Glen Harrington
9:40pm, Fri 28th May 2021
Woking vs Wealdstone
Vanarama National League
Saturday 29th May 2021
It will be the end of an era in many ways on Saturday, with the Cards bringing a long and challenging season to a close by welcoming Wealdstone to the Laithwaite Community Stadium, in the final National League fixture of the season.
In a campaign dominated by the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, including a near-permanent absence of home support, Alan Dowson’s side have endured a difficult 12 months on and off the pitch. But with the prospect of greater financial backing, a shift back to full-time football, and with two exciting signings already confirmed for next season in the shape of Tyreke Johnson and Inih Effiong, the future is significantly brighter for the Cards. Such a stark change in approach means that Saturday’s game could be a last in a Woking shirt for a number of players, including popular centre-back Ben Gerring, who confirmed his imminent departure on social media this week. No doubt the players will be determined to sign off on a high after a successful three years which has seen promotion, a run to the third round of the FA Cup, as well as an FA Trophy semi-final. And what better way to do it than in front of a returning home support.
The visitors looking to spoil the fond farewell are Wealdstone, who have endured their own challenges this season and, like Woking, have particularly struggled for points during the second-half of the campaign. They currently sit one point and one place above the Cards in 19th, with nine wins, seven draws and 25 defeats from their 41 games, as well as a league-high 97 goals against. They are currently on a 10 match winless run and have only scored once in their last eight games, although they did pick up a credible goalless draw with Chesterfield two weeks ago. Their last away win came at FC Halifax Town back on 10th November last year.
Woking – Team News
Dowse was able to welcome back Max Kretzschmar against Stockport County last weekend, with the midfielder returning after eight games out, and scoring the Cards’ goal in a 1-1 draw. Several other players, including captain Josh Casey and midfielder Kane Ferdinand remain sidelined, meaning Dowse could hand further opportunities to youngsters such as Leo Hamblin, Jack Skinner and Joe Leslie, who will no doubt be keen to impress in their first senior game in front of supporters.
Wealdstone – The Boss
The Stones appointed Stuart Maynard in March on a deal until the end of the season. He had been in caretaker charge since early February following the dismissal of former boss Dean Brennan. Maynard was appointed alongside Brennan as his assistant in the summer of 2019 and the pair guided their team to automatic promotion from National League South last season.
One to Watch
Wealdstone have a number of former Woking players in their squad, including Moses Emmanuel (previously Moses Ademola), Ross Lafayette, and Dennon Lewis. But one of their key players will be captain and defender Jerome Okimo. The former Stevenage and Braintree man is in his second-spell with the Stones and has made more than 200 appearances for the club.
Last Time Out
Wealdstone 0-1 Woking – Vanarama National League (23rd March 2021)
Woking’s last win in any competition came courtesy of Moussa Diarra’s late strike. These two teams have won just one of 28 matches in all competition since this fixture – Wealdstone’s 5-1 victory over bottom of the table Barnet last month. The last meeting between the two sides at the Laithwaite Community Stadium was far more memorable, with the Cards coming from two goals down to win 3-2 in the National League South play-off semi-final.
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