TT MATCH PREVIEW
Steve Harris – @SteveHarris84
Match details: Woking versus Torquay United, FA Trophy quarter finals
Venue: Kingfield, Woking
Date: Saturday 27th February 2021
Kick-off: 3pm
Current form (last six all competitions):
Woking: D, D, L, W, L, W
Torquay United: W, L, W, D, L, W
Top scorers:
Woking: Kane Ferdinand 5
Torquay: Asa Hall 9
Woking’s record in the FA Trophy 2020-21
Round Three vs Dover Athletic W 2-1
Round Four vs Bromley D 1-1 won 7-6 on penalties
Round Five vs Sutton United W 1-0
Torquay’s record in the FA Trophy 2020-21
Round Three W 1-0 vs Chesham A
Round Four W 4-0 vs Boreham Wood A
Round Five W 2-0 vs Southport A
Last time the two teams met: Torquay United 4-1 Woking, Saturday December 28st 2019
Torquay United returned to winning ways against ten-man Woking to end a run of seven straight league defeats.
An eighth loss would have seen Johnson’s side equal an unwanted club record, but United rallied after falling behind to an early Jake Hyde strike. Skipper Asa Hall scored his second goal in as many games and Jamie Reid then hit his 19th of the campaign. Woking were then reduced to ten men after Godfrey Poku received two yellow cards before Ben Whitfield and Ruairi Keating found the target for the Gulls.
The Cards edged ahead on 12 minutes when a free-kick from Max Kretzschmar wasn’t fully cleared and fell to Jake Hyde, who scored his 13th of the season. Hyde looked well placed to score again in the 14th minute but his effort was tipped behind by Torquay keeper Lucas Covolan. Three minutes later, Jake Gray connected with corner from Kretzschmar but his shot was cleared off the line by Connor Lemonheigh-Evans.
The Gulls equalised in the 25th minute when Aaron Nemane picked out Hall who found the target with a shot from the edge of the penalty area – which took a deflection off Gray – to make it two goals in two games. On 38 minutes, United were in front after Whitfield produced a cross which Keating nodded towards goal and Woking keeper Sam Howes appeared to have denied him, but the rebound fell to Reid who reacted quickest to tap home.
Woking found themselves at a numerical disadvantage in the 54th minute when Poku received a second yellow card for a dangerous challenge on Whitfield. Three minutes later Cards assistant manager Ian Dyer was awarded a yellow card for arguing with referee James Durkin.
United further extended their lead on 71 minutes when Whitfield nodded home a cross from Reid, following good work from Keating. The Gulls then added a fourth deep in injury time as Keating latched onto a long pass from Reid before lifting the ball over Howes from 35-yards to seal a much needed win for United.
Manager: Alan Dowson
Gateshead-born Alan Dowson appeared in the Football League for Millwall, Fulham, Bradford City and Darlington before first dropping into non-league football with Slough Town in the 1993-94 season. He took up his first managerial post in 2004 when he was appointed as player- manager at Walton and Hersham and in his first season in charge they finished as runners-up in Isthmian League Division One.
In 2007, he moved on to Kingstonian who he guided to promotion from Isthmian League Division South in the 2008-09 campaign. He remained in charge of the K’s until 2014 and during this time they twice missed out on promotion to National League South through the Isthmian League play-offs – in the 2009-10 and 2013-14 seasons – before he resigned to spend more time with his family.
His next managerial port of call was with Hampton and Richmond in September 2014, who he would later lead to the Isthmian League title in the 2015-16 season. He was then appointed as manager of Woking in the summer of 2018 and led them to promotion from the National League South via the play-offs.
Dowson has also worked alongside Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler, who is currently the Cards first team coach, in all his previous roles as a manager.
One to watch: Kane Ferdinand
The cousin of Les, Rio and Anton Ferdinand, Kane Ferdinand started his career with Southend United in 2010 before joining Peterborough United two years later. After failing to establish himself as a regular with the Posh, Ferdinand was loaned out to Northampton Town, Luton Town and Cheltenham Town before joining Dagenham & Redbridge in 2015. He then dropped into non-league football with East Thurrock in 2016, and moved onto Woking later that year. He is currently the Cards’ top scorer with five goals and has also been capped by the Republic of Ireland at Under-21 level.
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