Match preview: Dorking Wanderers (H)

Tomorrow, Luke Garrard’s men host fellow promotion hopefuls Dorking Wanderers in the Vanarama National League South, kicking off at 15:00.

Last Season for the Wanderers

It was a season to forget for Dorking Wanderers, as they suffered their first relegation in their history. A disappointing record of 12 wins, nine draws, and 25 defeats saw them finish 23rd in the Vanarama National League, resulting in a return to the sixth tier for the 2024/25 season.

Form Guide

After an impressive unbeaten run that saw them top the table, Wanderers’ form has dipped in recent weeks. They currently sit 12th in the form table, with two wins, three draws, and one loss in their previous six Vanarama National League South fixtures. Following a strong nine-game unbeaten streak, Marc White’s side are now winless in their previous three matches, after two draws and a defeat, which has seen them slip to fifth in the league.

In their previous fixture, Wanderers fell to defeat at Meadowbank against play-off hopefuls Torquay United. Despite a strong start, they failed to capitalise, and were punished by an 82nd-minute winner from defender Jordan Dyer. As a result, Wanderers have dropped out of the title race and will be desperate to return to winning ways tomorrow.

Last Time We Met

Wood and Dorking Wanderers played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at Meadowbank, with Wood twice battling back to earn a point. Although we dominated for large spells, we fell behind early when Jason Prior finished well against the run of play. However, Wood responded swiftly, as Erico Sousa cut in from the left and rifled a powerful strike past Harrison Foulkes to level the score.

After the break, Wood missed a golden opportunity to go ahead when Lee Ndlovu was denied one-on-one by Foulkes. We were made to pay moments later as Prior headed in his second from a Matt Briggs cross. Despite the setback, Wood continued to press and were eventually rewarded on 82 minutes when substitute Cameron Coxe calmly tucked away Sousa’s cross to earn a valuable point against a promotion rival.

One to Watch

Non-league veteran Jason Prior will be a key player to watch out for tomorrow afternoon. The Dorking Wanderers legend has been a leading figure over two spells at the club, making over 200 appearances, scoring over 100 goals, and contributing to two promotions across six years. This season, the Wanderers’ talisman has scored 11 goals in the Vanarama National League South, including a brace against Wood in the reverse fixture.

The Wood

Luke Garrard’s men will be aiming to bounce back after a disappointing defeat to relegation-threatened Weymouth last time out. Following back-to-back victories over Aveley and Farnborough, Wood looked set to challenge league leaders Worthing. However, the loss in Dorset leaves us fourth in the table, six points behind Worthing, who could potentially extend their lead to nine points with a game in hand next week.

In our previous match, Wood endured a nightmare first half, falling two goals behind after strikes from Calvin Brooks and Malachi Linton. A much-improved second-half display saw Junior Dixon pull a goal back in the 67th minute, but Wood couldn’t find an equaliser, resulting in our second defeat in eight matches.

Pre-match interview

Ticket information

Ticket information for tomorrow afternoon’s fixture can be found here.

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