WOKING v COLCHESTER UNITED

WOKING v COLCHESTER UNITED

Pre-season friendly

7.45pm on Tuesday 22 July 2008



Kim Grant?s side play their third pre-season friendly on Tuesday evening against the U?s. After the exhilaration of a couple of seasons in the Championship, Geraint Williams?s side are back in League One but at least they?ll be playing in a spanking new stadium, having said fond farewells to Layer Road after some 70 years. The U?s have got some very useful-looking players, including free-scoring Steve Gillespie and 6?4? Clive Platt up front, so it should be a stiff test for the Cards.



WOKING



In their two friendly games so far the Cards have drawn 1-1 at Farnborough and 0-0 against a Neil Smith XI on Saturday. It was hard to draw many conclusions from Saturday?s game, which wasn?t an entirely serious affair (as Martin Allen in particular seemed keen to demonstrate!). Tuesday evening will be different and both sides will be keen to show that their pre-season preparations are beginning to bear fruit.



All the squad should be available for selection with the exception of Matt Pattison, who is still recovering from an ankle injury he sustained at Farnborough.



COLCHESTER UNITED



The U?s have made four major signings over the summer but have lost their ex-Charlton striker, Kevin Lisbie, who decided to stay in the Championship with Ipswich. They have also loaned out another striker, Jamie Guy, to Oxford United for the season.



The most exciting signing, in a deal worth over ?400k, is that of striker Steven Gillespie from Cheltenham Town. But Geraint Williams has also strengthened the U?s defence, bringing in Matt Lockwood for a six-figure fee from Nottingham Forest and ex-Barnsley skipper, Paul Reid. The fourth signing will be familiar to Cards fans: midfielder David Perkins, who always impressed in Jim Harvey?s Morecambe sides but who spent last year at Rochdale, helping them reach the play-offs.



In their opening friendly Steve Gillespie opened his account for the U?s in the best possible way, notching a hat-trick in 45 minutes to give them a 4-0 away win at Tiptree. Trialist Ahanni-Sunday Wasiu got the other goal via a deflection. On Saturday the U?s had a resounding 6-1 win at Heybridge Swifts, with goals coming from Mark Yeates (2), Wasiu, Platt, Scott Vernon and an own goal. The U?s christen their new stadium on 4 August with a game against Atletico Bilbao. A slightly less glamorous start to the season awaits them five days later: a trip to Hartlepool!



ADMISSION PRICES



Admission to any part of the ground is ?10 for adults and ?5 for concessions. There will be a programme, priced ?1. The new home kit will also be on sale but only limited sizes are available until new stocks arrive shortly.



MORE PRE-SEASON GAMES



The remaining pre-season games are:



July 24th Godalming Town away 7.45pm

July 26th Maidenhead Utd away 3pm

July 30th Oxford City away 7.45pm

July 31st WOKING & MAYBURY SPORTS CLUB HOME 7.45PM

Aug 2nd BRENTFORD HOME 3PM

Aug 5th SOUTHAMPTON X1 HOME 7.45PM





Come on, you Cards!