Laithwaite Independent Financial Advisers
FCP
1:00pm - MondayMon 21st AprilApr 2014
The Laithwaite Community Stadium | Att: 4728

Woking
Woking
1 - 2

Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town

Monday's big game

Brian Caffarey
11:02am, Sun 20th Apr 2014
Woking v Aldershot Town
1pm on Monday 21 April 2014

The Cards’ last home league game of the season could hardly provide a better climax, as close neighbours and rivals, the Shots, come to Kingfield determined to gain all three points in order to secure their Conference Premier status. Garry Hill’s side will want to avenge a disappointing display at the Rec early in the season and also target a top 10 finish. A big crowd is expected for this eagerly-awaited fixture, so get down to Kingfield early.

WOKING

The Cards remain in 11th place following their very creditable 2-2 draw at Forest Green Rovers yesterday afternoon. It was so nearly three points gained but, as at Grimsby, they were pegged back by an injury-time equaliser. But they had shown great character to turn the game around after skipper Mark Ricketts’ dismissal and going a goal down.

It is a pity that the Cards will go into Monday’s game missing players who have played a big part in Woking’s resurgence. Mark Ricketts, always an inspirational figure, will be sorely missed. Absent from yesterday’s squad were Keiran Murtagh, Joey Jones and Aaron Howe. Jones will definitely be missing again, having just had an appendix operation. And of course the Cards can no longer look to Jack Marriott, who was on the bench for Ipswich yesterday, to terrorise defences.

Ex-Shot Josh Payne, who missed the game at the Rec, will be looking to continue his outstanding form this season.

ALDERSHOT TOWN

The Shots started the season with a 10-point deduction as a result of going into administration following their relegation from League 2. Initially, it looked as though that deficit would soon be forgotten as they started the campaign in fine form, drawing away at Grimsby and beating Dartford 3-0 at the Rec. But subsequent form was never quite good enough, especially away from home, to lift the club clear of the relegation area, although, but for the 10-point deduction, a comfortable mid-table place would now be theirs.

The Shots have had some good results in recent games, however, notably a 4-1 away win at Alfreton Town and, on Friday, a crucial 3-2 home win over Salisbury City. Their cause was helped the same day by Hereford’s defeat at already-relegated Tamworth. The Shots will have every incentive to go all out for a win on Monday since this would secure their Conference Premier status, irrespective of Hereford’s results in their last two games, the last of which happens to be a visit to the Rec.

Frustratingly for Woking fans, the Shots’ star player has been striker Brett Williams, who has fully demonstrated the talent of which we saw only brief glimpses at Kingfield last season. Williams has netted 23 goals, including two against Salisbury. Bradley Bubb, another ex-Card, was an unused substitute in that game.

Manager Andy Scott strengthened the Shots’ squad with three loan signings on deadline day: midfielder Manny Oyeleke, returning from Brentford; young striker Harry Cornick from Bournemouth; and experienced centre-back Mark Phillips from Southend. Matt Paterson has also returned from a loan spell at Havant and Waterlooville, while Portsmouth defender Dan Butler has also joined the club on loan.

ADMISSION PRICES

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

The gates open at 10.30am and the Cardinals Bar will be open (to Woking fans only) from 11.00am.

The game will be segregated.

An added attraction will be a display by Professional Football Freestyler and FIVE - TIME Guinness World Record Holder, Daniel Cutting.

MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

Make sure you grab a copy of the last matchday programme of the season. The 56-page programme includes an ‘end of season’ interview with Garry Hill and a look at previous encounters between the Cards and the Shots. 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

BOOST THE BUDGET

The Cards Trust will be holding a ‘Boost the Budget’ collection, with every £ given matched by the Trust. So, please give generously and help Garry and Steve assemble another fine squad for next season.

LAST TIME OUT

Aldershot Town 2 Woking 1
26 August 2013

The Cards came into this game on the back of a disappointing home defeat by Welling United and suffering from early-season indiscipline, with Josh Payne, Jack Parkinson and Giuseppe Sole all suspended. Garry Hill started with a new central defensive partnership of Joe McNerney and Mike Cestor, with Gavin McCallum replacing Anthony McNamee. George Bowerman continued up front.

