MATCH PREVIEW | OXFORD CITY VS WOKING
City look to return to winning ways against Woking.
Oxford City will be hoping to pick up a first win in six, as they host Woking this weekend.
Having had last weekend off due to FA Cup fixtures, Ross Jenkins’ side will hopefully be revitalised as they look to get back to winning ways.
The Hoops currently sit in 23rd, but a win could take them out of the relegation zone and as high as 19th.
City were defeated last time out, but very much held their own against second-place Barnet, falling short of a result courtesy of two Callum Stead goals in quick succession.
Saturday's opponents, Woking, were in action last weekend in the FA Cup, however exited the competition after a shock defeat to Isthmian League South East Division side Ramsgate.
The Surrey side’s fortunes in the league are much better however, and they currently sit in a respectable 12th place. However, after finishing fourth last season, just two points behind this year’s league leaders Chesterfield, the Cardinals will be looking to put together a run to get them back in the play-off hunt this year.
FIXTURE DETAILS
Oxford City vs Woking
Vanarama National League
RAW Charging Stadium
Saturday 11th November, 15:00
Referee: Sam Mulhall Assistants: Carl Peters & Steven Scott Fourth Official: Thomas Staten
RECENT FORM
Oxford City - D L L L L
City are going through a tough period of the season. After being knocked out of the FA Cup late on by Scarborough, the injury-hit Hoops have lost three consecutive league games.
Defeat at Barnet last time out followed 3-1 losses at Wealdstone and Bromley, but a rare week off for City gives them a chance to recouperate and hopefully prepare themselves best to get back to winning ways on Saturday after a number of injuries.
Their last win came just over a month ago, in the 3-0 victory over Fylde, however the Hoops are still fighting and will be hunting for an important three points this weekend.
Woking - W L W L L
Woking aren’t quite hitting the heights of last season’s fourth place finish, but still find themselves just five points outside the play-off spots.
As mentioned, their loss to eighth-tier Ramsgate last week was massively disappointing, and after a decent start in the league, the Cards have lost four of their last five league matches, their single victory coming away at Eastleigh.
Their last league game was a 1-0 home defeat to Bromley, however they were unlucky not to take a point.
Woking’s form on the road is pretty strong however. They have accumulated 14 of their 22 points on their travels, including victories against Gateshead and Hartlepool earlier in the year. In fact, if the league table was based on away form alone, they would be in a play-off spot.
The side are also the fourth-strongest team defensively in the league, conceding 20 goals in 18 games so far this year.
ONE TO WATCH - Josh Casey
An ever-present in the side last year, left-back and skipper Josh Casey has written himself into Woking folklore since arriving at the club in 2018.
The 32-year old won three player of the season awards in his maiden season, as the side gained promotion to the National League, and has since made over 200 appearances, as the Cards have reached the FA Cup Third Round, an FA Trophy semi-final, and the play-offs
.
Prior to his years at Woking, Casey started out at Aldershot Town, graduating from their academy in 2009. He then spent time at Salisbury, Kingstonian and Bashley, before a move to Hampton & Richmond in 2015.
He reached the play-offs twice before his move to Woking.
The left-back was made captain instantly, and enjoyed a phenomenal first season, tasting play-off victory and promotion to the National League.
His influence propelled the side into 10th in their first season in the fifth tier, and he was rewarded with a new contract in 2021. After ensuring survival in 2022, Woking transitioned into a full-time side.
An impressive fourth place finish followed, with Casey featuring in every single league game, and the captain extended his contract in March this year.
HAVE WE MET BEFORE?
The two sides met in the National League South in the 2018/19 season, a season where Woking won promotion to the National League via the play-offs.
They did the double over City in the league that year, winning 3-2 at home in a crazy game that saw City pick up three red cards.
The cards were victorious 2-1 at Marsh Lane as well, despite an early Kabongo Tshimanga penalty.
The sides also met in the FA Trophy in both 2015 and 2016. City forced a replay in the former, before losing 2-1, and were also defeated in 2016’s game 1-0.
THE MANAGER - Darren Sarll
Sarll has been head coach of the Cardinals for around a year and a half now, firing them into the play-offs in his first full season last year. He also won the National League Manager of the Month award for November 2022.
The 40-year-old had a short career in non-league football, playing as a midfielder for Hitchin Town, Bedford Town, St Albans, Chelmsford, Dunstable Town and Hemel Hempstead between 2001 and 2006.
He then moved into youth team coaching, starting out at Stevenage. He then joined Brentford in 2008, while the side were still in League Two, and helped out as a first team coach at points. After a short spell at Rotherham, Sarll returned to Stevenage.
This time out, he worked as Head of Youth until 2015, before replacing Teddy Sheringham as first-team coach in February 2016. He kept the side up in League One, before taking them to 10th place in 2016/17.
He had a brief role at Watford as Head of Academy, before taking over at Yeovil Town. He spent two years at the Somerset side, where he impressed, before taking over at Woking mid-way through the 2012/22 season.
PLAYED FOR BOTH
The most notable name to feature for both sides is Kyran Lofthouse, who spent the 2019/20 season on loan at City from Oxford United, before joining Woking the next year.
The centre-half made nearly 100 appearances for the side, winning the Young Player of the Year award for the 2021-22 campaign.
He left the Cardinals this year, stepping up the divisions to Barnsley, but is on loan at Gateshead until January.
Bobson Bawling, Harvey Bradbury and Godfrey Poku also featured for both sides.
Bawling joined City from Woking in 2018, scoring once for the club before moving onto Enfield 1893. Bradbury helped Woking to promotion in a loan spell with the Cards back in 2019.
Poku also made the move from the Cardinals to the Hoops, and was a regular in the side in the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons, before returning to Woking.
HOW TO FOLLOW
FOLLOW THE ACTION:
Stay tuned to our official Twitter page for all the build-up, regular updates and post-match action.
LIVE STREAM:
This game will be available for international streaming via National League TV. You can buy a match pass by clicking HERE!
Remember to choose Oxford City as your favourite team!
AUDIO/RADIO COMMENTARY:
Can't make it to the match? BBC Radio Oxford will be providing full commentary of our match online.
Click HERE to head to the BBC's non-league commentary page where you'll be able to tune in at around 14:50. Or simply tune into BBC Radio Oxford on BBC Sounds.
