Cards wait on weather

Weston-super-Mare v Woking
3pm on Saturday 11 February 2012

Weather permitting, the Cards make the long haul down to Weston-super-Mare this Saturday, hoping to pick up another three points ahead of their vital clash with second-placed Dartford at Kingfield the following weekend. Another win would edge the Cards closer to the title but the sixth-placed Seagulls have a fine home record and are likely to prove a stiff test.

WOKING

The Cards remain 11 points clear of Dartford, who have two games in hand. Garry Hill will be anxious to retain that margin if at all possible since another win for the Cards will put even greater pressure on Dartford, who are also still involved in the FA Trophy.

The postponement of last Saturday’s game v Dorchester Town will have given Woking’s ‘walking wounded’ more time to recover, but Mark Ricketts and Paris Cowan-Hall will presumably still be missing. Adam Doyle will be available for selection, having completed his two-match ban, but Aaron Howe is facing a one-match suspension following his dismissal at Salisbury City.

WESTON-SUPER-MARE

The Seagulls are having a successful season, and all credit must go to their manager Craig Laird for mounting a play-off challenge on what must be one of the smallest budgets in the league. They now sit in 6th place, with 43 points from 27 games, only two points behind fifth-placed Sutton United. At home they’ve won 8, drawn 2 and lost 4, scoring 28 goals and conceding 21.

Weston started 2012 in excellent form, reeling off four straight league wins, including a 2-0 defeat of Welling United. But they’ve nosedived in their last two matches, losing by the same 0-3 scoreline to Boreham Wood away and, even more surprisingly, at home to Bromley.

Striker Nat Pepperell missed the game against Bromley, with Nabi Diallo taking his place. Sahr Kabba, top scorer with ten goals, and Kane Ingram are also a threat up front, whilst at the back Lloyd Irish has been a normally reliable keeper and Matt Villis an uncompromising central defender. His defensive partner Jamie Price needs to be marked especially carefully at free-kicks, having notched six goals so far this season. Dayle Grubb has mustered eight goals from midfield and pulls the strings with Ben Cleverley.


GETTING THERE

Woodspring Stadium
Winterstoke Road
Weston-super-Mare
Somerset
BS24 9AA
Tel: 01934 621618

Website:

http://www.weston-s-mareafc.co.uk

By Coach

Departs: 11.00
Members: £19
Non-Members: £25

Phone or email the Club Shop to book: 01483 772470 or shop@wokingfc.co.uk

By Car

Head for the M4, leaving at J20 to join the M5. Leave M5 at J21 (Weston-super-Mare) and make your way towards the town centre. Follow the dual carriageway through three roundabouts and into a long straight road. You should see some large DIY stores in front. Keep left. At the 4th roundabout turn left by Blockbusters and go straight (2nd exit) at the small roundabout. Carry on along the road and over the small railway bridge. Keep looking right as you are almost there. When entering the ground you will see the offices at the front with adequate free parking for cars and coaches.

By Train

Nearest station: Weston-super-Mare

There are various routes, including:
1) Woking - Basingstoke - Reading - Weston
2) Woking - Basingstoke - Reading - Bristol Parkway - Weston
3) Woking - Guildford - Reading - Bristol Temple Meads - Weston

The journey should take around 3 hours.

The ground is a 30-minute brisk walk from the station. Come out of the station using the exit and platform opposite the main entrance. Walk along till you come to a busy roundabout (you should see Aldi on your left). Walk across the roundabout and head towards Halfords. Walk to the right of it following the road through the shopping area which includes Comet, Currys and Pets at Home. Keep walking till you go past the Kentucky Fried Chicken ‘drive through’ and see a roundabout beyond it. Walk past that and up to a mini-roundabout. Turn right on the mini-roundabout and carry on walking over the railway bridge and the ground is on your right-hand side.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults: £10
Senior Citizens: £6
u16s: £6
Adult + u10: £11
Senior Citizen + u10: £7

LAST TIME OUT

Woking 4 Weston-super-Mare 1
24 October 2011

Patience was the order of the day in this Monday evening fixture. Garry Hill made one change from the side which had secured a not wholly convincing 1-0 win at Staines, bringing in Derek Duncan at left-back, and partnering Adam Doyle with Mark Ricketts in central defence, with Alan Inns stepping down.

A largely frustrating first half looked as though it would remain goalless till some clever play by ‘man of the match’ Moses Ademola drew a penalty on the stroke of half-time, which Jack King converted.

The Cards were clearly intent on getting a quick second goal after the break but several chances went begging. Weston, playing some neat, passing football, rallied but a further Woking breakthrough came in the 73rd minute when Ademola slipped in Elvis Hammond, who ‘dinked’ a shot over the keeper. A third goal followed almost immediately when Ademola’s smart strike beat the keeper. Gez Sole added a fourth with five minutes to go, turning and shooting crisply from a Nathan Koranteng pass.

Weston pulled a goal back at the death when Aaron Howe was adjudged to have brought an attacker down in the box. Nat Pepperell converted for the visitors.


Come on, you Cards!

NB. Don’t forget that the Cards are at home to Ashford Town (Middx) on Monday evening in the Surrey Senior Cup and then entertain second-placed Dartford next Saturday in the keenly-awaited BSBS clash.