Cards hopeful of overdue success

Maidenhead United vs Woking
Vanarama National League
Tuesday 10th April 2018

The Cards make the familiar journey to York Road on Tuesday evening to take on Maidenhead United in a rearranged fixture, our penultimate away trip of the season, looking to finally break a now ten game winless run.

A lot has changed for the Cards since they were originally due to visit Maidenhead at the beginning of March. Unfortunately, the team remains without a win in that period, and after slipping further down the table the visitors will be more desperate than ever to get three points on the board. The team, now managed by Geoff Chapple and Jason Goodliffe, have plenty to build on after an encouraging draw at Dagenham and Redbridge last time out in what was the club’s first game since Anthony Limbrick’s departure. However, with the games quickly running out, and with Solihull Moors having closed to within a point of Woking with their win on Saturday, the new management team know that they quickly need to turn hard-earned draws into victories by any means necessary.

The Magpies have had a solid if unspectacular first season at National League level after winning promotion at the end of last season. They are actually the lowest ranked of the four promoted teams at present, sitting a point and a place below FC Halifax Town, and well adrift of play-off chasing AFC Fylde and Ebbsfleet United. However, with 49 points on the board and games in hand on many of the teams around them, they look set for another season in non-league’s top tier and that is certainly not something to be sniffed at. Their recent form has been poor however, with their last win coming back in mid-February, whilst they’ve only managed three league wins since the turn of the year – one more than the Cards. Their current six game winless streak includes a 7-1 thrashing by Gateshead, a home defeat by struggling Barrow, and last time out a late 1-0 loss at Aldershot.

Despite mixed fortunes at the ground in recent years, York Road does bear happy memories for many Woking fans, with the Cards having clinched the National League South title there themselves back in 2012. Please make the trip once again if you possibly can and, hopefully, cheer the team on to another important result!

Woking Team News

It will be interesting to see, after making two changes for their first game in charge, whether Chapple and Goodliffe decide to stick with the team which performed so admirably in Essex on Saturday. Indeed, the Cards certainly looked more solid with Jordan Wynter restored at centre-back alongside goalscorer Josh Staunton, and if Nathan Ralph is not fit to return then it’s hard to see either Matt Young or Louis Ramsay missing out on selection.

The midfield has also remained something of a constant in recent games with Chez Isaac, such an important player in the Woking midfield in its early season good form, now fit and firing again alongside Kane Ferdinand and top scorer Charlie Carter, who will no doubt be eager to add to his ten league goals before the end of the season.

Many Woking fans were pleased to see Louie Theophanous given a chance from the start against Dagenham, after impressing from the bench in recent weeks, and he could well continue alongside Regan Charles-Cook and Reece Grego-Cox in a strong attacking line-up. Other options include a rare start for loanee Jonny Edwards or a recall for Anthony Cook.

Maidenhead Team News

The Magpies have a strong squad assembled by the extremely experienced Alan Devonshire and, as always, will provide a stern test for the Cards in what will be their third meeting with each other so far this season.

Against the Shots, Devonshire selected Carl Pentney in goal, an experienced keeper who once had a brief loan spell with the Cards; a back four of French full-back Remy Clerima, another former Woking prospect Rene Steer, captain Alan Massey and ex-Braintree defender Jake Goodman; in midfield was the promising Ryan Upward alongside Sam Barratt; out wide they had Harry Pritchard and Harold Odametey; with former Woking forward Moses Emmanuel, or Ademola as he was known at Kingfield, playing behind another former Braintree man, Sean Marks, up front.

The additional options in their squad include former England C international forward Jake Hyde, experienced midfielder Adrian Clifton, and defenders Max Kilman, Christian Smith and Gabriel Osho.

Last Time Out

Woking 0-2 Maidenhead United (Saturday 16 December 2017 – FA Trophy)

After putting up such a brave fight in defeat to League One Peterborough in the FA Cup the previous Tuesday, a tired Woking team limped quietly out of their second cup competition in five days with a timid defeat at home to the Magpies, whose goals came through Emmanuel and Hyde in the second-half. From a home side perspective the game was only really memorable for the performance of on-loan goalkeeper Jojo Wollacott who, deputising for the injured Nathan Baxter, made a string of fine saves in a man-of-the-match performance which kept the scoreline respectable.

On the Day

The Cards Trust will be running a coach to this game, leaving Kingfield at 5pm. The cost is £15 for members & £20 for non-members. Email shop@wokingfc.co.uk to book.

For those travelling directly, the ground is located on York Road, postcode SL6 1SF. The nearest railway station is Maidenhead which is about a five minute walk from the ground. Full travel details can be found on the Maidenhead website. Ticket prices for the game are £15 for adults, £10 for concessions and £5 for Under 16s. Tickets can be purchase in advance via the Maidenhead website or bought on the gate.

Next Up

Woking have just three games remaining after Tuesday’s encounter. The conclusion to our season starts at home to Bromley on Saturday, before a potentially crucial trip to bottom-of-the-table Guiseley – likely to be relegated by then – followed by a home game with Dover at the end of April; tickets for both home games available online now via our website.