Dorking 3 Oxford City 0 (McShane, Bowerman, Carter)

2,791 (108 from Oxford)

I'm also going 3-0 home win

No idea about the crowd but I am going for

Dorking 1 Oxford 0

Att 1767

Dorking 2-0 Oxford City  McShane and Josh Taylor

Attendance 2,058  with about 150 from Oxford

Utter shit.

I know we picked up injuries and basically played with 10 for the last 25 mins but you can't have 1 shot on target at home to bottom of the league. Oxford were awful and there for the taking. In all honesty we could have had 12 players on the pitch and I don't think it would have changed anything.

We're carrying far too many NLS/Step 3 level players in that team - Ottaway, McManus, Briggs, Hollis. We massively need some attacking talent in that side.

Our anniversairy shirt is gonna look great in the NLS next season.

Well that was a must win game that was wasted. I was only listening on radio which kept cutting out but sounded like we had enough ball to win it given poor opposition. 
Prior off again a big blow - does it look serious? 
But losing to these weaker teams at home is a killer. Not creating chances is a real worry for sure. 
I gather McManus was at fault for one goal at least?  Getting caught on the break is becoming a bad habit again. 

This issue needs to be addressed: it doesn't matter where you put the apostrophe s, Marc White's Squad is not good enough!

@baggy Let his man spin him and then should have just fouled him but didn't for the first goal. I thought he was really poor today and giving him MoM is an insult to the fans.

Prior's injury was his ankle again by the looks of it. Seemed insane to start him and of course it backfired. I really don't understand why we would sell Seager and loan Rutherford when Prior is injured every other game and Ottaway is a 4th choice striker at best.

On a side note, how does Bobby-Joe not even make the squad!? He's lightyears ahead of Briggs and a far better option than Francomb (who was awful today) at LWB. 

Embarrassed that I had to watch that shower of shit today. Players no where near it again, squad selection well off it again and it looked like we could have played another 90 mins and still no scored. Shocking, something has to change.

Ok, I'll stick my neck out here and go against the flow.

I thought we completely dominated the first 25 mins, and then an injury to Fuller followed by Prior's substitution and it all changed.

IMO, given the current state of our team fitness and injuries, we simply couldn't sustain further disruption or more players out of position. Bowerman gave his all, but he's still not fully there, McManus out of position, Ottaway not fit either. So yet again no fit strikers or wingers - kind of a key part of the game so the result was really not that surprising. 

The wider question is why so many injuries and why so long for players to return? And of course, surely Kuhl has to be recalled immediately. And I agree, I think we should have kept Seager too. 

One positive - thought Briggs looked excellent and sharp first half. 

If had a fit first 11 with players in their rightful position, I still believe we're a top 6 side. 

Definitely a frustrating game. Lots of players "off" today. The ball would ping around the away teams 6 yard box, and we could not get it in. Once we had the first two subs done within the first 30 minutes, I was worried for the rest of the game. Marc was right in saying we were "toothless" when it came to attacking. 

Marc did mention that they put Prior through a rigorous testing to determine fitness, but he lasted 20 minutes. I get we need him back in a big way, but we keep pushing towards injury and longer periods out. I think this has been a big struggle since we entered the NL. Feel like we can't afford (budget) to get anymore players. Don't know if this is true, but with the amount of players that we have brought in it seems as though our budget would be too tight to get anyone else in to help us over the line this season. So many players on loan. Hoping Alfie can make his way back really soon.   

@adeb All very well dominating possession but we do nothing with it, same as Eastleigh a few days ago.

Prior and Fuller injuries were obviously unfortunate but we've only got ourselves to blame. Dorking are the only team in world football who have 35+ year olds out injured for months and then immediately start them on their return. Any team with sense would have played Prior for the last 20-30 mins that game. I also hate to say it, but Fuller is 39 years old and this is his 4th or 5th injury this season now (after having several last season as well) so it isn't much of a surprise at this point.

Also, McManus played his normal position for most of the game. Briggs was fine but he had a decent chance first half and blazed it half way to Guildford.

I though Oxford were dreadful, unambitious and defensive for the first 20-25 mins and it was a crime we didn't put them a goal down during that spell when we were getting it forward particularly up the right side. 

Prior looked like he was doing 'cramp' leg stretches before the 20th minute (near the halfway line) about 5 mins before he went off with what looked like an ankle problem

The squad clearly has too many older injury prone players and as soon as we can get younger replacements of a good enough standard then each will be phased out.

There's a couple who were fantastic in the Bostik League and the first season in the NLS but who are not up to the rigours of NL football now sadly - the Horsham game was the biggest clue to that.

It's very telling that the bottom 4 in the table are all 4 that have just come up. Then it's us.

We have 2 games in hand but they are both faraway 'oop North' midweek games where we'll likely have little support.

I don't know how long Alfie is at Weymouth but hopefully he's getting all cylinders firing.

Most of us we supporting long before the National League, we have enjoyed the good times, now all we can do is be there in the difficult times. Keep believing, keep encouraging, and keep positive.

@dorking-eagle Spot on with everything you've said there 👍 

I think Alfie should be back for the Gateshead home game on Jan 20th as his loan was only 28 days. He played 80 mins today for Weymouth and similar on Saturday.