Get the lowdown on our next opponents: Woking.
The Opposition
The closest club in the National League to Sutton geographically, Woking have begun a new era under manager Neal Ardley, who has had a notable impact since arriving in Surrey back in December 2024.
After beginning his tenure with an unbeaten run, his efforts were recognised when he was named National League Manager of the Month for April, having guided the club away from the drop zone in his four months in charge, ending the campaign with nine wins, 14 draws and just four defeats, a marked improvement on predecessor Michael Doyle.
Will Jääskeläinen was pivotal to the Cards’ success last term, establishing himself as one of if not the best goalkeeper in the entire division, with a clean sheet percentage of approximately 23% being notably higher than the league average. The Finland youth international helped to command a defence consisting of Dan Moss (who has departed for Rochdale), Tariq Hinds, Timi Odusina and Dion Kelly-Evans, while former U’s loanee Chin Okoli had a key impact following his arrival on loan mid-season, seamlessly replacing the impressive Cian Harries who joined Forest Green Rovers in January.
While the Cards weren’t necessarily free-scoring last season, their defensive solidity allowed the likes of Harry Beautyman, Lewis Walker, Inih Effiong, Matt Ward and Aiden O’Brien to maintain relative consistency in front of goal, notably Sutton legend Beautyman who top scored with ten goals last term after joining from Gander Green Lane in June 2024.
Woking have overseen an indifferent start to the National League campaign, sitting 18th with two wins, two draws and five defeats, although each of those defeats came from their opening five games of the season. They have since enjoyed an upturn in form, going undefeated in all but two of their last seven outings.
The Manager
Neal Ardley
Former York City boss Neal Ardley replaced the outgoing Michael Doyle back in December, and sparked an outstanding run of form that guided the Cards away from the relegation zone last term.
An ex-midfielder, Ardley notably turned out over 200 times for Wimbledon FC during the 1990s, enjoying a successful 11-year career with the club before moving to Watford in 2002, where he racked up a further 111 appearances for the Hornets. He later finished his career with spells at Cardiff City and Millwall, before hanging up his boots in 2007.
Looking to kick-start a career in management, Ardley returned to Cardiff in a coaching capacity when he took over the Bluebirds’ academy, and aided the development of the likes of Joe Ralls and Theo Wharton who both went on to appear for first team.
Following five years in the Welsh capital, Ardley returned to Wimbledon when he took over his former club’s successor, AFC, and went on to enjoy a stellar six-year stint at the helm, in which he guided the club into League One with his first ever trophy in management when the Wombles won the League Two play-off final in 2016.
After navigating the third tier for the first time in the club’s history, Ardley established the Dons with a handful of mid-table finishes before departing in 2018 by mutual consent, and later took over at Notts County. He was unable to prevent the Magpies from dropping into the National League though, and despite reaching the play-offs and FA Trophy semi-final, was dismissed from his role towards the end of the 2020/21 campaign with County finding themselves 14 points behind league leaders Sutton.
Ardley would remain in the fifth tier though, taking over at Solihull Moors the following summer where he again experienced a promotion charge, with the 52-year old guiding the club to their second-highest finish in their history in third, before losing to Grimsby Town in the play-off final. History would then repeat itself for Ardley, who followed up a play-off appearance with a mid-table finish the following campaign, and he subsequently exited Damson Park in June 2023.
A brief stint at York City followed, but Ardley lasted just five months in charge at the LNER Community Stadium, and returned to management almost a year later when he was named as Doyle’s successor at Woking. This has seen him enjoy a far more successful time of it, losing only one in his first 17 matches in charge at the Laithwaite Community Stadium, and guided the Cards to a respectable 15th place finish.
One to Watch
Josh Osude
A versatile forward, Josh Osude has had a bright start to life at Woking after joining back in March, and will prove to be a threat with his pace down the flank.
Osude spent time in the academy at AFC Bournemouth before working his way up non-league with spells at Ryan and Bishop’s Stortford Swifts, prior to a move to Leyton Orient in 2019.
This preceded him becoming somewhat well-known online after winning Hashtag United’s Academy competition in 2019, and quickly made an impact in Essex after earning a contract with the Tags, going on to appear over 70 times.
A brief time away at Braintree Town followed in 2021, but he returned to Hashtag after a loan move to Tilbury, before experiencing spells at Witham Town, Grays Athletic, Romford, Coggeshall Town, Sittingbourne, Dunmow Town and Bishop’s Stortford preceded a return to Witham ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Re-joining the club in the Isthmian League North, he enjoyed a prolific 2023/24 campaign with 30 goals in 38 appearances before a third spell at Hashtag followed, scoring ten goals last season.
His form in non-league led to him signing his first professional deal back in March with a move to Woking, and he has so far enjoyed a positive start to his time with the Cards, scoring his first two goals in their 5-0 win over Gateshead.
Recent Form
Forest Green Rovers 2-0 Woking
Woking 2-1 Southampton
Yeovil Town 1-0 Woking
Woking 5-0 Gateshead
FC Halifax Town 1-1 Woking
Morecambe 0-2 Woking
Last Time Out
Woking fell to defeat at home to Forest Green Rovers, who went top of the Enterprise National League in the process.
After an end to end start to the game, a Josh Kelly miss for the Cards proved to be costly just a minute later when a well worked move was finished off by Jayden Clarke, whose first time finish gave Tom Norcott no chance after the Woking defence were caught napping, and sent Forest Green into the break ahead.
The visitors then doubled their lead just before the hour-mark when a corner was half cleared into Isaac Moore’s path, and his effort at goal was flicked in by Tom Knowles from a few yards out, which was enough to secure a deserved clean sheet and a comfortable away win.
Photo Credit: Woking Football Club
