Woking

Woking
Woking boss Glenn Cockerill has offered new deals to 13 of the players who helped them finish eighth this season. Shwan Jalal, Adriano Basso, Neil Smith, Simon Jackson, Jon Boardman, Luke Oliver and Gary MacDonald have all been given the chance to stay at Kingfield. Liam Cockerill, Chris Sharpling, Karl Murray, Ian Selley, Steve Evans and Raphael Nade are also offered deals. Meanwhile, Cockerill has released striker Jefferson Louis, in addition to Amos Foyewa and Jamie Gosling.

Woking bring in defender Aggrey
Woking have moved to replace defenders Luke Oliver and Jon Boardman by signing Jimmy Aggrey on a one-year contract. The 26-year-old centre-half arrives from Irish club Bohemians. Aggrey was with Woking manager Glen Cockerill at Fulham and has previous Football League experience with both Torquay and Yeovil. Aggrey told BBC Southern Counties Radio: "I got on well with Glenn and respect him. We had a good relationship and I know the way he likes to play." He began his career as a junior at Chelsea but never played for the first team and had a brief spell at Fulham before making his name with Torquay.

Conference LDV entrants confirmed
The Football League has confirmed the 12 Conference teams that will take part in this season's LDV Vans Trophy. Relegated pair Kidderminster and Cambridge are joined by the teams who finished 12th or higher in last season's Conference National table. The other invited sides are Accrington, Aldershot, Crawley, Dagenham & Redbridge, Exeter, Halifax, Hereford, Morecambe, Stevenage and Woking. The first round will take place in the week commencing 17 October.

Conference fixtures are announced
Cambridge United's first Conference game, following their relegation from the Football League, will be away at Forest Green Rovers on 13 August. Meanwhile, Kidderminster Harriers start life outside the League with a home game against Woking. Conference newcomers Altrincham, Grays and Southport have all been handed ties away from home on the opening day. Grays visit Burton Albion, Southport travel to Dagenham & Redbridge while Altrincham go to Stevenage Borough. All the Conference fixtures As is customary, Boxing Day features a number of "derbies" - such as York v Scarborough - with the return fixtures on 2 January. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nationwide Conference opening day fixtures (Saturday, 13 August): Accrington Stanley v Canvey Island Aldershot Town v Tamworth Burton Albion v Grays Athletic Dagenham & Redbridge v Southport Forest Green Rovers v Cambridge United Gravesend & Northfleet v Exeter City Hereford United v Scarborough Kidderminster Harriers v Woking Morecambe v Halifax Town Stevenage Borough v Altrincham York City v Crawley Town Tuesday, 16 August Altrincham v Accrington Stanley Cambridge United v Hereford United Canvey Island v Aldershot Town Crawley Town v Dagenham & Redbridge Exeter City v Kidderminster Harriers Grays Athletic v Gravesend & Northfleet Halifax Town v Burton Albion Scarborough v Morecambe Southport v York City Tamworth v Forest Green Rovers Woking v Stevenage Borough

Cards coach Johnson joins Glovers
Woking's reserve-team coach Peter Johnson has left Kingfield to join League Two champions Yeovil Town. Johnson will work with his brother Gary, the Glovers' boss, at Huish Park. Johnson was also the head of youth development at Woking as part of the management team working under first-team boss Glenn Cockerill. His arrival comes hot on the heels of defender Luke Oliver, who left the Cards to join Yeovil for an undisclosed fee earlier this summer.

Carlisle to open talks with Nade
Carlisle have been given permission to open talks with Woking's Raphael Nade after agreeing a fee for the player. The clubs struck a deal at the third time of asking and the 24-year-old striker is expected to discuss personal terms over the weekend. "He's an exciting, utility player. We will have a chat with him and take things from there," manager Paul Simpson told the club website. Nade recently signed a new 12-month deal with the Cards. The striker scored nine times for the Conference club last season.

Woking boss pleased for Ferguson
Woking boss Glenn Cockerill has praised striker Stevie Ferguson for his approach to the new campaign. The former Tottenham forward, 23, scored just twice last season but is off the mark already thanks to a late winner against Stevenage on Tuesday. "He had his problems last season but I kept my faith with him," Cockerill told Woking's website. "We had a talk in the summer - he's come back with his head sorted out and he's now showing us what he can do."

Woking 2-2 Burton Albion
Craig McAllister and Ian Selley scored late goals as Woking scraped a draw. Nigel Clough's visitors were in command as Jon Shaw latched on to Andy Todd's cross from the left and slotted home. Keith Gilroy set up the second, crossing for Shaun Harrad to send a header into the corner of the net past Woking keeper Shwan Jalal. McAllister fired in a late strike before Albion defender Aaron Webster handled in the area and Selley stepped up to score from the ensuing penalty. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Woking: Jalal, Jackson, El-Salahi, MacDonald, Reed, Blackman, Smith (McAllister 65), Selley, Evans, Richards, Ferguson (Rawle 82). Subs Not Used: Liam Cockerill, Davies, Ruby. Booked: Blackman, Selley. Goals: McAllister 86, Selley 90 pen. Burton Albion: Crane, Henshaw, Webster, Tinson, Corbett, Stride, Ducros, Todd (Anderson 62), Gilroy (Hall 84), Shaw (Graves 79), Harrad. Subs Not Used: Austin, Clough. Booked: Corbett, Stride. Goals: Shaw 10, Harrad 32. Att: 1,692 Ref: M Mullarkey (Devon).

