Ian Dyer reckons winners of Woking's FA Trophy tie at Sutton United will eye 'genuine chance to reach Wembley'

Ian Dyer. Image credit: Terry Habgood

Ian Dyer admits if he had to choose one game to win in the next two against Sutton United, then Saturday’s FA Trophy last-16 tie would be it because playing at Wembley is “a once-in-a-career type opportunity”.

Woking’s joint assistant manager has already helped boss Alan Dowson mastermind victories against fellow National League outfits Dover Athletic and Bromley in this season’s competition.

And overcoming Sutton at Gander Green Lane would see the Cards through to a quarter-final tie in which at least three of the eight clubs will be from a lower level.

Woking then play United again in the National League on Tuesday, on a 3G surface where they were hammered 6-2 just 13 months ago.

“Obviously we want to win both in an ideal world but if I can only pick one I’d take the Trophy to be honest,” admitted Dyer. “Opportunities to play at Wembley don’t come around too often and for some people they never happen. It’s kind of a once-in-a-career type thing, so to be in with a one-in-eight chance of doing that and getting to the final I would choose that game.

“I looked at Bromley and Sutton when the two draws were made on the same day and I said to Dowse, ‘if we can get through those two rounds I fancy us to get to Wembley’. If we can knock a team like them out at this stage, in this round, it will give us a lot of confidence going forward.”

There are still the likes of Torquay United and Notts County left in the competition but reaching Wembley would be special and Dyer added: “It’s a dream, for Dowse as well. You have that on your bucket list of things you want to tick off in your career and to lead out, or coach, a team at Wembley is something you’d never forget.

“You don’t know what next year is going to bring in terms of the draw and everything else. So when you see an opportunity and the draw is opening up for you, if we were to win Saturday, you start to dream and think it’s possible to get there.”

Woking were humbled by a slick Stockport County outfit in the league last Saturday, while Sutton went to Edgeley Park on Tuesday and achieved a mightily impressive 2-0 victory.

“It will be a tough game,” added Dyer. “That was a brilliant result for them and they will be confident going in and obviously they are second in the league for a reason.

“They are a really well-organised team and one of the benefits of what they have been able to do is pick a very similar XI most weeks, which is credit to them.
“In terms of a team that plays 4-4-2 they are probably the most effective at doing that in the league.”

Sutton are closing in on Torquay at the top of the table but Dyer thinks they will be just as keen to go through in the Trophy and added: “I would expect them to go strong. I’d be amazed if they made more than two changes to their starting XI.
“I think they want to win every game, and they, like us, will see the Trophy this year, now we’ve got to this stage, as a genuine chance to go and win it.

“You get yourself in the last eight and just because of the way the draw has gone, three of those teams are going to be from a lower league rather than the National League. So it opens the door for everyone and I’d imagine all the teams at our level will take the competition very seriously this weekend.”

Picking the right team is Dowson’s dilemma and Dyer conceded: “It’s about picking the right formula. We know we have to match them physically. At the same time we have got to get on the ball, open them up and create chances at the other end.

“When you’re form’s not good, you are looking for the right combination, for the players who are the freshest and who are well suited to a particular game.

“In one respect we’ve got a lot of young players including loanees, and we also have lots of players who haven’t got 200 National League appearances under their belt.
“So with a mixture of those things, when you are in a bit of a tough spell, you’ve really got to work your way through it.

“Dowse is very much ‘hard work is the best way to do it’ and when we had a bit of a bad run last year, we certainly got our heads down, went back to basics, and came through it and if we can do that again we will come out the other side and we will kick on.”

Woking won the FA Trophy in 1994, 1995 and 1997 while they lost to Grays Athletic in 2006 at Upton Park having made it to the final without playing a single team from their level until the final.

Full fifth round draw: Aldershot Town v Chesterfield; Darlington v Wealdstone; Havant & Waterlooville v Notts County; Hereford v Leamington; Hornchurch v Maidstone United; Oxford City v Peterborough Sports; Southport v Torquay United; Sutton United v Woking.

Woking play at the Laithwaite Community Stadium, Woking, Surrey.