Seymours
FCP
3:00pm - SaturdaySat 25th JanuaryJan 2014
| Att: 2017

Lincoln City
Lincoln City
2 - 2

Woking
Woking

Vital fight for points on Saturday

Brian Caffarey
9:50am, Thu 23rd Jan 2014
Lincoln City v Woking
3pm on Saturday 25 January 2014

Another critical game against another struggling side beckons on Saturday. Cards fans will be hoping that Garry Hill’s side can emulate last season’s trip to Sincil Bank when, coming off a 7-0 thrashing at Hyde, the Cards came away with a superb 2-0 win. Garry has said that urgent reinforcements are needed to the squad: Tuesday evening’s performance against Chester suggests that they can’t come quickly enough.

WOKING

There was a new face on Tuesday evening but it wasn’t the striker (or two) that Cards fans had been hoping for. Keeper Mason Springthorpe made his debut in place of Sam Beasant and won the ‘man of the match’ award. The Cards struggled up front, barely registering a shot on goal all evening. In fact, very few attacking moves were created, not helped by a heavy pitch and the absence of the suspended Keiran Murtagh. At least Keiran will be available for selection on Saturday, having missed Tuesday night's game following his sening off at Welling.

Garry made it clear in his post-match interview on WFC TV that the side, now only five points off the relegation places, is now in a battle to avoid the drop. Whichever team loses on Saturday can expect to be uncomfortably close to the fourth-from-bottom slot.

LINCOLN CITY

The Imps had a promising start to the season, winning four, drawing one and losing one game in August but things went downhill after that. September saw two league wins, October none, November one and December none. This month, so far, has seen creditable draws away at Grimsby and at home to Luton, a fine 4-1 home win over Alfreton and, on Tuesday, a 3-1 defeat at Macclesfield. Like Woking, Lincoln were also given a hiding in the FA Trophy by North Ferriby United, losing 4-0 at home.

The Imps now sit in 17th place in the table, ahead of Woking by a goal difference of one, having played one game more.

Lincoln’s squad includes ex-Card Delano Sam-Yorke, who, together with left-winger Mitch Austin, is on loan from Cambridge United.

GETTING THERE

Sincil Bank Stadium
Lincoln
Lincolnshire
LN5 8LD

By coach
The Cards Trust’s coach leaves Kingfield at 10.00am. The cost is only £16 for members and £21 for non-members. Ring the Club Shop on 01483 772470 or email shop@wokingfc.co.uk to book your place.

By car
Exit the A1 at sliproad Lincoln A46. Follow the A46 into Lincoln (which leads onto the High St) and the ground is indicated from there. If you follow the signs for 'away coaches' then this leads you onto the A158 South Park Avenue, where there is plenty of street parking to be found (although it is a ten-minute walk to the ground).

By train
The nearest station is Lincoln Central, which is a 15-minute walk from the ground. Trains from KX involve at least one change. The 11.03 would get you to Lincoln at 13.30 via a change at Newark North Gate. The 11.35 would get you there at 14.05, while the 11.48 would get you there at 14.07, this time via a change at Retford. There is a train back at 17.22, arriving at KX at 19.46, via a change at Retford. Check out www.nationalrail.co.uk or www.thetrainline.com for more details.

ADMISSION PRICES

Co-op / Echo Stand
Adults: £18
Concessions: £13
Juniors: £7

Bridge McFarland Stand
Adults: £16
Concessions: £11
Juniors: £7

LAST TIME OUT

Woking 0 Lincoln City 0
10 August 2013

The opening game of the season proved to be a hard-fought, cagey affair, with relatively few chances created by either side. In what was to become a familiar story, the Cards looked short of striking options and, not for the last time, Garry Hill resorted in the second half to throwing Joe McNerney up front to disturb an otherwise fairly comfortable Imps’ back line. Woking finished the stronger of the two sides but a draw was a fair result.

Woking: Aaron Howe, Adam Newton, John Nutter, Jack Parkinson, Brett Johnson, Mark Ricketts, Josh Payne, Lee Sawyer (Anthony McNamee 72), Gavin Williams (George Frith 86), Kevin Betsy, Gavin McCallum (Joe McNerney 58).

Unused Subs: Sam Beasant, Giuseppe Sole.

Goal(s): None.

Booked: Payne 88.

Lincoln City: Paul Farman, Dan Gray, Nat Brown, Andrew Boyce, Sean Newton, Luke Foster, Jon Nolan, Mamadou Fofana, Alan Power, Nick Wright (Bohan Dixon 72), Ben Tomlinson.

Unused Subs: David Preece, Waide Fairhurst, Danny Rowe, Jake Sheridan.

Goal(s): None.

Booked: Foster 29, Tomlinson 64.

Attendance: 1,845

NEXT GAME

The Cards’ next game is at home to Leatherhead on Monday 27 January in the Quarter-Final of the Surrey Senior Cup; kick-off at 7.45pm. On Saturday 1 February Woking are at home to Forest Green Rovers in the league.


Come on, you Cards!







Honours Even

Alan Barnes
11:49am, Sun 26th Jan 2014
Lincoln City 2 Woking 2
The Skrill Premier
January 25th 2014
 
An exciting and entertaining game provided ultimate heartbreak for the travelling Cards fans when Giuseppe Sole's last-minute penalty was well saved by the home 'keeper to deny the visitors all three points. A topsy-turvy match saw the Cards take a well-earned early lead before handing the initiative back to the home team before the break. The visitors scored a second with a quarter of an hour remaining and looked the more likely to go on and claim a win before being cruelly denied victory at the death.

