Without Joshua Hebert in the previous round against Cambridge City, following recovery from recent injury concern Lead Coach Bobby-Joe Taylor was able to welcome back the influential winger for this fixture, but did have to proceed without another key player in academy captain Ted Sullivan, who was ruled out due to a foot injury. Bertie Baker therefore came into the starting eleven and took the captain’s armband for the evening – the other changes from the previous round seeing regular academy and B team goalkeeper Sam Allison return following the outstanding efforts of U16’s stopper Nathaniel Golan in the games against Wingate & Finchley and Cambridge, plus Miguel Rodriguez coming into central midfield for Cristiano Barreca.
On a cold, rainy evening in Wiltshire, it was Wanderers who fashioned the first opportunity of the match inside the opening minute; Jacks cross from the right just headed wide at the far post by fellow winger Hebert closing in from the opposite flank.
From there action in the final third would quieten down whilst both teams competed and battled hard in the middle of the park, but approaching the midway point of the half the hosts did start to threaten; Allison doing well to clear successive corner balls before Kian Larkins headed wide at the back post.
And just past the half-hour, the team in red on the night opened the scoring; Lucas Griffiths-Brown latching onto a through ball and finishing into the bottom left corner from the right side of the penalty area.
Wanderers pushed for a quick leveller as Jacks did brilliantly to advance down the right and squeeze a ball across the face of goal, Weller and Hebert just not quite able to get a decisive touch on the delivery. In first half stoppage time Hebert then drove a well-worked corner routine from the right over the bar.
H/T: 1-0
Following the restart it was the home side who were quick out the blocks to work an early opening, and managed to double their lead in doing so; Harry Gray’s cross deflected inadvertently into goal off the outstretched leg of a defender in white.
Whilst Wanderers began to take more of a command of possession, Swindon increasingly posed threat on the counter-attack as the half wore on; Joseph Owiti breaking in behind and firing a strike over the bar from close range before Allison went on to make a string of top saves; denying Owiti from a tight angle, preventing Griffiths-Brown his second of the evening from range and producing a great block to deny Louis Millard.
Having kept themselves in the contest and continued to battle hard, into the final ten minutes Wanderers managed to half the deficit and set up a grandstand finish to the game – Hebert pouncing on Swindon keeper Lucas Myers retaining the ball for too long inside the box and keeping his composure to slot into an open goal from several yards out.
The winger would bring Myers into action with a long range effort before dispatching a dangerous free kick across the box which would somehow evade everyone before powered into the side-netting, almost deceiving spectators from some angles around the ground into thinking a late leveller had been scored.
Through several minutes of added on time, Wanderers ultimately could not find the late equaliser, bowing out of the competition at the stage they have reached previously against Barnet in 19/20 and Cheltenham Town in 23/24. Swindon will now go on to face Southend United away in the 3rd Round.
Academy Director Jordan Clark said post-match:
“Its an opportunity missed that’s how you’ve got to look at it – Swindon are of course a Cat 3 academy but we matched them this evening and it shows how far we’ve come when you compare to how we have done at this stage in recent years.”
“The gap tonight was an error – a lack of concentration after half-time. I felt we had the better chances in the first half, but just couldn’t find that decisive touch. It was a competitive game, fine margins, and I’m disappointed we’ve gone out, but we also have to recognise the progress we are collecitvely making.”
The FA Youth Cup squad is comprised of players who represent Dorking Wanderers B and the National League Academy South U19’s – the B’s return to league action this Saturday (Nov 29th) away to league leaders Godalming Town, whilst the U19’s travel to Maidenhead United next Wednesday December 3rd.
Dorking Wanderers: Sam Allison; Chris Ewen, Bertie Baker (c), James McLeod (Tom Bland 70′); Gabriel Jacks, Miguel Rodriguez, Dillon Grass, Fin McIntyre (Cristiano Barreca 51′), Joshua Hebert; Blaise Weller (Harry Tivnann 88′), Miles Straker (Donnell Fitzgerald 70′)
Unused Subs: Nathaniel Golan (GK), Finley Abbott, Leo Bines
Goal: Hebert 84′
Station View Garage Man Of The Match: Gabriel Jacks
