WOKING boss Alan Dowson acknowledges his side are on a dismal run of form in the Vanarama National League.

Without a league victory since 12 December, the Cards have slipped right out of contention for the play-offs and find themselves in the table's bottom six.

Dowson said: “There’s no getting away from where we are at the moment.

“And when you’re in that position you can’t get beaten by the sides around you.

“Barnet away this Saturday [20 February] will be a big one. 

“Their new manager [former England keeper Tim Flowers] has only been there a short time but he knows the league and he knows what he’s doing.

“So I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t pick up points.

“But they are down at the bottom, they haven’t got a lot of good results and they are vulnerable. So for us it’s full steam ahead.”

Dowson also has one eye on Woking’s much-anticipated Buildbase FA Trophy quarter-final tie with Torquay United on 27 February.

He hopes to have winger Jamar Loza back to full fitness by then.

But the return date of influential skipper Josh Casey is less certain, with the 29-year-old still struggling with a shoulder complaint.

Dowson said: “Jamar is getting stronger every day.

“Josh isn’t ready yet – it was quite a bad injury.

“If we were near the end of the season we might take a gamble on it.

“But with so many games left you can’t have that sort of problem carrying on.“You’ve got to do things the right way and he’s in good hands with [ex-England physio] Gary Lewin.

“We’ll give him as much time as he needs to get back. And we’re not looking at getting a replacement in.

“The way the back four played against Stockport County [in a 4-1 loss on 30 January], I might have done.

“But then the way they defended against Sutton United [in a 1-0 victory on 6 February] made me think I didn’t need one.”

Woking’s on-loan forward Slavi Spasov is set to return to Oxford United.The 19-year-old is understood to have suffered a knee injury that will keep him out for some time. He will likely rehabilitate with his parent club.

See the 18 February edition of the News & Mail for more sport interviews