United travel to leafy Surrey tonight looking to strengthen their play-off ambitions and will face a Woking side fighting the threat of relegation. Phil Gilchrist's men sit in 22nd place, two points from safety following just one win in their last eight games, and will be hunting for nothing less than victory in our televised clash.

The Cards have been Conference residents since 1992 when they lifted the Isthmian League title, (now Ryman Premier). Legendary manager Geoff Chapple led Woking to the runners-up spot twice, whilst each of his remaining three seasons ended in a top five finish. The FA Trophy was also lifted three times during the 90s, whilst they became the non-league side nobody wanted to draw in the FA Cup. United, having succumbed to a 2-0 Second Round home loss to the Cards in December 1996, will testify to this.

Unfortunately, following Chapple's departure in 1997 the club have failed to relive those heady days and, apart from an FA Trophy Final appearance in 2006, their eighth place finish in 2005 has proved their most successful campaign since.

Glenn Cockerill, who took over following Chapple's exit, remained in the hot-seat until the latter stages of 2006/7, but packed his bags after another season of frustrating mid-table mediocrity turned to worries of relegation. Coaches Neil Smith and Graham Barker eventually steered the Cards to a respectable fifteenth place finish.

Last season saw Frank Gray take the reins but, as another disappointing campaign concluded, the ex-Leeds midfielder departed. The Cards won just seven home games throughout the season, whilst the Kingfield faithful saw their side score a meagre 28 goals in the process. Ex-United striker Liam Marum bagged a mere two goals during the campaign and, although fellow forwards Giuseppe Sole and Marvin Morgan notched a combined 24, the Surrey side wound up in seventeenth place.

Ex-Charlton stalwart Kim Grant was appointed to the hot-seat for the start of the current campaign following an extensive selection process, with Chairman David Taylor stating he expected Woking to be a Football League Club within three years. However, just seven games into his tenure and a disastrous record of five losses and two draws, Grant was dismissed.

Taylor admitted mistakes had been made and tendered his own resignation, but this was refused by fellow board members. With Woking bottom of the table, Grant's assistant Gilchrist temporarily took charge of team affairs and, three weeks later, was appointed on a permanent basis. A former defender with Hartlepool, Oxford and in the Premiership with both Leicester and West Bromwich Albion, he wound up his career back at Oxford before arriving at Kingfield via coaching duties at the Leicester City Academy.

The Squad

As is synonymous in a side struggling with injuries at the wrong end of the table, Woking have operated a revolving door policy this season. Loanee, short-term contract and work experience players are sprinkled through the squad, although Gilchrist is clearly attempting to shape a side worthy of avoiding the drop.

The current No.1 at Kingfield is Simon Knowles who recently signed from financially stricken Weymouth after a two-month loan. Fellow stopper Nick Gindre departed in January, so competition between the sticks is provided by Ross Worner, who made his debut in last season's 0-0 draw with United in Surrey.

Protecting Knowles will be the defensive partnership of Colin Miles and Paul Lorraine. Miles is currently deputising as Captain for the injured Tom Hutchinson, who was targeted by Gary Brabin earlier this season as a potential new signing, whilst Lorraine served his non-league apprenticeship at AFC Wimbledon, Braintree and Fisher Athletic and has popped up with three goals this term. Promising youth graduate Dan Sintim and Michael Kamara, a non-contract signing from Fisher, will provide cover. A sustained spell with the physio means former United defender Abdou El-Kholti may not play against his old club, and foot injuries suffered by full backs Joe Magunda and another ex-U man, Danny Bunce, means highly talented Fulham loanee Joe Anderson will step in at left-back. Ivorian Patrice Konan mirrors him on the opposite flank. Konan has played at various clubs in the lower French leagues, with Anderson extending his loan from Craven Cottage last week after impressing the boss.

Another familiar face could be in midfield; Micah Hyde started his career with United, playing over 119 games in a five-year spell, scoring thirteen goals.

He joined Woking in February, bringing a wealth of experience from lengthy spells at Watford and Burnley, but is currently hampered by a niggling achilles injury.

If he fails to make the grade, wily campaigner Paulo Vernazza will control the engine room. Gilchrist appears to be opting for a 4-3-3 formation of late, so the former Watford and Arsenal man could be flanked by Australian left-winger Oliver Bozanic, on loan from Reading, and the right-sided Matt Pattison.

