecutive defeat against a spirited, but limited Gateshead team who seized their chance to come away with the spoils against a home team which is currently desperately low on confidence.

After a bright start, the Cards found themselves two goals behind after half an hour thanks to a deflected effort from James Brown and a further strike from Jamie Chandler. A more positive second half saw the home side eventually reduce arrears as a result of a Gavin Williams penalty kick in the ninetieth minute but it was always going to be too little too late.

Woking lined up in a 4-5-1 formation. In front of Aaron Howe was a back four of Adam Newton, Brett Johnson, Jack Parkinson and Mike Cestor. The midfield comprised captain Mark Ricketts, in his customary holding position, Kevin Betsy, Lee Sawyer, Gavin Williams and GavinMcCallum. Joe McNerney reprised his role as a makeshift, lone striker.

The Cards started confidently and from an early corner McNerney lost his marker but his header from eight yards out went narrowly wide. Shortly afterwards, Betsy went close following a good cross from McCallum. After eighteen minutes, another half-chance went begging when a searching cross from Cestor caused havoc in the visitors' defence but McCallum drove his shot high over the bar.

Having survived this early pressure, Gateshead began to find their feet and, against the run of play, took the lead on twenty minutes. James Brown burst through a couple of half-hearted challenges and unleashed a shot from the edge of the penalty area which took a slight deflection before looping over Aaron Howe and into the roof of the net.

This setback clearly knocked the stuffing out of the home side, who found it increasingly hard to gain a foothold in the game and, on the half-hour, they found themselves further behind. James Brown was again at the heart of matters as his decisive play created an opening for Jamie Chandler to round off an excellent move by volleying high into the net from four yards out.

Woking now looked to be having real problems as Gateshead, on a high after finding themselves two goals to the good, started picking up all the loose balls and winning the 50/50 challenges. The home team continued to have a reasonable amount of possession but without looking as though they had the cutting edge to cause their opponents any real problems. The final action of the half saw the Cards force two corners, neither of which came to anything and the team trudged off at the break looking somewhat dispirited.

Half-time: Woking 0 Gateshead 2

The home team took the game to their opponents at the start of the second half but, symptomatic of the current confidence levels in the side, Adam Newton shanked his cross over the bar when in a good position to cause some damage. Moments later, Gavin Williams hoisted a dangerous free-kick into the Gateshead penalty-box but there was nobody on hand to apply the finishing touch. The visitors immediately counter-attacked and should probably have made the game safe but James Brown pulled a good chance wide of the post.

The same player missed another golden opportunity after fifty-five minutes when he was played through a square and static home defence but he again screwed his shot wide.

With it looking increasingly unlikely that the Cards were going to get back in the game, Garry Hill used his three substitutions between the sixty-second and seventieth minutes, replacing McCallum, McNerney and Newton with Freddie Ladapo, Giuseppe Sole and Anthony McNamee respectively and playing with a back three.

These changes seemed to add impetus to the team and they proceeded to have their fair share of the play without ever really looking as though they would pull a goal back. However, with time ticking away, they were offered a lifeline when Jack Parkinson's cross from inside the box struck Liam Hatch standing just a few feet away and the referee deemed it a deliberate hand-ball. As he did against Aldershot, Gavin Williams stepped up and, notwithstanding some prevarication from a few of the Gateshead players, confidently blasted the penalty past Adam Bartlett.

Five minutes of added-on time was signalled by the fourth official and one sensed that one final chance might come Woking's way. True enough, with only seconds remaining, Kevin Betsy jinked into the area and laid a perfect ball into the path of Freddie Ladapo fifteen yards out. However, just when the young striker needed to show some composure, he shot wildly wide of the near post and the chance was gone. There was still time for Lee Sawyer to have an effort charged down before the referee blew for the end of the match.

After a dispiriting fourth defeat in five matches, the Cards now find themselves languishing in twentieth place. They clearly need an upturn in fortunes before a bad run of results turns into a crisis. Garry and Steve are experienced enough, however, not to panic and to plot their way out of these early season difficulties. Hopefully, the return of Josh Payne from suspension next week will spark the team's revival.


Woking: Aaron Howe, Adam Newton (Anthony McNamee 70), Brett Johnson, Jack Parkinson, Mike Cestor, Mark Ricketts, Lee Sawyer, Gavin Williams, Kevin Betsy, Gavin McCallum (Freddie Ladapo 62), Joe McNerney (Giuseppe Sole 70)

Unused subs: Sam Beasant, John Nutter

Goals: Williams (pen) (90)

Gateshead: Adam Bartlett, Carl Magnay, Ben Clark, Luke O'Brien, Jamie Chandler, Josh Walker, Phil Turnbull, Colin Larkin (Richard Brodie 69), Craig Baxter, James Brown (Adam Boyes 69), Liam Hatch

Unused subs: Jordan Nixon, Micky Cummins, Marcus Maddison

Goals: James Brown (20), Jamie Chandler (30)

Cautions: Phil Turnbull (38), Jamie Chandler (87), Adam Bartlett (90)

Sponsor's MOTM: Mike Cestor - an energetic display, both defensively and when going forward

Attendance: 1230
WOKING LINEUP
1Aaron Howe
2Adam Newton ('70)
15Mike Cestor
8Jack Parkinson
6Brett Johnson
4Mark Ricketts
7Lee Sawyer
9Gavin Williams
11Kevin Betsy
29Gavin McCallum ('62)
5Joe McNerney ('70)
BENCH
18Sam Beasant
3John Nutter
14Anthony McNamee ('70)
10Giuseppe Sole ('70)
22Freddie Ladapo ('62)
Gateshead LINEUP
1Adam Bartlett
2Carl Magnay
3Luke OBrien
4Jamie Chandler
6Ben Clark
7Colin Larkin ('69)
8Phil Turnbull
9Liam Hatch
14James Brown ('69)
16Craig Baxter
17Josh Walker
BENCH
10Richard Brodie ('69)
11Micky Cummins
12Adam Boyes ('69)
13Jordan Nixon
25Marcus Maddison

Woking 1-2 Gateshead (Garry Hill Interview)

Mike Cestor interview

David Holmes
6:06pm, Sat 31st Aug 2013
Interview with Mike Cestor

Mike Cestor:







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