It was a disastrous starts for the short-of-confidence Cards. With only 22 seconds on the clock, Matt Paterson brushed aside a challenge from Joe McNerney and strode on to plant a shot inside Aaron Howe’s far post.

The Shots doubled their lead in the 19th minute, Manny Oyeleke bursting through the Cards’ midfield to release Paterson on the left. His fine cross was met by Brett Williams at the far post, who guided the ball home. A few minutes later the Shots were denied a third goal by a hotly-disputed offside decision.

Woking offered little by way of response, with only Gavin McCallum looking at all threatening.

Woking reduced the deficit in the second half with a possibly fortuitous penalty, the Shots’ keeper being adjudged to have brought down Gavin Williams, who converted from the spot. But the Shots had ample opportunities to make the game safe, with substitute Aaron Wickham spurning three great chances.

Woking: Aaron Howe, Adam Newton, John Nutter (George Frith 70), Mark Ricketts, Joe McNerney, Lee Sawyer, Gavin Williams, Kevin Betsy, Mike Cestor, George Bowerman (Freddie Ladapo 65), Gavin McCallum (Anthony McNamee 65)

Unused subs: Brett Johnson, Sam Beasant

Booked: Mike Cestor

Aldershot Town: Glen Morris, Joe Oastler, Craig Stanley, Jake Goodman, Adam Webster, Martin Rowlands, Brett Williams, Matt Paterson (Aaron Wickham 61), Manny Oyeleke, Chris Barker, Mark Molesley

Unused subs: Jordan Roberts, Jack Maloney, Cameron Brown, Luke Williams

Booked: Joe Oastler, Manny Oyeleke

Attendance: 3138 (652 away fans)

NEXT UP

The Cards’ final league game of the season is away at Tamworth next Saturday, 26 April, with a 5.30pm kick-off. Don’t forget, though, that Woking will play the Met Police in the Surrey Senior Cup Final at Kingfield on Wednesday 30 April.

Three other important dates for your diary:

Thursday 24 April – Fans’ Forum
Friday 25 April – Race Night
Saturday 3 May – End of Season Dinner and Presentation Evening

And don’t forget to pick up a season ticket form for the 2014-15 campaign!


Come on, you Cards!

Cards Suffer Derby Day Defeat

Glen Harrington
7:36pm, Mon 21st Apr 2014
Woking 1 Aldershot Town 2

The Skrill Premier

21st April 2014

It was a disappointing day for the Cards, as they fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat against local rivals Aldershot Town, in what was their final home league game of the season.

Former Woking player Brett Williams gave the Shots the lead mid-way through the second-half, dispatching a penalty into the bottom left-hand corner of the net after Mike Cestor was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area.

Brett Johnson levelled for the home side after slotting home Scott Rendell’s neat pull-back, only for Mark Molesley to net the winner for the visitors seven minutes from time – his shot from the edge of the area taking a huge deflection and looping over Sam Beasant.

The win all but guarantees Skrill Premier safety for Aldershot, who have spent much of the season looking over their shoulders. The Cards desperately missed their absent midfield trio of Mark Ricketts (suspended), Keiran Murtagh and Joey Jones (both injured), but will still feel aggrieved to have missed out on at least a point.

Garry Hill was forced into one change from Saturday's 2-2 draw against Forest Green Rovers, with Cestor coming in for Ricketts. The Frenchman started on the left of a four-man midfield, with John Goddard moving inside to partner Josh Payne.

The Cards began the game brightly, Goddard winning a corner inside the opening minute, with the resulting set-piece flying just over the head of Cestor at the back post. Aldershot goalkeeper Glenn Morris then had to be alert to prevent Rendell opening the scoring, coming out quickly to block the striker after Sole’s exquisite chipped ball looked to have played him in on goal.

Martin Rowlands had probably Aldershot’s best chance in the first-half, striking a low effort narrowly wide of the left-hand post, with referee Paul Rees refusing the Shots' appeals for a corner, despite the shot seemingly taking a deflection off the head of Joe McNerney.

