Lovetts
FCP
3:00pm - SaturdaySat 19th OctoberOct 2013
Racecourse Ground | Att: 3183

Wrexham
Wrexham
2 - 0

Woking
Woking

Cards aim to extend unbeaten run

Brian Caffarey
7:15pm, Thu 17th Oct 2013
Wrexham v Woking
3pm on Saturday 19 October 2013

The Cards have now gone four league games unbeaten, with three clean sheets, since their 4-0 trouncing at home by Luton Town on 24 September. Although Wrexham have had an indifferent start to the season, the Cards’ recent resilience will no doubt be greatly tested at the imposing Racecourse Ground this Saturday.

WOKING

It would be no great surprise if, barring any new injuries, Garry picked the side that lined up against both FC Halifax Town and Barnet. He will be hoping, however, that his charges will be a bit more clinical in front of goal since they certainly had sufficient chances to have defeated Barnet and had the better of the game against Halifax too.

WREXHAM

Wrexham’s home record is not especially impressive for a club with play-off aspirations. They’ve beaten Welling, Luton and Southport, drawn with Hyde and Cambridge United and lost to Chester and Braintree. Last weekend, in a televised game, they drew 1-1 at Barnet but had Stephen Wright and Johnny Hunt sent off, both of whom will now miss Saturday’s match.

There are many familiar names from last season in the Reds’ squad, including huge centre-back Mark Creighton (who, however, has missed recent games through injury), Polish international midfielder Adrian Cieslewicz, skipper Dean Keates and strikers Brett Ormerod, Rob Ogleby and Andy Bishop, the last-named having signed permanently in the summer following a loan spell from Bury last season. New additions include winger Joe Anyinsah from Bristol Rovers; David Artell, a commanding centre-back who had a loan spell from Northampton last season; Mark Carrington, a defender on a short-term deal from Bury; and Junior N’Tame, a Cameroonian defender. 20 year-old reserve keeper Andy Coughlin, a summer signing from Tranmere Rovers, has been between the sticks for the last three games in place of Joslain Mayebi.

Wrexham currently lie 18th in the table, three places and two points above the Cards.

GETTING THERE

Racecourse Ground
Mold Road
Wrexham
Wales
LL11 2AH

Official website: www.wrexhamafc.co.uk

By coach

The Cards Trust coach leaves Kingfield at 9.00am. The cost is £23 for Trust members and £30 for non-members. Ring the Club Shop or email shop@wokingfc.co.uk to book your place.

By car

Take the M54 from the M6 (Junction 10A Northbound). Follow the M54 to the end of the motorway and join the A5 towards Shrewsbury. Continue on the A5 past Shrewsbury and Oswestry and then join the A483 towards Wrexham. Stay on the A483 as you reach Wrexham (this is the Wrexham by-pass). Exit at the 'Mold' junction and then follow the signs for 'Town Centre'. The Racecourse will come quickly into view. There is parking at Glyndwr University, for a small fee, next to the ground or at Maesgwyn Hall opposite the University.

By train

Those fans planning to travel by train will almost certainly have taken advantage of the cheaper advance fares. For any last-minute traveller, though, the 11.10 from Euston would get you to Chester at 13.12, from where you can pick up the 13.30, arriving at Wrexham at 13.46. Wrexham General station is next to the ground. There are trains back at 17.03 and 18.02, both involving changes at Chester and Crewe, with the former getting you to Euston at 20.04 and the latter at 21.18.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults: £19
Over 60s and under 21s: £14
Over 80s and under 16s: £5
Under 11s: £1

Ady Loveday has contacted the Club to invite any Woking fans travelling to Wrexham to come and visit the Black Lion Inn, Church Street, Rhosllanachrugog, LL14 2BW, which is only a 10-minute drive from Wrexham’s ground. All beer will be at £2 a pint and there will be free food for all Woking fans. Ady asks that you bring a scarf or banner to put up in his pub.

