Playoff Preview – Woking vs Bromley

Woking will head into their first-ever Vanarama National League playoff campaign on Wednesday night [May 3rd 2023] when they take on Bromley in the Quarter Final round at Kingfield. The winner will progress to take on Chesterfield at the Technique stadium on Sunday [May 7th 2023].

In this battle of 4th vs 7th, Woking came out on top twice during the regular season with a 0-2 and 2-1 win respectively. Goals in these fixtures came from Reece Grego-Cox, Rhys Browne, Scott Cuthbert and Jim Kellermann.

Despite Woking’s home advantage, it’s important to note that Bromley has entered the playoffs at this stage before back in 2021 and will be hoping to go further after their immediate exit at the hands of eventual winners Hartlepool United.

Woking took 40 points at home this season from a possible 69, whilst Bromley accumulated 34 points on their travels. The visitors will look towards their two strikers in double figures for goals this season, the always dangerous Michael Cheek with 15 and Adam Marriott with 10, whilst Louis Dennis with nine and Omar Sowunmi with eight have also chipped in nicely.

The form coming into this fixture from the last five actually favours The Ravens taking nine points over The Cards’ seven. However, form goes out the window in a game of this magnitude, with any knockout football match becoming a lottery. It must still be mentioned though that Bromley is on an unbeaten run of nine games without defeat and that end-of-season run managed to push them into the top seven towards the end of this season. Since their 2-1 defeat at Kingfield in February, they’ve only come away with nothing, twice from 14 games.

Woking fans will be hoping that top goal scorer Rhys Browne is fit after he hobbled off before halftime last Saturday against Solihull Moors. Major injury notices that have been apparent for a while now include Reece Grego-Cox, Jermaine Anderson, Charlie Wakefield, Jake Hessenthaler and Sid Nelson, whilst Tyreke Johnson remains out on loan at Vanarama National League South playoff side Chelmsford City.

Interestingly, 12 of the 15 fixtures played since both sides’ first meeting in 2015 have all been midweek games, including their penalty shoot-out contest in the FA Trophy back in 2021. With a strong possibility of spot kicks again on the night, the hosts would hope for a repeat when Kyran Lofthouse’s winning penalty saw them come out on top 6-7.

Whatever happens, Woking has had a season for the history books but will hope that their 11-point advantage to Bromley can be highlighted on the night and that they overcome their first playoff test. Of course, it’s a different scenario this year with a team like Notts County entering the playoffs, but it’s interesting to note that Hartlepool won the playoffs from 4th two seasons ago, whilst Grimsby won it from 6th last year. Anything can happen and a sold-out Kingfield will be ready no matter what! #COYCards

Predicted Woking Starting XI: Jaaskelainen, Casey, Cuthbert, McNerney, Moss, Kellermann, Ince, Nwabuokei, Daly, Amond, Browne (*if fit)

Subs: Ross, Dackers, O’Connell, Wilkinson, Lopata

Korboa & Sass-Davies notable non-inclusions.