Oliver returns to Woking on loan
Woking manager Glenn Cockerill has brought Luke Oliver back to Kingfield from Yeovil Town to further strengthen his defensive resources. Oliver left the Cards to join Yeovil at the end of last season but has so far made three substitute appearances. Glovers boss Gary Johnson believes the 22-year-old centre-back will benefit from regular first-team games. Cockerill also recruited Wycombe defender Stuart Nethercott before the transfer deadline.

Woking 1-0 Southport
Woking snatched their second win of the season with a late Justin Richards header from Steven Reed's free-kick. The visitors looked more likely to take the lead, with Kevin Leadbetter's effort flying just over the bar. The half ended in unsavoury fashion, with Southport's Neil Robinson booked for the challenge on Karl Murray. The second half saw Leadbetter struggle in vain to break the deadlock, testing Steven Dickinson with one effort and blazing a second over the bar. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Woking: Jalal, Jackson, Nethercott, Oliver, MacDonald, Ferguson (El-Salahi 90), Murray, Smith (Reed 75), Evans, McAllister , Rawle (Richards 74). Subs Not Used: Aggrey, Davies. Goals: Richards 90. Southport: Dickinson, Lane, Davis, Fitzhenry (Kilbane 81), Fitzgerald, Baker, Krief, Pickford, Leadbetter (McGinn 74), Robinson (Fearns 45), Daly. Subs Not Used: Speare, Lynch. Booked: Robinson. Att: 1,477 Ref: S Creighton (Reading).

Cockerill says Cards worth a win
Woking boss Glenn Cockerill was convinced his side did enough at Exter to warrant a third successive away win. Cockerill admitted it took a half-time team talk to perk his players up. He told Cards website: "To be honest, I'm disappointed not to have taken all three points and annoyed a defensive error stopped us doing just that. "I told the players at half-time to have more belief in themselves and once we got the equaliser, there was only one going to win it."

Cockerill praises defensive duo
Woking manager Glenn Cockerill has credited defenders Luke Oliver and Stuart Nethercott with his side's recent run of good form. Oliver is on loan from Yeovil while Nethercott is on loan from Wycombe. Cockerill told BBC Sport: "Those two have given the other lads a bit of confidence that they didn't have. "We had a sticky August. But we have gone seven games unbeaten and if we stay free of injuries and we're still up there in March, who knows?" Barnet ran away with the title last term to wrap up the sole automatic promotion spot and leave the rest scrambling for the play-off berths. But this time round, Cockerill expects a packed field to challenge all the way for the top five places, currently headed by unbeaten Grays Athletic. "Grays have done great, but they are a younger team than Barnet were," said Cockerill. "Mark Stimson has done a magnificent job there and I am not saying they will slip up. "But they will lose at some point and it's about how it will affect them when they do, being so young. "It could be anyone from the top 15 at the moment, and even below that. "Burton, Crawley and Aldershot are all down there at the moment but with the players they've got they could all make a charge." Woking, who just missed out on the play-offs last season, are currently eight points off the lead in ninth. "I have got faith in the players I have brought to the club and I was just waiting for them to hit form," added Cockerill.

Woking boss revels in Cup success
Boss Glenn Cockerill says winning was all that mattered after Woking made it through to the FA Cup second round. Woking beat Conference rivals Southport in extra-time of their replay and will now entertain Conference North leaders Northwich Victoria at Kingfield. "We got the result. It was a job well done. We got them back to our place and we got through," said Cockerill. "I'm not worried about the performance. It was always going to be tight but we worked hard and showed commitment."

Nethercott injury rocks Woking
On-loan Woking defender Stuart Nethercott will miss the next phase of the Cards' play-off push. Nethercott, who is on loan from Wycombe, injured a foot in last Saturday's win over Tamworth. It is not yet clear if the 32-year-old has a hairline fracture but he has been ruled out of the next two games. Meanwhile, boss Glenn Cockerill's hopes of watching Portsmouth's striker Joe Carter-Harris in a reserve game on Wednesday were dashed by the weather.

Aggrey set to make Woking return
Woking defender Jimmy Aggrey is returning to Kingfield after Southport opted not to extend his loan stay. Aggrey, 27, joined Port last month with a view to spending the rest of the season at Haig Avenue. However, boss Liam Watson will not now keep the former Torquay central defender, who made three Conference appearances for the Sandgrounders. Watson expects to complete a loan move for Crewe's Mark Roberts before Saturday's game at Forest Green Rovers.

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