LAST TIME OUT

Wrexham 3 Woking 1
11 August 2012

This was the Cards’ first game following their return to the Conference Premier and being drawn away to the previous season’s losing play-off finalists was certainly a challenging start. Woking found themselves under strong pressure from the kick-off and were a goal down after 18 minutes when Ogleby lobbed Aaron Howe. Mayebi made a fine save from Kevin Betsy but the Woking defence cracked again just before half-time when Dean Keates scored. The Cards pulled a goal back when Bradley Bubb took advantage of a defensive mix-up but Creighton made the game safe for Wrexham fifteen minutes from time with a back-post header.

NEXT GAME

Next Saturday (26 October) the Cards have a very testing FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round tie at home to Luton Town, who, as already noted, were 4-0 victors at Kingfield in the league only a month ago. However, Garry Hill’s side will be strongly motivated to turn the tables on the Hatters and progress to the next round of the Cup, so make sure you are there for what should be a cracking cup tie! The Cards’ next league game is the following Saturday (2 November) when they entertain high-flying Grimsby Town.


Come on, you Cards!


Cards league drought continues despite second-half rally

Malcolm Wyatt
9:39am, Sun 20th Oct 2013
Wrexham 2 Woking 0
The Skrill Premier
19th October 2013

Struggling Woking remain rooted in the league drop zone after another luckless away trip, this time in North Wales.

A goal in each half from home skipper Dean Keates and Joe Clarke ultimately did the damage, but while the Cards were poor in the opening 45 minutes, they put in a more promising shift from there and were unlucky not to grab at least a point.

They started brightly enough in this battle of two under-performing sides, with Joe McNerney and Jack Parkinson psyched up in defence while Scott Rendell quickly tested the home defence.

At the other end, Sam Beasant collected as the hosts played in Joe Anyinsah, while experienced poacher Brett Ormerod turned and shot but saw his effort cut out.

John Nutter made a timely clearance after a quick home raid and subsequent cross, while Ormerod found the side-netting after another left-sided break.

Reds' keeper Andy Coughlin then got down well to a downward Parkinson header from a Gavin Williams corner, but a scrappy passage followed, with plenty of poor final balls from both sides.

And from one attack a familiar Cards weakness was exposed in the 21st minute, a Jay Harris short corner on the right teeing up Keates, who took a leaf out of Southport’s Jamie Milligan’s book a fortnight ago, firing home through a crowded box with Beasant unsighted, deceived by his own defenders.

That seemed to rouse the hosts, willed on by a commendable 3,000-plus crowd, Woking flat by comparison, their main attacking option Rendell isolated and boxed in.

Andy Bishop and Ormerod looked increasingly threatening, the home defence somewhat jittery by comparison as the Reds improved their passing game.

Clarke’s surging run left Adam Newton trailing before his finish tested Beasant, while Steve Tomassen looked assured in defence as he dispossessed Kevin Betsy.

As Wrexham broke again, Nutter calmly unloaded Anyinsah, while Ormerod mis-timed in front of goal but fed Keates, whose dipping volley was tipped over by Beasant.

And before the half was up, an Ormerod cross caused further worry, Garry Hill’s mood as dark as the looming skies - the pre-match sunshine long gone.

The Cards finally made their way back into the opposition area before the break, good work by Williams and Betsy leading to the latter’s cross, but Mike Cestor was crowded out.

Half-time: Wrexham 1 Woking 0

After Hill’s understandably forthright words at the interval, the Cards were back out early, and soon played the Dragons at their own game – with a little fire in the belly.

Cestor made a great run down the left and played in Rendell, and although he struggled to find a gap, two Nutter corners followed, McNerney proving a nuisance in the box.

The Cards central defender pitched in at the other end too, keeping out Bishop, who was clearly missing half-time sacrifice Ormerod.

Woking soon had their best two chances, Betsy beating two men on the right before playing in Rendell. And while his finish was not the best, Nutter fired back in and Cestor rose well to head at goal, striking the crossbar.

The hosts remained dangerous on the break, Beasant getting down well to a Bishop strike from distance before Cestor denied Clarke as he homed in on goal.

