We managed to salvage all three points late on at Meadowbank as substitute Rhys Murphy bundled the ball over the line in second-half stoppage time to hand us a 1-0 victory over Tonbridge Angels.

A quick thirty-second spell of pressure from Angels got the game flowing, but we eventually got hold of the ball and dictated proceedings in the early stages, nearly creating the opener in the first five minutes. Jimmy Muitt’s mazy run down the right gave him space to deliver across the box for Jordan Norville-Williams, but despite the wing-back’s best efforts, his sliced shot bobbled just wide of the target.

Double chances in succession followed for Charlie Carter within five minutes of each other, with the first being the more clear-cut of the two as he adjusted his body to force Matthew Rowley into a low foot save from point-blank range. The second, however, saw him blaze over a half-volley from just inside the 18-yard box after a superb Rob Milsom cross deep from the left-hand side.

Alfie Rutherford then got involved as he chased a long ball down the right and sent a first-time half-volley just wide of the far post, with Norville-Williams then looking for redemption a minute later as he sent an ambitious effort from range swerving just over the bar.

Not much action followed for the rest of the half before Marc White got his name into the book just before the interval, as his choice words for referee Adam Merchant about his decisions weren’t to his liking. With Dorking threatening but Tonbridge standing strong, we went into the second half with it still all to play for.

HALF-TIME: DORKING WANDERERS 0-0 TONBRIDGE ANGELS

With Rhys Murphy replacing Alfie Rutherford at the break, the chances began to flow as the striker had one of his own just three minutes into the second half, with his drive from 20 yards out caught well by Rowley after some excellent football by Wanderers in the build-up.

The biggest chance of the game thus far followed as Liam Vincent delivered a fantastic cross from the left to find a returning Harry Ottaway, who used his improvisation to flick the ball goalwards, but Foulkes did fantastically well to claw it away from danger.

We then began to get into the swing of things as Murphy did fantastically well to force Rowley into a big save after he nutmegged an onrushing defender to find himself one-on-one. The forward was then brought down twice in two minutes for successive penalty appeals, but the referee waved both away and gestured for Murphy to “get up.”

This was much better from us as Josh Brooking and Niall McManus were brought into battle, with the former dragging a low effort well wide of the post. But as the game drew on, Tonbridge slowly dragged themselves back into the mix.

Liam Vincent then sent a long-range free kick just wide of the right-hand top corner, and although the away fans in the far corner thought it was in, the scoreline still stayed level with just over ten minutes left to play.

It was looking very likely as time ticked on that the score would stay the same, and despite the visitors’ best efforts to run the clock down, they were thwarted late on as they were hit with a 93rd-minute dagger. After a ball into the box dropped kindly to Jason Prior, his outside-of-the-foot strike was palmed into Rhys Murphy right on the goal line, who jumped right into the path of the ball to cause absolute chaos in The Bank behind the goal. 1-0.

With results going in our favour, we stay right at the top of the tree ahead of a visit to Welling United this weekend, and we hope to see you all in South London to give the boys another huge boost.

FULL-TIME: DORKING WANDERERS 1-0 TONBRIDGE ANGELS
ATTENDANCE: 967

Match report by Henry Bennett