Victory over Woking this weekend would be Swindon’s first three-match win streak since the turn of the year.
The last time Town did three on the spin started with victory over Notts County on New Year’s Eve Eve, and ended on 13th January with another single-goal win over Forest Green. Town also overcame Barnet at The Hive in that run of three on the bounce.
In the last week, Richie Wellens’ side have earnt six points from two games, grinding out a 1-0 victory away at Port Vale before Sol Pryce and Scott Twine scored to seal a thrilling 3-2 win over Stevenage.
A win on Sunday could also make it four wins in six in all competitions for the Robins as they head into December.
The Oppo
Woking are flying in National League South following the relegation to the division last season – they are top of the table, two points clear of Billericay Town, having played one game more than their Essex title rivals.
The Cardinals have won four on the bounce in all competitions seeing off Folkestone, Slough Town and Gloucester – the first game in their winning run came in the previous round of this competition against Torquay.
Max Kretzschmar put away a 48th minute penalty to seal Woking’s third FA Cup Second Round draw in consecutive years. Last year, they took Peterborough to a replay at this stage in the competition after beating league opposition, in the First Round, in Bury.
Head-to-Head
Swindon have only played Woking in competitive matches twice in their history – the last time was back in 2009, where Billy Paynter was on target to clinch a 1-0 win in the FA Cup First Round.
In 1996, Steve McMahon said he was ‘terrified’ of the prospect of playing Woking, because ‘they could only lose’ the game. Fortunately, Wayne Allison and a cross-cum-shot from Paul Bodin, alongside a string of saves of Fraser Digby, ensured a 2-0 win that day.
06 Jan 1996 Swindon Town v Woking W 2-0 FA Cup
07 Nov 2009 Swindon Town v Woking W 1-0 FA Cup
The Gaffer – Alan Dowson
The former Hampton and Richmond, Kingstonian and Walton and Hersham manager was appointed as the new Woking boss in May 2018. Alan has an enviable record in non-league football having led Hampton to promotion from the Isthmian Premier Division in 2016 before reaching the play-offs in both of his two seasons with the Beavers in National League South.
In 2018 only a penalty shoot-out defeat by Braintree Town in the play-off final prevented the London-based club from reaching the National League for the first time in their history.
Born in Gateshead, Dowse initially moved to the south of the country in the 1980s when he joined Millwall as a player, going on to also play for the likes of Bradford, Darlington and Walton - where he became player-manager in 2004. He joined Kingstonian three years later, guiding them back to the seventh tier of English football, and achieving a second-placed finish before joining Hampton in 2014. However, he has long harboured a desire to become manager of the Cards - something which he finally achieved this summer by succeeding former boss Anthony Limbrick.
