SALISBURY CITY v WOKING
7.45pm on Tuesday 17 February 2009
This is a ?crunch? game for both sides, with both desperately needing a win but, equally, dreading the consequences of defeat. Both sides have reinforced recently in the struggle to avoid the drop but both lost at home on Saturday, the Cards 1-0 to Kettering Town and the Whites 4-0 to Histon: a surprisingly heavy loss. The Cards are struggling with a host of injuries. Fans will be hoping Paul Lorraine is fit enough to play but wouldn?t be surprised to find Colin Miles sidelined after seeing him in the wars on Saturday.
WOKING
Woking come off the back of a sequence of four successive home games with two wins (against Ebbsfleet United and Northwich Victoria) and two defeats (at the hands of Eastbourne United and Kettering Town): a smaller points haul than Phil Gilchrist would have hoped for. They now face three successive away games, of which the most crucial and the most winnable is Tuesday night?s game, before another sequence of four home games ? which look tougher than those they have just played.
There seems next to no chance of seeing any of the injured Tom Hutchinson, Danny Bunce, Paolo Vernazza, Goma Lambu, Delano Sam-Yorke and Joe Magunda: all missing on Saturday. Paul Lorraine was also an unexpected absentee but might not be fit enough to return before the trip to Altrincham next Saturday. Colin Miles picked up an injury against Kettering but insisted on playing on but must be considered doubtful for Tuesday night. Phil Gilchrist has suggested he might need to take the field himself. The alternative is to turn to youth team central defenders, Joe McNerney or Dan Sintin.
New loan signing, Rob Elvins, had a quiet game on Saturday. It will no doubt take him time to gel with strike partner, Wilfried Domoraud, but we can?t afford him to take too long!
SALISBURY CITY
The Whites now sit in 20th place, two places and two points behind Woking but with a game in hand. A win for the Cards would take them up to 16th place and five points clear of the relegation zone but defeat would of course enable the Whites to leapfrog them.
The Cards have beaten the Whites twice this season already. In September they fought hard to gain a 1-0 home win in the league and, in early December, they had a comfortable 3-0 win at Salisbury in the Setanta Shield. However, Nick Holmes?s side gained revenge a couple of weeks later when they inflicted a very disappointing 2-1 home defeat on Woking in the First Round of the FA Trophy, with ex-Card Charlie Griffin getting the injury-time winner.
A financial crisis forced the Whites to offload many of their best players in the autumn but former Director Peter Yeldon has now returned to the fold and has provided some cash to enable Nick Holmes to strengthen his squad. Chris Todd (recovering from treatment for leukaemia) and Michael Brough (ex-Stevenage and FGR) have arrived from Torquay and Charles Ademeno?s loan from Southend has been extended. The Whites can also now hold onto the prolific Matt Tubbs, who had previously been on loan at Bournemouth. Daniel Spence has also joined the Whites from Reading following the end of his three month loan at Kingfield. But Liam Feeney, who had been recalled from his loan spell at Southend, has now signed permanently for Bournemouth. The burly Robbie Matthews has gone to Crawley on loan, Dave Winfield?s loan from Aldershot Town has ended and two players on loan at Newport ? former captain Aaron Cook and Wayne Turk ? are not returning.
PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS
06-07: Salisbury City 3-1 Woking (McAllister) (FA Trophy First Round)
(McAllister)
07-08 Salisbury City 2-1 Woking (Sole)
Woking 3-2 Salisbury City (Morgan, Sole (pen), Norville)
08-09 Woking 1 Salisbury City 0 (Marum) (Setanta Shield)
Salisbury City 0 Woking 3 (Pattison, Domoraud, Denton)
Woking 1 Salisbury City 2 (Marum) (FA Trophy First Round)
GETTING THERE
Raymond McEnhill Stadium
Partridge Way
Old Sarum
Salisbury
SP4 6PU
Website: http://www.salisburycity-fc.co.uk/
By coach
Leaves 5pm. Members ?12. Non-members ?16. Phone the Club Shop on Tuesday to book or just turn up.
By car
Follow A322 and M3, leaving at junction 8 to join the A303. Leave A303 at the Countess Roundabout / Amesbury Junction and carry on through the town onto the A345. Continue towards Salisbury, past the turn-off to Boscombe Down on the left, up the hill and through the traffic lights at High Post (a hotel and nightclub are on your right) and carry on down to the Beehive junction roundabout. There is a large white sign, clearly marked 'football ground' in brown writing at the bottom. Turn left, through the first small roundabout and then left into Partridge Way.
By train
The 17.46 direct train from Woking arrives at Salisbury at 18.48. On the return journey the 22.25 from Salisbury arrives at Basingstoke at 23.07. You?d then need to pick up the 23.13 to Woking, arriving at 23.33. The ground is a long way from the station, so you?d need to take a taxi.
Come on, you Cards!
