Cards Hoping to Respond Well Once Again
Glen Harrington
11:21pm, Thu 27th Feb 2014
Barnet v Woking
3pm on Saturday 1 March 2014
For the third successive weekend, the Cards are looking to recover from a mid-week setback. Garry Hill’s side have not actually lost a Saturday fixture since mid-January, having recently beaten Gateshead and Macclesfield, and drawn with Lincoln. Defeats to Chester, Salisbury, Dartford and Kidderminster have prevented the Cards moving clear of the relegation zone however, and a positive result on Saturday would be a massive boost to survival hopes.
WOKING
Three wins and nine points was a decent haul for Woking in February, but events elsewhere have not been going in their favour. Chester, Southport and Dartford have all been picking up positive results, and the Cards are now just nine points clear of the bottom four in 17th – with all but two of the teams below them having games in hand.
It will be interesting to see how Woking set-up against the Bees. Neither Adam Newton nor Brett Johnson made the match-day squad against Kidderminster, while Mike Cestor seems unlikely to be available after leaving the game at Aggborough early due to injury. Joey Jones will be serving the last of his three match suspension, leaving youngsters Niall Wright and Adam Brice the only viable alternatives.
Both John Goddard and Mark Ricketts could be forced to deputise at the back, as they did on Tuesday, while it will again be interesting to see whether Aaron Howe gets another chance in goal, or whether previous number one Sam Beasant will return after a game out.
BARNET
The Bee’s new joint managers Ulrich Landvreugd and Dick Schreuder have enjoyed a perfect start to life at the Hive – winning five games out of five. Southport, Tamworth, Grimsby, Wrexham and Forest Green have all been dispatched since Edgar Davids’ departure, with Barnet rising to third in the table – their highest position since early September.
Barnet certainly have a squad capable of challenging for promotion, and their fans will no doubt be hoping for, or even expecting, a quick return to the Football League.
Stand-out players include midfielder Curtis Weston, who played almost 200 league games with the likes of Gillingham and Leeds; Keanu Marsh-Brown, a goal-scoring winger who has been capped for England at U16, U17 and C level; plus the likes of goalkeeper Graham Stack, defender Mauro Vilhete, midfielder Mark Byrne and forward Jack Hyde, who all remain from the clubs time in League 2.
GETTING THERE
The Hive
Camrose Avenue
Edgware
HA8 6AG
By coach
The Cards Trust coach leaves Kingfield at 12.30pm. The cost is £12 for members and £17 for non-members. Phone or email the Club Shop to book your place (01483 772470 or shop@wokingfc.co.uk).
By car
Head for the M25 westbound, leaving at J19 (direction A41 Watford). Follow A41 for about nine miles before taking A410 (direction Harrow, Stanmore) and then A5 (direction Edgware). At second set of traffic lights after joining, turn right into Camrose Avenue. The AA gives a journey time of about one hour ten minutes from Kingfield.
By train/underground
Canons Park Underground Station on the Jubilee Line is a 5-minute walk from The Hive. Turn left out the station on Whitchurch Lane and after a couple of hundred feet the pedestrian entrance to The Hive will be on your right. Queensbury Underground Station, also on the Jubilee Line, is a 10-minute walk from The Hive. Turn left out the station on to Turner Road. Walk to the end of the road, turn right and the entrance to The Hive will be across the road. Edgware Underground Station on the Northern Line is about a one mile walk to The Hive. You can pick up the Jubilee Line at Waterloo.
ADMISSION PRICES
Barnet operate a complicated ticketing structure which appears from their website to work out as follows for away supporters:
West Family Stand (blocks F and G): Adults £20; Over 64s and U19s £12; U14s £5
North Terrace: Adults £17; Over 64s and U19s £9 but only if bought in advance; U14s £5 but only if bought in advance
LAST TIME OUT
Woking 0 Barnet 0
8 October 2013
The Cards made a couple of changes from the side which had earned a creditable draw at Southport, with John Goddard coming in for Darren Murphy and Adam Newton returning to the defence in place of Mike Cestor, allowing Mark Ricketts to return to midfield.
The Cards had marginally the better of the first half, with the best chance falling to Gavin Williams but his shot was scuffed. Barnet were much more threatening after the break and the game developed into a very entertaining end-to-end spectacle, with chances spurned at both ends. A frantic finale ensued in which the Barnet goal miraculously survived a succession of corners, with three headers from Joe McNerney somehow scrambled clear.
Woking: Sam Beasant, Adam Newton, John Nutter, Jack Parkinson, Joe McNerney, Mark Ricketts, Josh Payne, John Goddard (Anthony McNamee 75), Gavin Williams, Kevin Betsy (Mike Cestor 87), Scott Rendell
Unused Subs: Aaron Howe, Giuseppe Sole, George Frith
Caution: Josh Payne (47)
Barnet: Graham Stack, Elliot Johnson, David Stephens, Jack Saville, Anthony Acheampong, Kieron Cadogan, Curtis Weston, Roberto Garcia Casabella, Keanu Marsh-Brown, Harry Crawford (Luisma 83), Marciano Mengerink (Iffy Allen 69)
Unused Subs: Nick Jupp, Ahmed Abdulla, Edgar Davids
Caution: Keanu Marsh-Brown (86)
Attendance: 1,413
NEXT GAME
The Cards are at home to Southport on Saturday 8th March.
Come on, you Cards!