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.
I think the time for the silence was back in July, but the politicians and the media tried to hush up so much of it in order to quell the riots that it was a delicate time for the whole country. Now the full truth has been revealed, which is even worse than what we originally knew, I think a lot of us are shocked to the core and want to pay respects in some way in our own community.
As long as the referee and Aveley are fine with it then it down to us as a club. Maybe the club tweet mentioning the FA was a little direct, however I totally understand what was meant, the FA allow tributes for all sorts of random stuff (minutes silence for Terry Venables dad once and sometimes major tragedies in other countries) then not other things.
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
Stats from the game don't make for great reading but shows just how poor the pitch was:
Possession: Hornchurch 48% - 52% Dorking
xG: Hornchurch 0.63 - 0.74 Dorking (2nd lowest combined xG of the season behind Enfield at home)
Shots (On Target): Hornchurch 10 (1) - 7 (3) Dorking
Passess (Accurate): Hornchurch 273 (187) - 305 (200) Dorking (Our lowest total and accurate passess this season)
Final Third Phase %: Hornchurch 48% - 33% Dorking (Our lowest success rate of the season)
Top Performer: Charlie Carter [7.6]
Lots of other stats were among our lowest of the season but winning ugly at times is really important and not something we've done enough in the last couple of years.
We have a very winnable run of fixtures so really need to put together a streak now
@calvertskans yeah that pitch was seriously awful - a real 'leveller' - hence the stats. The amount of times the ball bobbled up just before shooting or passing was insane. Wonder why it's so bad?
@dorking-eagle Invitations to gold card event in boardroom before the game tomorrow have gone out again this morning, but it is happening! See you there.
@TomCalvert those stats seem a bit flattering to me. I can't remember that many shots from either side. I wonder if all their home games in winter are like that? Wouldn't fancy being a season ticket holder if so.
But as you say, winning ugly is a great ability, and Marc made no bones about sitting on the 1-0 and hanging on. Fine if it works - but a tough watch! Hopeful of more attacking intent and end product tomorrow night.
