Cards look to slay Dragons again

Wrexham v Woking
FA Cup 1st Round
2pm on Sunday 9 November 2014

The Cards travel to Wrexham on Sunday in a tough, but winnable, FA Cup 1st Round tie. Garry Hill’s side will be buoyed by the knowledge that they have already won at the Racecourse Ground this season but they will know that the Red Dragons will certainly not underestimate them this time around. Neither side has been on top form recently but both showed defensive strengths in their respective goalless draws in league games last weekend. The tie, which is being televised live on S4C, ought to be closely contested, with the winners bagging £18,000 in prize money.

WOKING

The Cards gained a useful point at Braintree Town last weekend, coping better in defence than they had done in the narrow 2-1 victory over Boreham Wood in the previous FA Cup game and in the very disappointing 3-1 defeat at home by AFC Telford the week before that. Grimsby’s midweek win has seen Garry Hill’s side slip to 6th place in the table but with a game in hand on nearly all the clubs around them.

On Tuesday night a strong Cards side suffered a surprising and embarrassing 3-0 defeat at home to Ashford Town (Middx) in the Surrey Senior Cup. One can only surmise that the players’ minds must have been on the forthcoming Cup tie. But, if they play as poorly again, Woking’s name will certainly not be in the hat for Monday night’s 2nd Round draw!

Subject to any new injury concerns, Garry should have a full squad to choose from apart from long-term absentee Mark Ricketts and cup-tied keeper Ross Worner. Although Aaron Howe returned from a lengthy injury lay-off to take his place in goal on Tuesday night, it seems much more likely that Jake Cole, who played well against Boreham Wood, will start.

WREXHAM

The Dragons finished in a lowly 17th place last season – a hugely disappointing outcome for a club of Wrexham’s stature.

Kevin Wilkin, the former Nuneaton manager, who joined Wrexham in January this year, returned to his former club in the summer to prise from them star striker Louis Moult and pacy left-winger Wes York. His other big signing up front was Connor Jennings, who shone on loan at Macclesfield last season, scoring 18 goals before injury forced his return to Scunthorpe. A loan spell at Grimsby Town followed but when he was released by Scunthorpe in the summer it was Wrexham who managed to secure his signature. Moult and Jennings join Andy Bishop in vying for striking places.

Two significant signings in defence were those of Blaine Hudson, who enjoyed a successful season-long loan at Welling United last season from parent club Cambridge United, and Manny Smith, with bags of League experience with Notts County and Walsall. Hudson, at 6’4�, is a particular threat at set pieces. York and Neil Ashton provide pace on the flanks, with Elliot Durrell prominent in midfield.

Wrexham currently sit in 11th place with 28 points from 18 games. Their recent form has been patchy, with only one win in their last six league and FA Cup games: a 5-2 win at home against Macclesfield in an FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round replay, with the Silkmen being reduced to ten men shortly after half-time. In the league at home, Wrexham have beaten Nuneaton, Welling, Eastleigh and Kidderminster, drawn against Macclesfield and Halifax and lost to Gateshead, Woking and Grimsby.

GETTING THERE

The Glyndwr University Racecourse Ground
Mold Road
Wrexham
Wales
LL11 2AH

Official website: www.wrexhamafc.co.uk

By coach

The Cards Trust coach leaves Kingfield at 8.30am. The cost is £24 for Trust members and £29 for non-members. Ring the Club Shop (01483 772470) or email shop@wokingfc.co.uk to book your place.

By car

Take the M54 from the M6 (Junction 10A Northbound). Follow the M54 to the end of the motorway and join the A5 towards Shrewsbury. Continue on the A5 past Shrewsbury and Oswestry and then join the A483 towards Wrexham. Stay on the A483 as you reach Wrexham (this is the Wrexham by-pass). Exit at the 'Mold' junction and then follow the signs for 'Town Centre'. The Racecourse will come quickly into view. There is parking at Glyndwr University, for a small fee, next to the ground or at Maesgwyn Hall opposite the University.

By train

Wrexham General station is next to the ground. The 08.15 from Euston would get you to Wrexham at 11.47 via changes at Crewe and Chester. The 08.45 would arrive at 12.38, also via changes at Crewe and Chester (including a 50-minute wait at the latter). The 08.50 would get you to Chester at 12.55 via a single change at Birmingham International.

Coming back, you’d have to make a very quick (probably early) exit to catch the 16.00 train, which gets into Euston at 19.04 via changes at Crewe and Chester. A better bet looks to be the 17.06, which arrives at Euston at 19.45 via a single change at Chester.

Remember, it’s a 2pm kick-off!

ADMISSION PRICES

£15.00 - Adults
£10.00 - Over 62s / Under 21s
£3.00 - Over 80s / Under 16s

Woking supporters will be seated in the upper Yale Stand, with turnstiles 1-4 being open from 12.45pm.

If a replay is required it will take place at 7.45pm on Wednesday 19 November at Kingfield.

LAST TIME OUT

Wrexham 1 Woking 2
30 August 2014

An assured display from away-day experts Woking saw Garry Hill's unbeaten side climb to fourth in the table at the expense of fellow high-fliers Wrexham.

At one stage it looked like the Surrey visitors had fallen to a second equaliser, but sub Andy Bishop's strike was ruled out and Kevin Wilkin's frustrated home side got no closer from there.

The Cards went ahead against the run of play in the first half, but on the strength of their second-half display they fully deserved their fine victory.

In the end, league top-scorer Scott Rendell's superb early volley and an assured second-half winner from Dean Morgan after Louis Moult's leveller proved enough, but Hill's Cards had to battle.

Wrexham: Dan Bachmann, Neil Ashton (c), Manny Smith, Blaine Hudson, Joe Clarke, Elliott Durrell (Andy Bishop 76), Louis Moult, Rob Evans, Wes York (Theo Bailey-Jones 76), Ross White (Mark Carrington 83), Connor Jennings.

Subs not used: Andy Coughlin, Anthony Stephens.

Goal: Moult 38

Woking: Aaron Howe, Adam Newton (Theo Lewis 35), Mark Ricketts (c), Joe McNerney, James Clarke, Josh Payne, Keiran Murtagh (Joey Jones 78), Scott Rendell, Giuseppe Sole (John Goddard 84), Dean Morgan, Chris Arthur.

Subs not used: Mike Cestor, Andy Little.

Goals: Rendell 24, Morgan 66

Attendance: 3,154

NEXT GAME

The Cards’ next game sees another encounter with Wrexham, this time at Kingfield in the league. However, because the Cup game is being played on Sunday, the match has been put back a day to Wednesday 12 November.

Come on, you Cards!