Dorking Wandering
The Dorking Wanderers FC Fans Forum
We travel to Essex to play a Hornchurch side who sit in 15th place, albeit with 2 games in hand over us. The hosts have picked up just 2 points from their last 5 games with their last league win coming back in early December.
I am sure we will get an injury update tomorrow but Marc did mentioned after Weston last week that we may have a mostly fit squad to pick from this weekend, although he made a comment before the Farnham game that Camp and Francomb were slight doubts. He also mentioned that new 'keeper Magnus Norman may have picked up a bad knee injury in his first training session with the club.
Jack Young is expected to return but there was no mention on Josh Brooking who limped out of the Weymouth game with a hamstring injury just 2 weeks ago. Matt Briggs returns from suspension as well.
Predictions:
Hornchurch 1-3 Dorking (Carter, Prior, J.Taylor)
649 att.
Foulkes
Camp Craig Milsom
Briggs Williams Francomb Muitt
Carter
Rutherford Prior
Subs: Gallagher, McManus, J.Taylor, Norville-Williams, Murphy
Getting quite hard to pick line-ups and benches now that we are starting to get a fully fit squad back. Marc generally likes playing one of Francomb or Gallagher in midfield away from home so I am expecting Francomb considering that Gallagher played 90 mins midweek against Farnham. Don't think he'll rush back Young or Pybus this weekend. JNW could start over Muitt if he isn't quite fit enough to start yet.
Busy few days ahead with the midweek game again. Hoping to be 9 points better off come week Sunday.
Fancy another away day victory, 2-4
I'll go for;
Hornchurch (0)1 Dorking W (0)3 - Carter, Rutherford (2)
701 (201 Wanderers)
2-0 to Dorking x1 Briggs and x1 Carter.
Hornchurch is one of the few sides in NLS with a consistently strong defence, so I doubt we will rack up 3 or 4 in this one.
Their average home attendance is 670. Hopefully we can push that to above 750 tomorrow
I reckon 3-0 to Wanderers
For a running track ground it could be worse (it's only a 6 lane track, the terraces and stands are as close to the pitch as is possible, with long jump pits at one end rather than along the side of the track)
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
I’m going 2-1 Dorking. Hope Josh Taylor will squeeze into that midfield and it would be good to see a left footer on the left wing. Looking forward to a pitch with grass on it
Enjoyed that today, dominated the first half. Blatant backpass not punished in the 1st minute, really don't know how that wasn't given.
Deserved the lead, had a very late offside call for a 2nd
Hornchurch then got to experience the same lino in the 2nd half doing a late offside call after their 'goal' and we saw out the game despite having few chances in the 2nd half.
The 2nd half was a great battle I thought, and Sean Scannell is still a decent footballer (but I am biased, he's ex-Palace)
All in all, anyone who comes away with a win from there has got a good result as they will have had to battle for it
Six straight away wins by my reckoning. And lots of results at the top went out way so still in the hunt.
Need that sort of away form replicated at home now.
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
Yep I'll echo that David. Really enjoyed it. Great support as ever, welcoming club (I'm actually enjoying these NLS away days and if we do go up will miss them tbh) - and of course what a top result.
For me Harrison was MoM - he's really coming on leaps and bounds now - and I loved the game management for the last 10 mins or so - Jimmy, Charlie and Jason were outstanding keeping the ball and winning throws/corners - brilliant stuff.
Only managed to get to two away games this season, gutted I’m missing all these wins recently 😂. Watched Tobys DWFTV vids and the away following has been awesome- much bigger numbers than the previous National League campaigns.
Incidentally considering we discussed their average crowd was something like 680 before yesterday, there must have been nearly a thousand there.
Make no mistake with all the tik toks and youtube stuff, we are box office wherever we go!
I would be really interested in what clubs average AWAY attendance is - I reckon us and Torquay would be top.
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
I take back what I said about looking forward to playing on grass. It was mainly bobbly mud. Ruined the game as a spectacle. But a really dogged performance, second half especially, not conceding many chances at all and brilliant “game management” at the end.
Must back that up now with a win on Tuesday night. Some odd results out there yesterday too.
PS - It's the gold card hospitality game on Tuesday, anyone heard anything? I responded to the many invite weeks ago, but nothing since??
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
Good point David. I have it flagged in calendar from months ago but heard nothing yet. I’ll drop them a line to chase.
Disappointed to miss yesterday
Just out of interest what was Marc's tweet about, on video Southport I assume?
Yep. He was flagging the inconsistency of the FA in not asking clubs to hold a minute’s silence.
Personally, I’d rather the FA generally stuck to football matters. Otherwise there will always be difficult questions over what football should and should not make public statements on at grounds.
