Cards face tricky Cup test

Maidenhead United v Woking
FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round
3pm on Saturday 24 October 2015

Garry Hill’s side travel to Maidenhead United on Saturday for what looks like a tricky FA Cup tie against Alan Devonshire’s team, who are going well in the National League South. The Cards will be hoping that they can shake off their own recent poor league form and come through unscathed to reach the First Round Proper. Make the trip if you can to cheer the side on.

WOKING

The Cards have been going through a lean spell with only one win and a draw in their last seven league games, having most recently lost at home 1-0 to Wrexham in a disappointing display. Keiran Murtagh will be available on Saturday, having served his one match suspension, but Brian Saah will be missing as a result of his two yellow cards against Wrexham. Cards fans will hope that Mark Ricketts has recovered from the injury which sidelined him again last Saturday.

Alan Devonshire will know all about the threat posed by Dan Holman, having signed him from Histon for Braintree.

Woking fans will have mixed memories of recent trips to York Road. On the plus side, there was the emotional victory which clinched the Conference South title in April 2012 (see below). But many fans will still shudder at the memory of the 4-1 drubbing in the FA Cup earlier that season and will be fervently hoping that we avoid another Cup ‘car crash’.

There is a prize of £12,500 for the winners of this tie plus, of course, the chance to possibly take on a League 1 or 2 side in the First Round Proper.

MAIDENHEAD UNITED

The Magpies are sitting in 5th place in the National League South table, with 23 points from 13 games. At home they’ve won four, drawn two and lost one in the league, with ten goals scored and five conceded. Their only defeat at home came against fourth-placed Maidstone United on 15 September. In contrast to Woking’s recent form, Maidenhead have won five and drawn one of their last six games.

In the FA Cup the Magpies drew 1-1 at Winchester City before winning the replay 4-2 and then defeated Blackfield and Langley FC 1-0 away in the last round.

There are many familiar names in the Magpies’ squad, including several players who played for Devonshire at Braintree or Hampton and Richmond Borough, including defenders Ryan Peters and Alan Massey and midfielder James Mulley, who all followed Devonshire from Braintree in the summer, and defender Dean Inman and striker Dave Tarpey, who were both at Hampton. Other familiar names include keeper Carl Pentney and defender Rene Steer, both of whom briefly appeared for Woking, and strikers Ben Wright (who played for Devonshire at Hampton and Braintree) and Jake Reid. Wright scored both goals in the Magpies’ 2-0 win over Weston-super-Mare last Saturday.

GETTING THERE

Maidenhead United FC
York Road
Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 1SF

Tel: 01628636314
Website: www.pitchero.com/maidenheadunited

By coach

The Cards Trust coach leaves the Laithwaite Community Stadium at 12.30pm. Members £10. Non-members £15. Accompanied U16s £5/£8. Phone or email the Club Shop (01483 772470 or shop@wokingfc.co.uk) to book your place.

By car

From Woking head to the M25, which you then leave at junction 15 to join the M4 (signposted The West, Reading, Slough). Leave the M4 at junction 8/9 and follow signs for Maidenhead town centre. Proceed to the first roundabout on the one-way system and take the fourth exit, thereafter taking a left at the cinema. Go down the hill and the ground is the second exit on the right.

There is no parking at the ground and street parking in the area is very limited. There are municipal car parks on Grove Road, Park Street or The Broadway, which are all within five minutes’ walk of the ground.

By train

You can either go via Guildford or Basingstoke, in each case then via Reading, or head up to London and travel from Paddington. The Guildford or Basingstoke routes are probably quicker and cheaper, though more reliant on connections. A possible journey on the Guildford route is to take the 12.55 from Woking to Guildford, arriving at 13.03. Then take the 13.09 to Reading, getting in at 13.54. Finally, take the 14.03 to Maidenhead, arriving at 14.17. There’s a similar journey via Basingstoke and Reading, starting with the 12.35 from Woking to Basingstoke, eventually arriving at Maidenhead at 14.02. There are comparable journeys half an hour earlier. If you intend to go via Paddington, there are frequent trains from there, either direct or via a change at Slough or Reading. The direct trains at 13.27 and 13.42 arrive at 14.04 and 14.22 respectively. York Road is a very short walk from Maidenhead station. Cross the one-way system and walk to the end of Bell Street.

Trains back from Maidenhead to Woking via Reading and Guildford are at 04 (quicker) and 34 minutes past the hour. Trains via Basingstoke are at 23 or 24 minutes past the hour.

Look up www.nationalrail.co.uk or www.trainline.com for more details of train times and prices.

ADMISSION PRICES

On the assumption that normal admission prices apply, they are:

Adults £10
Concessions £6
U16s £3

If a replay is required, it will take place on Tuesday (27 October) with a 7.45pm kick-off at the Laithwaite Community Stadium.

LAST TIME WE MET

Maidenhead United 0 Woking 1
12 April 2012

‘Champions, champions!’ That was the cry at York Road as Garry Hill’s side clinched the BSBS title, and automatic promotion to the Blue Square Premier, with two games to spare. And it was fitting that the decisive goal should come from Gez Sole, claiming a Club record by scoring in nine consecutive league games, firing home after his first-half penalty had been initially saved by Magpies keeper Billy Lumley.

The Cards had already been beaten twice by Maidenhead earlier in the season but Woking fans were confident that this was going to be a day of celebration. After a relatively quiet start the Cards took control after Gez Sole had converted a penalty, at the second attempt, midway through the first half. But, in spite of numerous attempts on goal, Woking’s lead was confined to just the one goal at half-time.

Maidenhead came more into the game after the break but rarely looked like seriously troubling the Cards’ defence. Alan Inns nearly wrapped up the game late on when his header came off the post but there were no last-minute alarms for Woking fans as they celebrated a memorable day.

Woking: Aaron Howe, Adam Newton, Mike Cestor, Keiran Murtagh (Derek Duncan 86), Alan Inns, Joe McNerney, Paris Cowan-Hall (Elvis Hammond 76), Tom Davis, Moses Ademola (Dale Binns 76), Giuseppe Sole, Jack King

Unused subs: Glenn Wilson, Andy Little

Maidenhead United: Lumley, Behzadi, Solomon, Brown, Nisbet (Semakula 90), Scarborough, Powell, McKain, Holgate (Tison-Lascaris 70), Barney, Pritchard (Williams 81)

Unused subs: Hippolyte, Opara

Attendance: 1192

COMING UP

The Cards are away at Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday 31 October. The following Saturday (7 November) is set aside for the First Round Proper of the FA Cup. The Cards’ next home league game is on Tuesday 10 November when Braintree Town are the visitors, closely followed by another home game, against Macclesfield Town, on Saturday 14 November.

Come on, you Cards!