13-01-23. FA Trophy 4th Rd. Match preview Vs Dorking Wanderers

Preview: Phil Lench

After winning at AFC Fylde a few weeks ago for the first time ever, in the FA Trophy, the Harriers will be paying a first ever visit to Dorking Wanderers. It will also be the first time that our paths have crossed too.

Twenty five years ago Dorking didn’t even exist but since forming in 1999 they have risen from the Crawley & District League up to the National League via the Sussex County League, securing promotion to the Ryman Division One South in 2015. Two years later they gained promotion to the Bostik Premier League staying there until 2019 and another promotion, this time to the National South. Last season they finally moved up into the National League via the play-offs.

Their first season has been one of consolidation for the part timers but since the start of the New Year they’ve dropped back to earth slightly with some high scoring reversals at Eastleigh (4-0) and at home to Oldham Athletic (1-5). They earned the right to meet us in this round of the Trophy by beating Yeovil Town 4-1 on penalties after the game, at Yeovil, finished 0-0 in the ninety minutes.

We’ve played one extra game to them by winning at St Albans City in the 2nd round back in mid November to meet up, yet again, with Fylde. Although it was penalties that saw us through against our bogey team it was still a win at the end of the day.

Tomorrow we’ll have a new face in the side after signing a striker on loan yesterday when Joe McGlynn joined us for the remainder of the season from the Championship leaders Burnley. The U21 player has also had loan spells with Oldham and Hyde Utd scoring twice in six games at the latter. Gone from the club is Gabby Rogers who expressed a desire to move back to Devon and has now signed for Cornish side Bude FC in what looks to be a stepping stone move.

Our opponents tomorrow have bought Joe Cook back into the club following his return to Chesterfield after the end of his loan before Christmas. The central defender has now joined them permanently. 

They’ll be without Luke Moore (leg injury) and Josh Taylor (ligaments) for the game with Taylor facing a scan on Monday. Apart from those two they should be at full strength.

We’re now without Joe Leesley for the remainder of the season after the scan on his knee showed excess damage but luckily not enough for surgery. As for our two other long termers there’s better news with Nathaniel Knight-Percival almost ready to begin his comeback while Alex Penny was to be seen getting himself fit before the Leamington game last Saturday. They were both expected to play a part in the Worcester Cup at Stourport Swifts on Tuesday but the weather put paid to that. We might see Alex on the bench tomorrow with a bit of luck.

We should also be able to start Reiss Mcnally too now that he’s signed with us on loan until the end of the season. Solihull Moors need for him in the Trophy is no longer valid and he should be free to play.

That game at Leamington was yet another disappointing one from our point of view. The Harriers had the majority of the possession but did nothing with it having no shots on goal during the first half. A wrongly disallowed goal from Amari Morgan-Smith and a freaky long kick from Tom Palmer, that almost fooled the Brakes keeper, was all that we could muster and the 0-0 scoreline kept us firmly entrenched in the middle of the table.

It goes without saying that if we really do need to rescue something from this season and with no chance of promotion, or hopefully relegation, then the FA Trophy* is the best way of achieving that. We need to be on top of our game and wearing some shooting boots.

*Or the Worcestershire Senior Cup. 

Teams:

Harriers from:

Palmer, Emery, Penny, Richards, Knight-Percival, Foulkes, McNally, Pearce, Margetson, Byrne, Brown, Lissimore, Owen-Evans, Hall, Martin, Freemantle, Bearne, Hemmings, McGlynn, Morgan-Smith.

Dorking Wanderers from:

Huk, Lincoln, Harris, El-Abd, Philpot, Kennedy, Fuller, BJ Taylor, Cheadle, Gallagher, Cook, Jebb, Proctor, Muitt, Briggs, McShane, Mekki, McManus, Rabbetts, Wheeler, Egan, Bowerman, Seager, Rutherford, Ottaway, Sole. 

Referee: Mr Jason Richardson. Ruislip

Talk about the game here

Links to Dorking Wanderers websites here

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