Woking have found a winning formula away from home. Now Craig Ross’s side need to bring it back to the Laithwaite Community Stadium when second-placed Harrogate Town visit on Saturday.
Last Saturday’s 3–1 comeback win at Eastleigh was the Cards’ second big away victory in a row, following a 5–2 win at Carlisle United on 26 September. It also inflicted Eastleigh’s first home league defeat of the season.
It did not start well. Aaron Blair put Eastleigh ahead on 11 minutes, but John Marquis equalised from the penalty spot on 36 minutes. Goalkeeper Will Jääskeläinen then saved a penalty from Blair, and Liam Dulson struck twice, on 72 minutes and in stoppage time, to seal the win in front of 2,334.
Ross explained that a tactical change at the break made the difference. “We changed formation to a 4-3-3 at half-time,” he told the Woking News & Mail. “If we’re in the game late on, there’s belief in the group.” He added: “We have to back up wins and performances, and be relentless.”
Dulson told BBC Sport that Ross “gives us freedom”, and the attacking returns suggest the players are enjoying themselves. Woking have scored eight goals in their last two away league games and 20 in total this season.
The challenge is consistency. In between those two away wins, Woking lost 4–2 at home to Solihull Moors, who are 23rd in the table. They are 15th on 15 points from 12 games, but only five points outside the play-off places.
Ross has been in interim charge alongside Jake Hyde since 24 July, when they took over following Jermain Defoe’s departure the previous day, just two weeks before the season started. It is their second spell in charge after they led the side in March, when Woking won four games following the sacking of Neal Ardley. The club said at the time of their July appointment that the pair had “the full confidence of everyone at the football club”.
Saturday’s visitors are in excellent form. Harrogate have won three in a row and sit second in the Enterprise National League. Simon Weaver’s side have spread their goals around, with 16 different players on the scoresheet, so Woking will need to be well organised at the back.
After that comes an all-National League FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie away to leaders Boreham Wood on the weekend of 17 October. The league then resumes with a trip to Scunthorpe United on Saturday 24 October, before Boreham Wood visit the Laithwaite on Tuesday 27 October for a quick rematch.
That is a demanding run of fixtures, but Woking have shown they can beat good sides. If Ross’s message about being relentless gets through, this could be the month that turns a promising start into a genuine push for the play-offs.
The question of who will be the permanent manager remains open. For now, results on the pitch are making a strong case for the interim pair.
Colour plan of the Laithwaite Community Stadium (Kingfield). Pitch shown at roughly 110 × 73 yards. Away fans normally use the Chris Lane Terrace.
Woking Football Club have played at Kingfield since 1922. The ground is now sponsored as the Laithwaite Community Stadium and sits on Kingfield Road, Woking, Surrey, GU22 9AA, opposite Woking Park. Capacity is about 6,000, with around 2,500 seats. For visiting supporters it is a compact, traditional non-league ground: one tall modern stand, a covered home terrace, two small seated blocks, a noisy open corner, and a long uncovered terrace that is usually yours on a segregated afternoon.
Away entry is Gate Two, the White Entry. Walk past the front car park off Kingfield Road and follow the away-supporter signs to the right of the Chris Lane Terrace East. That gate normally opens two hours before kick-off. Do not try home turnstiles on Kingfield Road or Westfield Avenue if you hold an away ticket. The club is clear: away fans found in home sections will be ejected. Book only Chris Lane Terrace tickets through official channels.
The Chris Lane Terrace runs the length of one touchline. It is uncovered standing with good sightlines and no seats. In heavier rain that matters, so pack a coat. Large umbrellas and musical instruments are not allowed. On some fixtures a small seated slice of the Seymours Community Stand has been given to visitors; check your ticket. Movement between standing and seating is not guaranteed and may be stamped at the gate.
There is no general supporter parking at the stadium. The club points you to Heathside Crescent multi-storey (GU22 7AG), about a twenty-minute walk, or Woking Park opposite the ground, which is cheaper for short stays and free for the first two hours at the time of writing. Do not use the David Lloyd car park next door. Street parking near the ground is tight and residents complain; avoid verges and driveways. By rail, Woking station is a twenty-minute walk. Fast trains from London Waterloo take about half an hour.
Food and drink inside vary with segregation. The Cardinals Bar sits at the front of the ground and is the natural pre-match stop when it is open to visitors. Opposite it is the Fan Zone. Moaners’ Corner Café serves hot drinks and snacks on the home side; the Seymours stand has hot food. Alcohol sales to the away terrace have historically been restricted because kiosks sit in sight of the pitch. Expect queues close to kick-off. Smoking and vaping are banned in the stands; use marked areas only.
The nearest pub is the Kingfield Arms on Kingfield Road, a short walk and a straightforward wet-led house. Town-centre options such as The Sovereigns on Guildford Road are a little further and useful if you arrive early by train. Woking walk out to The Jam’s “A Town Called Malice”, a local touch worth hearing even from the uncovered side. Arrive with time to spare: late arrivals are not guaranteed entry before kick-off, and security at the white gate can be thorough. Check wokingfc.co.uk on the day for gate times, ticket prices and any change to away allocation.