Dorking Wandering
The Dorking Wanderers FC Fans Forum
After an important 3 points at Boreham Wood on Saturday, we face newly promoted AFC Fylde at Meadowbank this weekend. Fylde sit in 22nd place in the table but arrive in good form with 3 wins and a draw from their last 4 league games. Back in November, both sides shared a point with an entertaining 3-3 draw at Mill Farm.
Fylde have actually visited Meadowbank before back in Feb 2020 where the visitors came away 4-2 winners with Nick Haughton the real danger man for them that day. Matt Briggs also produced a great display that day with an excellent assist and well taken goal.
Seb Bowerman injured his hamstring early on against Boreham Wood and although there is no official word on his likely return, you would expect him to miss at least a few weeks. Fuller is expected to still be a few weeks away while Marc announced that Matt Briggs is likely to return to the squad this weekend after returning from his latest injury spell. Luke Moore serves the last game of his 4 match suspension.
Predictions:
Dorking 3-1 Fylde (Prior x 2, Rutherford)
1,822 att.
Male
Francomb Craig Hollis
Muitt J. Taylor Pybus Blair
Carter
Prior Rutherford
Subs: Gallagher, B. Taylor, McManus, Briggs, Ottaway
(Expecting a fairly similar line-up after the good performance on Saturday. The injury to Bowerman does allow Blair to play on his more preferred left hand side where he was so effective before his injury back in October. Wouldn't surprise me to see Bobby-Joe start instead of Muitt if Jimmy isn't considered fit enough to start yet.)
Both Muitt and BJT have shown to be dangerous on the wings. Hoping that Muitt is fit to start. I like BJT to come off and placed where it is needed. He is such a utilitarian player. Hoping the trifecta of Carter, Alfie, and Prior helps us with scoring more goals in this and future games.
1,919 attendance Dorking 2-1 Fylde (Rutherford, Carter)
The starting 11 is getting a bit easier to predict, with a nice balance and shape. Marc clearly prefers to use Bobby as an impact sub, although you could argue he has impressed enough in recent games to merit a start, especially with Bowerman injured.
Quite a big game against Fylde - a victory would start to put our minds at ease!
I'll go Dorking 2 - 1 Fylde (Prior, Carter); 1781 attendance.
I'm going for a 2-0 home win.
I would like to see Rutherford and BJ Taylor start.
@wayworn-wanderer Probably the first real 6 pointer of the season!
Ok here goes, I'm feeling confident;
Dorking W (1)4 Fylde (0)1 (Prior, Rutherford, Carter (2))
1,701 (39 from the Fylde coast)
Dorking Wanderers 1 AFC Fylde 0
(Prior)
Att 1443 (inc 38 from Fylde)
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
@dorking-eagle I'd be surprised if we only saw ~1400 home fans for any Saturday game at Meadowbank the rest of this season.
Don't think we've seen numbers that low for a Sat 3pm game since August when it was still Summer holidays. The Dagenham game back in November was 1400ish but that was a re-arranged game, not great weather and off the back of the Horshambles.
@calvertskans 'Horshambles' - love that.
I think if 1700 home fans becomes the norm that's an incredible achievement - given the size of the club (and the season we're having). Aldershot were on lower numbers in season's gone by, often dipping close to the 1k mark.
Also hugely impressed with the away numbers, 150-200 seems to becoming the usual, although this does appear to be similar almost regardless of location - i.e. not much bigger at Woking/Aldershot/Eastleigh etc but not much smaller way up North.
Suggests to me a very loyal core.
@adeb Northern away attendances are helped a bit by the amount of northern based fans who follow BoA, etc. You see lots of Oldham fans come to some of the North games now as well.
I'll be very interested to see how many we take to Aldershot this season. It feels like we should be able to take as many as we have been taking to Woking these last couple of seasons (400-500). Barnet and Maidenhead will hopefully be 200+ as well.
@dorking-eagle I'd be surprised if we only saw ~1400 home fans for any Saturday game at Meadowbank the rest of this season.
Don't think we've seen numbers that low for a Sat 3pm game since August when it was still Summer holidays. The Dagenham game back in November was 1400ish but that was a re-arranged game, not great weather and off the back of the Horshambles.
You are probably right, I just have a feeling that Fylde had no particular interest locally, not a former league club, bringing very few fans themselves plus the abysmal home form.
PS - On a separate note, remember it's the start of cashless Meadowbank
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
Hopefully this will be the first time this season where we've won back to back home league games...
The odds are against two home wins on the spin. I would not be surprised if we lost to Fylde and then beat Halifax next week.
But to be positive, that team of @TomCalvert looks settled and strong. The only change for me might be Bobby Joe in place of Hollis, as I remember they had very quick attackers, not big, who threatened on the break all afternoon. Hopefully Marc has addressed that issue now.
If so, I’m going 2-1 win. Rutherford 2
Att 1,650
Goals galore- a repeat of the 3-3 earlier in the season!
Carter 2, Rutherford
Would like to see the same eleven as last Saturday, with the exception of Seb. Think Muitt may start there, with Bobby Joe coming off the bench as the impact substitute.
Going for a 2-0 win Rutherford and Josh Taylor. Attendance 1766 with 45 from Fylde
I'll have a Guinness