A move involving Cestor, Betsy, Williams and Nutter brought another corner, while a Parkinson long throw prompted more McNerney menace and another Rendell half-chance.

In the following attack, Mark Ricketts came close from distance too, the ball taking a deflection and going behind, the Dragons defending doggedly.

On a swift counter-attack, Ogleby was caught offside but carried on, missing the target anyway and then receiving a caution.

Betsy again went on a promising run, but after a one-two with Williams he finished weakly, the sun by now out again after heavy rain and Woking clearly on top.

A raid initiated by Cestor and again involving Betsy and Williams ended in a powerful yet off-target Ricketts finish, while Cestor stopped Mark Carrington as Wrexham again bounced back, Clarke striking wide in the next counter-attack.

With barely a quarter-hour left, subs Anthony McNamee and Giuseppe Sole added new options, but still the Reds looked capable of a killer goal on the break, despite Ogleby’s on-going poor finishing.

Williams played in Betsy again, who tested Coughlin with a stinging shot, while Wrexham had a fresh target – pacy sub Theo Bailey-Jones a threat on the right flank.

First time, he played in Ogleby, who lobbed Beasant but missed the target again, then the second time was checked by Cestor, who was booked.

Clarke wasn’t far off from the following floated free-kick, but Woking pushed up again, McNamee’s graft on the right leading to Coughlin conceding a corner, although Sole’s in-swinger was cleared.

The game was finally put out of the Cards’ reach in the last minute of normal time, Clarke making an assured run from the right channel, Beasant coming at him but the midfielder keeping his cool to slot home.

Major celebrations followed, the hosts clearly feeling they’d proved their collective worth, confident of having finally turned a corner.

There was still time for Sole to win a corner on the right, and from McNamee’s set-piece, Betsy tested Coughlin with a header.

But still the Woking goal drought continues – the visitors now amassing four and a half hours of Skrill Premier football without scoring.

Woking: Sam Beasant, Adam Newton, John Nutter (Anthony McNamee 72), Mark Ricketts ©, Joe McNerney, Jack Parkinson, Gavin Williams, Kevin Betsy, Mike Cestor, Scott Rendell, John Goddard (Giuseppe Sole 72). Subs not used: Niall Wright, Will Salmon, Aaron Howe

Bookings: Ricketts 43, Cestor 87

Wrexham: Andy Coughlin, Mark Carrington, Steve Tomassen, Leon Clowes, Neil Ashton, Joe Clarke, Jay Harris, Dean Keates ©, Brett Ormerod (Rob Ogleby 46), Andy Bishop, Joe Ansinyah (Theo Bailey-Jones 77). Subs not used: Anthony Stephens, Robbie Evans, Joslain Mayebi

Booking: Ogleby 63, Bishop 81

Attendance: 3,183

MOTM: Mike Cestor – Like most Woking players, he struggled at times in the first half, but proved invaluable at both ends after the break and came close to a deserved goal.
Wrexham LINEUP
13Andy Coughlin
3Neil Ashton
6Joe Clarke
8Jay Harris
9Andy Bishop
10Brett Ormerod ('45)
12Dean Keates
14Steve Tomassen
17Leon Clowes
26Joe Anyinsah ('77)
29Mark Carrington
BENCH
1Joslain Mayebi
15Rob Ogleby ('45)
20Anthony Stephens
21Robbie Evans
25Theo Bailey-Jones ('77)
WOKING LINEUP
18Sam Beasant
2Adam Newton
3John Nutter ('72)
5Joe McNerney
8Jack Parkinson
4Mark Ricketts
22John Goddard ('72)
9Gavin Williams
11Kevin Betsy
3Mike Cestor
21Scott Rendell
BENCH
1Aaron Howe
24Will Salmon
17Niall Wright
14Anthony McNamee ('72)
10Giuseppe Sole ('72)

Wrexham 2 - 0 Woking (Garry Hill Interview)

Interview with Gez Sole

David Holmes
9:44pm, Sat 19th Oct 2013

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