Nicolau relishes revenge

Nov 3 2009 Woking Fc, Surrey Herald

LIGHTNING can strike twice, and Nicky Nicolau wants a chance to prove it at Swindon on Saturday.

The Woking midfielder already knows what it is like to put the Robins out of the FA Cup - he did it with Barnet two seasons ago in a third-round replay.

And any appearance made at the County Ground will be a chance to show Robins fans what they missed in 2005-06 when he was all but left to rot at the League One club.

Nicolau (pictured) was signed by Swindon boss Andy King, but when the manager was sacked nine games in, the next man along gave the player few opportunities to stake a claim.

"Iffy Onuora had his own ideas," said Nicolau, "and that's just the way it is in football. I rejected a new contract at Southend to move to Swindon which, of course, I regret, but at the time Swindon looked like a good prospect."

But the player who lifted the FA Youth Cup with Arsenal in 2001 has no qualms about singing the praises of his new club - even if it is the first time he has played at Blue Square South level.

Nicolau said: "I'm surprised at how good the standard is - well, certainly the one Woking has set for themselves.

"We've got some great players here. And if he carries on as he has been doing, there's no doubt that Harry Arter is going to have league clubs coming after him.

"I'm not worried we didn't get a weaker club in the first round so we could make easy progress. I think we can at least get a result at Swindon and get to the second round anyway."