MKJ Group

Wings provide stiff test on Saturday

Brian Caffarey
7:08am, Thu 22nd Aug 2013
Woking v Welling United
3pm on Saturday 24 August 2013

Jamie Day’s confident Welling side can be relied on to give the Cards a very stiff test on Saturday, having made an encouraging start to their life back in the Conference Premier despite some tough opening fixtures. Both sides have picked up a win, a draw and a defeat so far and will know that a couple of decent results over the Bank Holiday weekend would put them in a very promising position in the league table. Come on down to Kingfield for what should be a very competitive and entertaining encounter.

WOKING

Garry will have been relieved and pleased – and perhaps a little surprised – to come away with three points from the trip to Chester. He usually ensures that his side bounces back quickly from a defeat but even he must have thought the odds were against us when we went down to ten men, with Josh Payne’s sending-off before half-time, at the Deva Stadium. To go on and win 2-0 from that position says a lot about the character and determination of the side.

But Garry will no doubt have impressed on his players the importance of greater discipline, following the red card also given to Gez Sole at Braintree. The consequence of both players’ misdemeanours is that neither will be available for this game or the encounter with Aldershot Town at the Rec on Monday afternoon. With a small squad, you really can’t afford to lose players unnecessarily in that way.

Cards fans will no doubt be hoping to see new loan striker, Freddie Ladapo, make his home debut.

WELLING UNITED

Jamie Day’s side have returned to the Conference Premier after a 13-year gap. He has done an amazing job, on a tight budget, in putting together a team that looks more than capable of holding its own at this level. He has continued to pull in young players whom he has coached at youth level and to add some astute signings, of whom midfielder Harry Beautyman, who’s just arrived from Sutton United, is the latest.

Day has kept the nucleus of last season’s Conference South-winning side but has had to bring in two new centre backs, following the departure of Anthony Acheampong to Barnet and the release of Ben Martin. Arriving at Park View Road have been Doug Bergqvist, who joined Exeter City from Aldershot Town in the close season but who then started a season-long loan to the Wings, and Blaine Hudson, on loan from Cambridge United. Another arrival has been Loick Pires, returning to Welling after his unsuccessful spell at Kingfield last season. No doubt he will feel that he has something to prove: let’s hope his former Welling team-mate, Jack Parkinson, ensures he doesn’t succeed!

The main goal threat comes from Ross Lafayette, who notched 22 goals last season, but Day can also call on Kiernan Hughes-Mason, who scored 12 last year, and Kurtis Guthrie, a recruit from Bath City. Other players to look out for include the hugely-experienced skipper Lee Clarke, full back Jack Obersteller, midfielders Alex Dyer and Joe Healy and goal-scoring defender Fraser Franks.

The Wings have made a promising start to the season. By all accounts they were very unlucky not to come away with at least a point from their opening day trip to Wrexham, succumbing 2-1 to a late goal. They shared the points in a thrilling 2-2 draw at home to early pace-setters Cambridge United and then beat fancied Grimsby Town 1-0 at Park View Road.

ADMISSION PRICES

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

BOOST THE BUDGET

The Cards Trust will be having a bucket collection at the game in aid of its Boost the Budget initiative, which aims to provide over £30k to Garry’s playing budget this season in return for shares in the Club. Please give as generously as you can. You know that Garry will spend it wisely.

MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

Don’t miss out on the Club’s excellent matchday programme! In a packed edition Chairman Mike Smith marks the historic signing of the new lease for Kingfield. David Horncastle reveals all the hard work that has gone on this summer to produce a beautiful playing surface at Kingfield. Malcolm Wyatt, a one-time Shots fan, ventures down memory lane as we prepare for the derby game at the Rec on Monday. 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

LAST TIME OUT

As if to underline the problems indiscipline can cause, we can look back to last season’s disappointing 1-0 home defeat by the Wings in the FA Trophy. The Cards conceded an early goal from a Jamie Day free-kick and then went down to ten men in the 18th minute when Brett Williams perpetrated a dreadful lunge. Bradley Bubb picked up a second booking early in the second half to reduce the numbers still further. Not surprisingly, Welling held on fairly comfortably to their lead.

In the league the previous season the Cards lost 3-2 at Park View Road in a pulsating encounter which saw Jack Parkinson score twice for the home side – and Loick Pires get booked for leaving the field of play to go to the toilet! Paris Cowan-Hall and Gez Sole scored for Woking. At Kingfield later in the season the Cards effectively ended the Wings’ title challenge with a 2-1 win. Jack Parkinson gave the Wings the lead but it was cancelled out by Tom Davis, with Gez Sole netting the winner straight from the kick-off at the start of the second half.

NEXT UP

The Cards make the short trip to Aldershot Town on Monday afternoon for the eagerly-awaited match against the Shots. The following Saturday (31 August) Woking entertain Gateshead.

Come on, you Cards!

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