Dorking Wandering
The Dorking Wanderers FC Fans Forum
After the New Years "washout", we return this Saturday for our first home game of 2025 as we face Bath City. They currently sit in 17th place on 28 points but have won their last 3 games in a row.
I would imagine we see a similar squad and side to what we saw on New Years Day althought Marc did suggest Josh Taylor could return if required. Matt Briggs starts his 3 game suspension.
Predictions:
Dorking 2-0 Bath City (Rutherford, Carter)
1,665 att.
Foulkes
Camp Craig Milsom
Muitt Gallagher McManus Norville-Williams
Carter
Prior Rutherford
Subs: Brooking, Francomb, Williams, Randall, Murphy
Randall has departed Ebbsfleet so sounds like his loan with us had officially ended but it will be interesting to see if we sign him permanently. I would imagine not based on performances/lack of playing time but we are very short of LW options, especially with Bobby-Joe apparently picking up an injury on loan at Horsham and Briggs suspended for a few weeks.
Pybus or McShane to make the bench for this Saturday in Randall's place.
Be very disappointed if we don’t get 3 points here but wouldn’t surprise me if we don’t .
2-1 home win
Don’t know much about this new keeper we’ve just brought in, Magnus Norman. Can only be a good thing to keep HF on his toes
Dorking 2 Bath 1 (Muitt and Rutherwood). 1349 (123 away). Going to this one and hoping for a win as need to start picking up some points at home. Wonder if new keeper, Norman, will be on bench. Good to see Marc has finally seen need to have second keeper to provide competition.
Marc never puts a keeper on the bench, not even for the Play Off Final!
Has to be a good thing though having a spare as we weren't really covered if Harrison ever got injured and would have had to hurriedly arrange a loan.
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
I don't think Norman will come in for this game as he won't have had many, if any, training sessions with the team. Harrison will very much be on final warning though so wouldn't surprise me if we saw Norman come in for Weymouth or Weston.
I reckon a 1-0 win. Recent home form suggests few chances created. Any win much needed.
Hope to see Williams in midfield. Who will replace Briggs on the wing if Randall is not there? Jordan on left and Jimmy on right?
Great to see another keeper in the building- and a tall one at last!
Yes, I reckon a tight victory: 2-1. Rutherford and Carter.
An unconvincing but vital win. Better first half, but thought Marc went very defensive second half with five defenders on. Milson my Man of Match. Bath fans created good atmosphere.
It should have been many more than one nil, and a less stressful second half. Lots of good crosses but still no end result, after the first 2 minutes.
Agree there was no reason to sit back in second half and invite pressure. Fair enough to sub Dan G after his booking, but Williams was a better replacement, as he showed when he came on. Good to see Brooking back- he is such a class act he surely must start when fit. His run and cross towards the end was different gravy. How Jason didn’t score I don’t know.
But an important three points. Need to back it up now away from home next week.
Definitely not one that will live long in the memory but really important that we win games at home even when we're not playing well. Something we've not done enough this season is "win ugly" and you need to do that if you are going to win leagues.
Agree with @baggy that Josh Brooking has to play in this side but where do you fit him in? Camp, TC and Milsom have all been some of our better players this season so I really don't see how you can drop any for Brooking unless we start playing a back 4.
Some stats:
Possession: Dorking 51% - 49% Bath
xG: Dorking 1.62 - 0.37 Bath
Shots (On Target): Dorking 14 (6) - 10 (2) Bath
Top Performer (Dorking): Brennan Camp [7.5]
This was a good 3 points. But perfectly demonstrates why the home form has been so poor this season.
Get a ridiculously early lead, look massively the superior side. But then sit back and let them play. Start playing to their tempo and just smashing it anywhere giving them the ball back. Instead of keeping the pressure on by retaining possession and going and getting 2-0 and 3-0, we just let the opposition back into it every single time.
Then in the 2nd half sit back and defend the 1-0 lead.
The mindset at home is all wrong.
@jacksonfairweather It's a really strange one - why are we doing that at home, not away, especially when it goes against our usual attacking style?
