The match will be Wanderers second televised fixture on BT following the early season visit to Oldham Athletic, and Marc White will be very much hoping his side can continue the form of recent matches in a game which will have an impact at both ends of the league table.

Wanderers followed up the narrow 1-0 defeat at Boreham Wood 10 days ago with a 0-0 draw against FC Halifax Town last Saturday afternoon, and got back to winning ways this past Tuesday night by defeating Barnet under the Meadowbank lights. Harry Smith’s impressive looping header had given the North London side the lead early on, but Josh Taylor’s composed finish shortly before half-time got Wanderers deservedly back on terms after dominating the majority of the opening forty-five. George Francomb’s defence-splitting through ball had set up the equalising goal, and just before the hour mark the former Crawley man netted his first goal for Wanderers in spectacular fashion, turning inside well before hammering a left footed strike into the top corner of goal, an effort well worthy of being the match-winner as Wanderers remained resolute thereafter to collect maximum points for just the second time in 2023.

The victory moved Wanderers up a place to 19th in the league standings, 4 points away from the drop zone albeit the two sides beneath them, Yeovil Town and Gateshead, each have a game in hand.

Team News

Following the nasty collision suffered very early on in Tuesday’s game against Barnet, Ed Harris will be absent from the matchday squad this weekend due to following the necessary concussion protocols. Fellow defender Joe Cook was also in the wars in midweek, suffering a broken nose at the beginning of the second half, but is expected to be part of the matchday squad travelling up to Nottingham on Saturday.

Seb Bowerman and Matt Briggs are also likely to be involved as they return from recent hamstring injuries, Jimmy Muitt will continue to be sidelined though after rolling his ankle last weekend against FC Halifax Town. Marc White has confirmed that midfielder’s Niall McManus and Aaron Kuhl are continuing to make good progress from their injuries and are expected to be back in matchday contention in a couple of week’s time.

In the past 7 days two Wanderers players have moved out on loan to National League South sides for the remainder of the season; Jack Jebb making the move to Havant & Waterlooville last Saturday and already featuring in two games for The Hawks, and just ahead of kick off against Barnet on Tuesday night it was confirmed that Archie Procter will join Weymouth FC on loan for the rest of the campaign, the defender an unused substitute in The Terra’s 0-1 defeat to Chippenham Town in midweek. Jordan Cheadle will continue at Dulwich Hamlet on loan after joining the South London side last month, whilst Adam Mekki’s time at Bath City has been cut short due to a shoulder injury.

Opposition Focus: The Magpies

The consistency of both Notts County and Wrexham at the top of the National League has led to an intense, hotly contested title-race between the two clubs this campaign, the side from Wales currently just ahead at the top on 88 points, 4 ahead of The Magpies with both sides having played 36 games each.

It’s just been within the past fortnight that County have relinquished leading the way; on the day that Wanderers were defeated by Wrexham at The Racecourse Ground, Dagenham & Redbridge came from behind in the late kick off at Meadow Lane to take a 1-2 victory back down to London and become the first team to defeat County on home soil this term in the league. The Magpies nearly succumbed to back-to-back defeats last time out away at Bromley last Saturday, Adam Marriott’s first half penalty giving the home side the lead but Macauley Langstaff found an equaliser in the last minute to ensure the spoils were shared. Prior to the last two matches, Luke Williams team had recorded an impressive 7 straight league wins in a row from January to February, including a 1-2 away defeat of Chesterfield live on BT Sport, as well as emphatic home wins over Barnet (4-1) and Southend United (4-0).

Behind Boreham Wood, The Magpies have the next best defensive record in the league having conceded 33 goals so far this term, and they are also the second highest scorers in the division, having netted 90 goals after Wrexham’s 94. Macaluey Langstaff does lead the way for County in the goalscoring charts however, the man often referred to as ‘non-league’s Erling Haaland’ scoring an impressive 33 league goals already this season and just recently called up to the England C side for the upcoming friendly with Wales. Langstaff joined The Magpies last summer from Gateshead with fellow striker Cedwyn Scott, he and influential attacking midfielder Ruben Rodrigues are also among the division’s higher scorers with 14 each so far.

With such consistency at the back and fire-power up top, it’s across midfield where manager Luke Williams has looked to bolster his squad in recent months. Much travelled former Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder John Bostock signed for the club back in December having last played in League One with Doncaster Rovers, and a couple of loan additions from the Football League have also joined County until the end of this season. Former Coventry City winger Jodi Jones arrived from Oxford United in January and ex-Torquay United central midfielder Connor Lemonleigh-Evans made the move from Stockport County last month.

Earlier This Season

Wanderers are one of two sides to have defeated Notts County this term, a James McShane hat-trick at Meadowbank back in September securing a 3-1 win for Marc White’s men on a truly memorable afternoon for the football club. McShane took advantage of a short pass out from the back to coolly lob keeper Sam Slocombe near the midway point of the first half, but Cedwyn Scott equalised within five minutes of the restart after cutting in from the left and drilling home a clinical finish between Dan Lincoln and his near post. Wanderers managed to weather numerous attacks from County as the visitors dominated much of the play in the second half, and got reward on the counter into stoppage time; McShane completing his hat-trick with two close range finishes and making Wanderers the first team to beat Notts County this term.

Key Matchday Info

KICK-OFF: 5:20pm

TICKET PRICES: Adults £20 / Over 65 & 18-21s £14 / U18s £7 / U16 £5 / Under 12’s £1

AVAILABLE HERE (select Z1 in the Jimmy Sirrel stand): https://www.eticketing.co.uk/nottscountyfc/EDP/Event/Index/347

THE WANDERERS SUPPORTERS COACH DEPARTS FROM DORKING HIGH STREET AT 12PM!

Tickets Still Available Here, Priced At Just £20!
https://dwfc-online-shop.myshopify.com/collections/away-travel/products/ncfc

GETTING TO MEADOW LANE:

https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/club/getting-here/

MATCH UPDATES:

Not joining us on the road? Matchday updates will be running on our Twitter page throughout the afternoon (@DorkingWDRS)

Elsewhere Around The Wanderers This Weekend

The DWFC Ladies were held to a 1-1 draw away at Denham United last time out, and will be looking to get back to winning ways on Sunday as they host Watford Development in a 3:30pm kick off at Meadowbank. Tickets are priced at £5 Adults and £3 Concessions.

Ruben Gaspar’s Wanderers B team are also back on home soil this weekend, looking to follow up their 1-4 midweek win away at Forest Row with another 3 points on Saturday as East Preston are the visitors to Meadowbank in a 3pm kick off.