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Boro captain Inns is gunning for Cards
By Jon CouchNovember 15, 2012
ALAN INNS admits it will be great to see his old Woking pals again – but says it will be even better to get one over on them.
The Farnborough captain, who led the Cards to the Blue Square South title last season, is set to make an emotional return to Kingfield next Saturday when he leads out his new Boro team-mates in a tasty FA Trophy first-round clash.
Centre-back Inns established himself as a firm favourite with the Cards after two glory-filled seasons at Kingfield before making the switch to Cherrywood Road in the summer.
Now, after leading Boro to an enthralling 3-2 victory over Truro City in the third qualifying round on Saturday, the 30-year-old is champing at the bit with the prospect of locking horns with his former club.
“It’s a brilliant draw, not just for me, but for both clubs, Farnborough in particular,” Inns said.
“For me, it will be great to go back to Kingfield and see everyone again. Woking’s result is still the first I look for after a game on a Saturday and I still speak to a lot of people at the club on a regular basis.
“I went back there with Farnborough to play Hayes & Yeading a few weeks back but that was a lot different. It was a bit like a ghost town, a weird experience really.
“This will be different though, a local derby and a big cup atmosphere, we’re all thoroughly looking forward to it.”
Even without their centre half of last year, the Cards have settled in nicely in Blue Square Premier so far this season and have already claimed some big-name scalps in their top-flight return.
But despite the obvious gulf that separate the clubs, Inns believes his new team-mates are more than capable of springing a Trophy surprise.
“Both teams are scoring a lot of goals and the moment and conceding a few so it points to an exciting game,” the Boro skipper added. “We have players who, on their day, can cause real problems and spring an upset. We’re doing alright at the moment and they’re on a bit of a downer, so who knows? It’s a cup game and anything can happen.
“While it’ll be great to go there and say ‘hello’ to a few people, it’ll be even better to leave with a victory.”
Manager Spencer Day agrees with his skipper and described the Woking draw as “the best the club could have hoped for”.
“I actually predicted we'd get Woking, I should get the crystal ball out more often,” Day joked. “It’s a fantastic draw for us. In terms of crowd pullers and finances Woking or Luton were the best draws out there and we are thoroughly looking forward to it.
“At the moment, all I’m focusing on is getting three points at home to Staines on Saturday but it’s fair to say we are all thoroughly looking forward to it.”
Day’s dream draw came as a reward from a thrilling tie against cash-strapped Truro City at Cherrywood Road on Saturday in an incident-packed game which ended in near darkness.
A blown fuse in the floodlight between the main stand and PRE end threatened, at one stage, to render the Tigers’ long journey from Cornwall as fruitless, only for Day and his City counterpart Lee Hodges to agree for the tie to take place with a quarter of the pitch in shadow.
Light or no light, a cracking end-to-end tie of chances ensured, although but for City keeper Luke McCormick, the home side would have been home and dry long before and well on the way to repeating their 4-1 league success when the teams last met 10 days previous.
McCormick, playing his first game back since being jailed for killing two children in a high-profile car crash while at Plymouth Argyle in 2008, pulled off a series of fine saves to frustrate the home side.
However, he could do nothing to prevent Elvis Hammond putting Boro in front on 22 minutes, pouncing on a mistake by Cody Cooke to coolly slot home.
But just when Boro looked to assert their authority on the game, Truro were level with an absolutely worldy of a strike from Andy Watkins, lobbing Craig Bradshaw from all 30 yards just before half-time.
But despite Truro’s best efforts, Boro always looked the likely victors and they soon restored the lead on the hour mark, Reece Connolly flicking on Dave Tarpey’s driven cross for Dan Bennett to volley home.
Tarpey went close to adding the killer third but in that end that honour went to Connolly, who, after being brought down cynically in the box by Conlan Hall, dusted himself down to fire home his seventh goal of the season from the spot, deeming Jake Ash’s injury-time goal for Truro as consolation.
Good news for Day is that Nic Ciardini is in line for a return to face Staines on Saturday, although Alfred Bosch is set to miss out again with a back problem. Josh Huggins continues to deputise at right-back.
BORO: Bradshaw, Huggins, Treacher, Inman, Inns, Jones (Moody 88), Bennett, Laidler, Connolly, Tarpey (Abalimba 76), Hammond (Makofo 76). Subs: Bosch, Norris. Ref: Antony Coggins. Att: 326.
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