Alex Rhodes recently signed on a temporary basis from Rotherham, only to sustain an injury, so the wide roles are now bolstered by speedy Joel Ledgister, who played with Gilchrist at Oxford and has four goals this term, and the equally quick and physically imposing Goma Lambu. Competition in the centre is provided by holding midfielder Bradley Quamina, who began his career at Hayes and Yeading and is nursing a return from injury.

Should Gilchrist opt for a three-man front line, Rob Elvins, Kelvin Bossman and Wilfried Domoraud could form the triumvirate. Elvins is on loan from Aldershot following the surprise departure of five-goal striker Giuseppe Sole to Ebbsfleet on a similar deal. The Shots forward scored eleven goals during last season's Championship winning campaign, whilst 19-year old Ghanaian Bossman is enjoying a work experience spell from Reading as cover for the injured Delano Sam-Yorke. Unfortunately, the duo have just one goal between them to date, whilst the imposing figure of Frenchman Domoraud, who troubles any defence at this level, is top scorer with ten.

Also pushing for a place will be another former United man Liam Marum, who has bulged the net five times but was dropped to the bench for last weekend's trip to Kidderminster.

This Season

Following their aforementioned poor start, Gilchrist could only steer the Cards one way, and eye-catching wins over Histon and away at Mansfield contributed to a run of four victories in five games, catapulting them two places above the drop zone. However, inconsistent form meant a struggle to climb further away from those shark-infested waters. An impressive point was gained at Wrexham, with further draws coming at Grays, Eastbourne and Weymouth, whilst home games with promotion chasing Crawley and Torquay also ended in shared spoils. Nevertheless, a habit of succumbing to late goals saw maximum points dropped in several games, and they had to be content with a solitary win at Lewes during November and December. The victory was Woking's last on the road, and one of just two this term.

This form meant a return to the bottom four at the turn of the year, but there was some cheer thanks to 3-0 Setanta Shield triumphs over both Bognor and Salisbury. The latter gained revenge with an FA Trophy victory in early January, Forest Green then ended those Setanta Shield hopes, and three days later United inflicted a 4-1 league beating at the TRS. Giuseppe Sole scored against the U's that day but, with Gilchrist unhappy with his squad, Sole headed for Ebbsfleet and, as earlier mentioned, in came Elvins and Bossman to shake up the attack.

And shaken it was. Ebbsfleet were seen off 1-0 to mark Woking's first home league victory in nearly four months, and Wilfried Domoraud bagged a hat-trick in their fine 4-1 success over Northwich which lifted the Cards three places and three points clear of the drop zone.

The goalscoring purple patch did not last, though, and a terrible 4-0 hammering at Eastbourne was soon followed by consecutive 1-0 defeats at home to Kettering - their sixth reverse at Kingfield this season - and away at Salisbury, Altrincham and Stevenage. An enhanced performance in the 0-0 draw with leaders Burton was glossed over by a failure to score in five of their previous six games and, now back in the drop zone, supporters began to question Sole's exit.

A crucial 1-0 home win over Barrow, one of just six in front of the Kingfield faithful, was accompanied by a 1-1 draw with Wrexham which again lifted them clear of the bottom four but, they slipped agonisingly back into danger after last Saturday's poor display at Kidderminster concluded in a 3-0 loss. Following tonight's clash with United, the Cards have just seven games to preserve their status, and with tough fixtures against Oxford, Mansfield and Rushden in their last three matches there will be fingernail biting aplenty in Surrey.

Matchday Connection

Beginning his career with non-league side Leicester United in 1988, talented left-winger Neil Lyne was soon spotted by Brian Clough for Nottingham Forest. Despite not making it at a higher level he did enjoy loan spells at Walsall and Shrewsbury, whom he eventually signed for permanently in 1991. He made 80 appearances for the Shrews, scoring seventeen goals, before Ian Atkins added him to United's ranks in January 1993 for a whopping £75,000.

Neil joined a side struggling to clamber away from the lower reaches of Division One, (now Championship) but a solid debut helped the U's to a 2-0 home win over Grimsby. Unfortunately we succumbed to the drop, and the following season under Gary Johnson he was twice loaned to Chesterfield. By this time Neil had made his last outing in black & amber, a sub appearance during our 1-0 home loss to Rotherham in September 1994, meaning United received just seventeen games in return for a hefty outlay. He moved to Hereford in July 1994, (five goals in 80 apps) before prematurely winding up his career at Northampton, Kettering and Telford in 1998. He ran a successful sports coaching business for eight years then, following a spell with Gilchrist at Leicester City's academy, joined him at Woking as Assistant Manager earlier this season.

Doug Shulman

The views expressed on this page are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cambridge United Football Club or the webmaster.

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