Dorking Wanderers v Dagenham & Redbridge
Vanarama National League
Saturday 4th November
3pm KO

Wanderers will be looking to make it successive victories after overcoming Aldershot on Saturday with a 2-1 victory last weekend. Jimmy Muitt made a stylish return to Meadowbank, and the starting XI, grabbing the winner after Cian Harries penalty on the hour mark cancelled out Jason Prior’s opener. Following the trend of Jimmy’s homecoming, this Saturday is set to mark the long-awaited return for Alfie Rutherford, who is on course to make his first appearance in Wanderers colours since 3rd September 2022, marking the conclusion of an inspiring comeback which has seen the 25-year-old cult hero recover from ACL injury and open heart surgery in the past year.

Prior’s eighth goal of the campaign, and Muitt’s first, gave Dorking their first win in four games, reducing a play-off chasing Shots side to their first defeat since the start of October. An enthused Marc White post-match expressed he was “delighted” with his sides performance, especially given the makeshift look to the starting XI, stating he was without “6 or 7 players which would start every week” as well as “asking players to play who hadn’t played for six months” as he and the management team continue to contend with a host of injuries within the squad. Amongst those who came into the XI with little to no previous minutes this campaign was Niall McManus, who vindicated White’s decision to give him the nod after he located Prior with a deft cross to give Wanderers the lead. The midfielder found himself with time on the ball after seeing his initial throw cleared back into his path, before finding the number 9 who glanced a beautiful header over Jordi Van Stappershoef in goal to give Dorking the advantage seven minutes into proceedings. Wanderers continued on the front foot for much of the first half, forcing Van Stappershoef into a number of fine stops, as well as contending with another early forced change, Matt Briggs this time the injured party, eventually being replaced by Bobby-Joe Taylor just shy of the half hour mark. An improved Shots in the second half found themselves with the opportunity to level the scoreline courtesy of Josh Stokes, who won a penalty after being clipped by Joe Cook, Harries converted and perhaps ignited fears of a repeat to the Rochdale and Barnet comeback heartbreaks. Dorking however would not go onto rue missed chances again, as a willing Muitt spurred his side on to make his return to Meadowbank a memorable one; after receiving the ball just inside The Shots half, the winger drove forward unchallenged before unleashing a strike from range which, rather fortuitously, deflected beyond Van Stappershoef into the net and regained the Wanderers lead. Protecting the wingers fitness, White replaced the goal scorer with Harry Ottaway, who was inches away from sealing all three points for his side after seeing his effort crash off the crossbar within a minute of being introduced to play. An assured defensive display thereafter ensured White’s side would hold out for a much needed win, their first at home since mid-September.

Relishing the challenge of recording back-to-back home wins for the first time this campaign, Wanderers welcome 18th placed Dagenham & Redbridge who travel with two wins from their last three outings, as they continue to fend off relegation scares. The Daggers arrive to Surrey with the second-worst goal scoring record in the league, as Wanderers will be looking to regain some of the defensive solidity which served as a solid foundation for their strong early season form, White’s side are currently without a shutout in their last five.

Team News

Following Rutherford being back into the squad this weekend will be Josh Taylor, who missed his first game of the season in last weekend’s clash with Aldershot due to suspension. George Francomb will be pushing for a return after also missing out last weekend, whilst the weekend’s game may come around too soon for Tony Craig, James McShane and Seb Bowerman, the latter two back in light training following recent injury lay offs.

Marc White will be without Luke Moore and Jason Prior after the duo received second yellow cards following the final whistle last weekend, and Matt Briggs will also be ruled out after a suffering a hamstring injury during the first half. Tom Blair (leg) and Charlie Carter (broken wrist) will continue to be ruled out for at least another couple of weeks with their respective injuries.

Opposition Focus – Daggers 

Inconsistency has been at the heart of The Daggers’ muddled campaign thus far, with three of the five wins Ben Strevens’ side have enjoyed all coming in succession, immediately after a run of four defeats to commence their season. To follow a very polarised opening seven fixtures, Dag & Red would go on a torrid run of nine games without a win in all competitions, spanning over a month and a half. A 2-1 triumph over Woking at Victoria Road two weeks ago ensured the run of games didn’t enter double figures, another victory at Ebbsfleet last Saturday moved the Daggers three points away from the drop zone, as they look to regain some of the prowess they displayed in their trio of wins back in late August.

Following last seasons respectable 10th placed finish, Strevens and his management team recruited a host of players in the summer, the most notable coming in the middle of the park, as the club continue their search for a first play-off place finish since 2016-17. Incomings at Victoria Road include Josh Rees, who arrived from Boreham Wood with a wealth of National League experience, the midfielder has netted three times this campaign. Rees’ midfield partners for much of the season have been Frank Vincent, who arrived from League Two’s Notts County, and Jake Hessenthaler, also arriving from League Two following a three year spell at Crawley Town, part of which he spent on loan at Woking last term.

Last Time We Met

This fixture holds a record for Dorking as their biggest ever National League win, a 5-1 victory over Daggers last October moved Wanderers up to 11th on the 11th game of their campaign. A James McShane brace in the first half preceded a Josh Walker dismissal for two yellow cards, leaving the 10-men Daggers with a mountain to climb in the second forty-five. Seb Bowerman made his first appearance in Wanderers colours, coming off the bench for Nicky Wheeler before grabbing a debut goal on the 50 minute mark. Adam Mekki added to White’s delight as he also came off the bench to head in Wanderers fourth of the day, no less than five minutes after being introduced, Bowerman providing the assist. Ryan Seager added further gloss to the scoreline with a header, making it 5-0 with less than an hour played. A Dan Lincoln own goal late on in the day cancelled out a clean sheet, but didn’t dampen what was a historic win for the club.

Dom Bleackley

Matchday Info

Tickets
Priced at Adults £18, Cons £16, U18s £9 & U8s £5, secure your tickets online now:
https://dorkingwanderersfc.ktckts.com/event/g11/dagenham-redbridge-fc

Don’t forget our Family Ticket where two adults and two children are able to watch the Wanderers take on The Daggers for just £45!

*Season Tickets holder from other clubs, if your game is off come to Meadowbank and receive a £5 discount on admission!*

Matchday Programme
The printed programme remains in place for 23/24, available at the merchandise and food outlets on Saturday priced at £3!

Join Us In The FanZone & The New Bar @ The Bank!
Both our outdoors bar areas will be open from 1pm on Saturday afternoon!

Match Updates
Not able to attend Meadowbank?

LIVE COMMENTARY: Tom Rogers & George Taylor have got you covered with live commentary of the game via Mixlr! Stay tuned to our social media channels for more information.

LIVE UPDATES: We will be providing action and score updates throughout the afternoon via Twitter, give us a follow @DorkingWDRS

Visiting Fans Information
All the info on getting to Meadowbank, where to grab a pre-match drink beforehand and much more…

Visiting Supporters

1 year ago