Back at the other end, Kevin Betsy saw his shot from an angle palmed away, Cestor’s effort from the edge of the area proved tame, and Adam Newton’s cross was just about cut out by Morris, with the Aldershot stopper under pressure from Sole.

Half-time: Woking 0 Aldershot Town 0

Aldershot withdrew Rowlands at half-time, introducing Jordan Roberts as his replacement. It was a change that seemingly made a big difference to the visitors, who began to exert themselves more and more in midfield as the second period wore on.

However, the Cards will have been disappointed not to make more of the half’s first clear sight of goal – Rendell heading John Nutter’s free-kick over the crossbar from close range.

The decisive moment came when Emmanuel Oyeleke went for a long-range shot, with Cestor jumping and twisting to block the ball. The midfielder’s effort struck the stray arm of the Woking defender, and Aldershot were handed the opportunity to open the scoring from the penalty spot. Williams made no mistake, striking the ball hard and low to Beasant’s right, sending the Cards' keeper the wrong way and netting his 24th league goal of the season.

It was a lead that lasted just seven minutes. John Nutter’s corner from the right was seemingly cleared by Craig Stanley, but the Cards kept possession and eventually found Rendell in space inside the penalty area. The striker unselfishly pulled the ball back, and Johnson was on hand to steer the ball past Morris to send three-quarters of a packed Kingfield into utter delirium.

For several minutes, it looked as if the Cards would go on and claim a winner, as they had done in their last home game against Alfreton. Garry Hill threw on Anthony McNamee in place of Sole and the hosts charged forward.

Unfortunately for Woking, they were undone by a huge slice of bad luck as, on the counter-attack, Josh Scott found Molesley, whose long-range shot flicked off a defender and flew past a helpless Beasant into the net.

Young striker Reece Beckles came on to try and rescue a point for the hosts, but it was too little too late for a second equaliser. Betsy squandered the Cards' one and only real chance, turning McNamee’s cross into the arms of Morris, although Payne’s shot in the dying seconds wasn’t too far away from the target.

It was, in the end, something of an anti-climax to Woking’s superb second-half of the season. It’s worth remembering that the Cards were without four players who contributed massively to their success this term, including striker Jack Marriott – who has been an unused substitute in both of Ipswich’s last two games, since he was recalled from his loan spell.

Nonetheless, Woking fans still have plenty to smile about in the knowledge that they have already surpassed last season’s points tally, and can go into their final game of the season against already-relegated Tamworth looking to go out on a high.

Woking: Sam Beasant, Adam Newton, John Nutter (Reece Beckles 85), Joe McNerney, Brett Johnson, Kevin Betsy, Josh Payne, John Goddard, Mike Cestor, Giuseppe Sole (Anthony McNamee 77), Scott Rendell

Unused Subs: Andy Little, Adam Brice, Niall Wright

Goal: Johnson 72

Booked: Betsy 21, Newton 90

Aldershot Town: Glenn Morris, Anthony Tonkin, Mark Phillips, Joe Oastler, Chris Barker, Martin Rowlands (Jordan Roberts 46), Emmanuel Oyeleke, Craig Stanley, Mark Molesley, Brett Williams (Bradley Bubb 79), Josh Scott

Unused Subs: Luke Williams, Adam Mekki, Dan Butler

Goals: Williams 65, Molesley 83

Booked: Williams 35, Stanley 42, Molesley 45, Scott 90

Sponsor's MOTM: Brett Johnson – scored Woking’s goal and battled bravely at the back, making several vital interventions.

Attendance: 4,728


WOKING LINEUP
1Sam Beasant
2Adam Newton
3John Nutter
5Joe McNerney
6Brett Johnson
20Josh Payne
22John Goddard
11Kevin Betsy
15Mike Cestor
21Scott Rendell
10Giuseppe Sole
BENCH
28Andy Little
19Adam Brice
17Niall Wright
14Anthony McNamee
34Reece Beckles
Aldershot Town LINEUP

Woking 1-2 Aldershot Town (Garry Hill Interview)

Brett Johnson Interview

Nick Shaw
4:46pm, Mon 21st Apr 2014
David Holmes speaks to Brett Johnson after Woking's defeat to Aldershot Town today.



Brett Johnson: (iPhone/iPad link)









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