Dorking Wandering
The Dorking Wanderers FC Fans Forum
After 3 defeats on the road in 8 days, we are finally back at home against 4th placed Solihull Moors. All 3 previous meetings between the sides have finished 3-0 to Solihull with all 3 games seeing a Dorking red card and at least one penalty in the match! The visitors come in to the game with 3 wins and a draw from their previous 5 matches.
Jimmy Muitt limped off at the end of the first half at Roots Hall with what appeared to be a hamstring issue. Hopefully a bit of a precautionary sub due to the limited amount of fit wingers in the squad at the moment but you would expect him to be a doubt for this weekend. McShane, Briggs and Gallagher remain out while Josh Taylor crucially returns from suspension. Hopefully Fuller and Francomb are fit enough after recent issues.
Predictions:
Dorking 3-2 Solihull (Rutherford, Carter, J.Taylor)
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Fuller Craig Hollis
B.Taylor Pybus J.Taylor Blair
Carter
Rutherford Prior
Subs: Francomb, Moore, McManus, Bowerman, Ottaway
I doubt Bowerman starts after 90 mins on his return on Tuesday so it wouldn't surprise me to see Bobby start on the right, although he could switch sides with Blair. Solihull score a lot of set pieces so I can see Hollis being in the side to deal with Beck, etc.
Definitely 2 points dropped but something to build on for the last 3 home games. I would fancy us to get 3 points against Bromley more than Solihull.
Some excellent performances from McManus, Prior, Hollis and Craig today. Bowerman looked tidy again and Blair was always a threat. Hope the Carter knock isn't too bad.
Side note - I wish Marc would stop going on about how shit our pitch is in every post match interview. No one will want to play for us as a result...
@calvertskans Know what you mean about the pitch.... but I'm hoping it will be ripped up soon after the purchase. Maybe that's the big news?!
Great performance, just the finishing missing. At the end of the day, we are more than competing against the top sides in the NL. That gives me more certainty that a big clear out may not be needed - whatever division we are in next season.
The pitch is godawful though, other clubs 3G pitches look so much better, we still have the black rubber crumb flying up with every goal kick!
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
Great performance, just the finishing missing. At the end of the day, we are more than competing against the top sides in the NL. That gives me more certainty that a big clear out may not be needed - whatever division we are in next season.
A big clear is most definitely needed. When the team was well and truly in the shit they played shockingly badly away to Maidenhead and home to Fylde, Ebbslfeet, and Halifax.
Raising your game when you are playing Chesterfield and Solihull does not magically make up for the team being utter shit against teams around them.
Teams that if they had beaten they wouldnt be 2nd bottom right now with less than a 30% chance of staying up based on form.
Also, there are 5 players of 35+ in the current first team squad. And a whole load of squad players the manager doesnt trust that are just taking up space and wages that could go elsewhere
As you say it is the very poor performances against the teams in the bottom half, particularly at home, why Dorking are second bottom, not performances against the better sides, when you would always expect to lose more than you win
It is not always easy to tell from the Live Feed, but it seems Carter is having a hard time finishing easyish goals? He is a fantastic player, but it seems he should have more goals on his sheet- there are some seemingly easy goals that he has missed from the 6 yard box? Is the lack of Macca, who seems to be in the right place at the right time, would slot goals in and make it look easy that has hindered our goal scoring prowess? I know Carter works really hard, and helps create some good chances, but the lack of goals from seemingly well set up crosses/passes might be an element of us not getting points.
@jacksonfairweather I disagree. Playing well against top sides shows we are capable. To me, there are some key elements that will need addressing, notably the lack of pace at the back, as well as the need for a goal poacher type forward. And we do need to lower the overall age of the squad too.
Also, as Marc often says, there really aren't any poor teams this year, perhaps bar Oxford City, so to compete as we are doing is a real achievement. Most games we are most certainly not outplayed, as we were on quite a few occasions last season.
We're a small club, who have come very, very far. Always worth remembering that.
A few stats from the game:
xG: Dorking 1.78 - 1.89 Solihull
Possession: 50% - 50%
Shots: 16 - 13
Top Performer: Tom Blair [8.9]
Our first home draw since 2nd September (0-0 v Eastleigh) and our first score draw at home since Boxing Day last season (1-1 v Easteligh).
Also, only the 5th point we've gained all season when conceding the first goal... 😶
Interesting stats. Perhaps a draw a fair result. One half each. But I felt it was there for the taking towards the end.
@RobH yes Carter missed a great chance at the end to take the points. Almost as bad as the one he skyed from under the crossbar a few games ago. But, as you say, he is a class above on the ball and in the air. And he is generally in the right place at the right time in the penalty area, like Macca. So he will score more goals. I think the forward runs off Jason’s flicks could be better at times. But Blair was knocking over some lovely crosses that could easily have been converted on another day.
Pretty good set of results/outcomes this midweek set of matches. Eastleigh and Wealdstone both losing, Barnet having to play a midweek match when we have a rest and Bromley having their first choice keeper sent off and suspended ahead of our match next week.
We can also decide the league title if we take points of Barnet (if Chesterfield lose the early match)!