Woking lined up in an unfamiliar 3-5-2 formation, but it proved to be one which suited them well on the day. Kevin Betsy played in an advanced role up front, which had a positive effect on Sole, who looked lively throughout, scoring the second and being denied by the woodwork on a couple of occasions. Keiran Murtagh returned to the starting line-up following his one-match suspension in place of the unavailable Mark Ricketts.

The first half hour was played in near monsoon conditions but the visitors adapted much the better and, looking livelier than they had in recent games, could have been two goals to the good in the first ten minutes as they hit the post and bar in quick succession. Although lacking aerial power up front, the intelligent running of Betsy and Sole was proving a handful for the Lincoln defence.

Having fortuitously weathered the early storm (in every sense of the word), Lincoln then got a foothold in the game as the rain eased. They had a free-kick from thirty-five yards out and Alan Power cut in from the right wing but his shot found the side netting. Former Card Delano Sam-Yorke, on loan from Cambridge United, was also starting to impose himself on the game.

The Cards then deservedly took the lead after nineteen minutes. Betsy found himself clear in the box and his shot from a narrow angle squeezed under Paul Farman in the home goal.

The lead lasted barely five minutes. The hosts were allowed too much time and space down the right, allowing a dangerous cross to be played into the six-yard box. Nat Brown got there first to get in a shot which hit a post but he was first to the rebound to bring Lincoln level.

Power then stole in behind Adam Newton to produce a good cross which was well held by Mason Springthorpe in the Woking goal.

With five minutes of the first half remaining, things got even better for Lincoln as they went in front. Ben Tomlinson was allowed two shots from the edge of the box. The first was blocked but the second curled beyond Springthorpe into the top right corner to give the home team an unexpected lead.

Half-time: Lincoln City 2 Woking 1

Woking started the second half in determined fashion as the weather became appreciably colder. Murtagh, having an influential game in midfield, hit a firm shot from eighteen yards which went just wide. Connor Robinson then made a good run for Lincoln down the left into the heart of the Woking defence. He drew the 'keeper but his pass to a colleague was flagged offside.

Back came the Cards and a good crossfield pass from John Goddard (pictured) found Sole, whose cross was headed over by Murtagh. With time starting to tick by and the Cards still behind, a Betsy shot was scrambled away by the home defence and one wondered if the visitors, despite plenty of encouraging play, were destined to get nothing out of the game. To huge relief, however, the equaliser finally came in the seventy-third minute. Anthony McNamee's shot was deflected into the path of Sole, who calmly found the back of the net.

Woking were clearly not intent on sitting back at 2-2 as they went in search of a winner. Lincoln, too, also played their part in an exciting final quarter of an hour but as the match entered the final minute of normal time, it seemed as though the action was finally winding down. There was to be a final twist, however, as Betsy was brought down in the box by Brown and the referee awarded the penalty. Up stepped Sole to take the most nerve-wracking of spot kicks. To Gez's credit, he did not do much wrong, going low to the 'keeper's right-hand corner, but Paul Farman flung himself at the ball to make an excellent save.

A draw was probably a fair result over the ninety minutes, although it was agony for the Cards to have come so close to grabbing all three points late on. They played much better than they had done of late, showing plenty of resilience in difficult conditions and they looked a threat all day with some slick and enterprising football. Garry will no doubt be working hard, nevertheless, during the week, to bring in those much-needed loan players for the remainder of the season.
 
Woking: Mason Springthorpe, Adam Newton, Joe McNerney, Brett Johnson, John Nutter, Kieron Murtagh, Josh Payne, Mike Cestor ( Niall Wright 29, replaced by Antony McNamee 69), John Goddard, Giuseppe Sole, Kevin Betsy.

Unused subs: Sam Beasant, Adam Brice, Reece Beckles
 
Caution: Josh Payne 84
 
Lincoln City: Paul Farman, Tom Miller, Nat Brown, Luke Foster, Sean Newton, Todd Jordan, Mamadou Fofana, (Dan Gray 84), Alan Power, Connor Robinson, Ben Tomlinson, Delano Sam-Yorke.

Unused subs: Waide Fairhurst, Jake Sheridan, Jon Nolan, Mitchell Austin

Caution: Mamadou Fofana 79

My MOTM: John Goddard - industrious and hard-working throughout

Attendance: 2,017 (73 from Woking)
Lincoln City LINEUP
WOKING LINEUP
21Mason Springthorpe
2Adam Newton
3John Nutter
5Joe McNerney
6Brett Johnson
20Josh Payne
26Keiran Murtagh
22John Goddard
11Kevin Betsy
15Mike Cestor ('29)
10Giuseppe Sole
BENCH
18Sam Beasant
19Adam Brice
17Niall Wright ('29) ('70)
14Anthony McNamee ('70)
34Reece Beckles

Interviews from Lincoln City

Nick Shaw
8:28pm, Sat 25th Jan 2014
John Moore speaks to Garry Hill:





David Holmes speaks to Adam Newton:

Shop Online

adidas Laithwaite Financial Services Boz's Fruit and Veg Jewson MKJ Peacock Construction Seymours The National League Vanarama

Woking Football Club Limited
A company incorporated in England and Wales (company number: ‍03329172)
Registered office The Laithwaite Community Stadium, Kingfield, Woking, Surrey, GU22 9AA

Click here to read our Data Protection Privacy Policy
Click here to read our Accessibility Statement