Late drama provides the ideal end to groundhopping drought

Dorking Wanderers Reserves 1 Epsom and Ewell 1, Combined Counties League Division One, Saturday 7^th March 2020

My mid-season break from Non-League football is over!

Which, loosely translated, means ‘it’s finally stopped raining!’ For now, at least.

Having not been to a non-league match since 8^th February, when I watched Langney Wanderers defeat Pagham 1-0, I was itching to get back on the road again.

Although my brief hiatus from Non-League football did see me take in a trip to the King Power Stadium to see Leicester City take on Manchester City, it’s just not the same. I really do miss going to Non-League games. Far more than I ever thought I would when I started this groundhopping expedition at the start of last season.

Of course, the main reason for my month-long absence from the Non-League terraces has been purely down to the awful weather we’ve been enduring.
It’s been annoying as a spectator. I can only sympathise with how frustrating the season must be for all those directly involved with a club!

Even now, in the second weekend of March, the weather is still having an impact on my match choices.

With the games at my initial designations of choice for the weekend – Alfold and Roffey (again) – both having been postponed due to waterlogged pitches, not for the first time this season I had to turn to Plan B. In other words, find a game being played on a 3G pitch.

Luckily, I’ve become quite adept at forming Plan Bs this season. So by Saturday morning, with the cancellation on those other two games having been confirmed, I already knew where I would be heading instead. To Dorking’s Meadowbank Stadium.

I have been planning to watch Dorking Wanderers ever since embarking on my groundhopping journey at the start of the 2018/19 season, when they moved into their new home. However, for one reason or another, the ground had eluded me thus far. At least as a spectator. I actually played there a few weeks ago for the veterans’ team that I play for. I won’t dwell on that too much though. Needless to say we came second. Very second!

Although the Dorking Wanderers first team, who currently play in the National League South following a rapid rise through the divisions, were away to Hemel Hempstead, their reserve side, who play in Division One of the Combined Counties League, were at home to Epsom and Ewell.

Of course, while it would have been good to have seen the first team in action, seeing the reserves did at least mean that the entrance fee to the match was much cheaper – £6. Unfortunately, there was no paper programme; yet another club that have gone fully digital in their programme production. At least, the reserves have. Not sure if their applies to the first team as well. That said, the online programme was very informative.

Having parked at the multi-storey car-park located right outside the ground, I made my way to the impressive Meadowbank Stadium – also home to the Surrey FA.

A new ground, which is dominated by a main seated stand (there is also a small covered terraced stand), the stadium’s facilities are hugely impressive. And they’re not finished yet with building work still ongoing behind one of the goals. The main bar/restaurant offers fantastic views of the pitch, and a wide variety of food and drink is available.   

Now, as I’ve mentioned on numerous occasions on this blog, I’m not completely sold on 3G pitches as yet. While they’re obviously great because they ensure games can at least be played, I personally don’t feel they tend to lead to particularly exciting spectacles. At least, not from my own experiences of watching Non-League games played on the surface.

Thankfully, this match proved to be an exception to the rule (well, my rule). Even if it did look like it would end goalless right up until the 90^th minute.

There were chances for both teams throughout the game. After a sloppy start, it was Dorking who created the best of the early chances. An early deflected effort hit the bar (not for the last time during the afternoon) while Epsom ‘keeper Conor Young did well to beat away a Javin Dougan effort following a good run from the tricky winger.

 

Epsom’s best chance of the first half fell to Tariq Straker who sliced a shot wide after good work from Taryn Smith had presented him with an opportunity from which he really should have at least hit the target.

To be honest, much of the flow of the first half was disrupted by a combination of niggly fouls and a slightly whistle happy ref; although in fairness to the man in the middle, constant moaning from both teams probably made it quite a hard match to officiate.

Dorking continued to create the better opportunities in the opening 45 minutes, and somehow failed to score after being presented with a flurry of decent chances which culminated with George Membrillera fluffing his lines from close range.

Just before half-time, Wanderers’ James Dickson thought he’d finally given the hosts the lead, only to see his well-struck effort from 20 yards cannon back off the bar.

With Dorking having been the better side for much of the first-half, the introduction of Epsom and Ewell’s Robert Hendry at the interval, swung the game in favour of the visitors.

In fact, Epsom should have been ahead within seconds of the restart, but Straker could only head weakly wide when left completely unmarked in the centre of the Dorking penalty area.

However, despite the fact that the visitors were now looking the better side, it was Dorking who had the next chance, with Membrillera really unlucky to become the third Dorking player to hit the bar.

Not that the hosts were the only ones being denied by the goal-frame. Minutes later, Hendry was already off celebrating when his low curling effort came back off the inside of the post.

Epsom’s control of the second half was checked midway through, when Straker was sin-binned for dissent.

It’s so hard to judge these decisions from the sidelines as you never know what was actually said. It’s fair to say that the Epsom forward was far from the only player to offer the ref some ‘advice’ during the afternoon, though.

With the visitors a player down, the hosts looked to take advantage. Their best chance in this period fell to Andrew Denby, who burst through the Epsom backline, but was denied by another good save from Young.

Ultimately, though, the hosts failed to take advantage of their temporary numerical supremacy, and after ten minutes (11 minutes according to the Epsom bench) Straker was back on with the game still goalless.

It was still goalless as the clock passed 90 minutes.

I was just trying to recall whether I’d ever seen a 0-0 game with so many chances, when the visitors took the lead. Straker turned provider this time, sending in a dangerous low cross that the impressive Hendry stabbed home to give his side the victory with only seconds remaining.

Or so he thought.

Within 30 seconds, Dorking were level. Epsom failed to clear their lines, the ball fell invitingly to Jamie Autorino in the area, and the left-back showed his attacking teammates how it should be done, calmly dispatching a low finish into the bottom corner of the net.

There was barely time for the match to restart before the ref brought a close to proceedings.

Having seen so many chances go abegging during the 90 minutes, no one could quite believe what had transpired in injury time.

As someone who knows far more about football than I ever will once famously said: “Football. Bloody hell!’

Indeed. It’s why we love it, and why I’m sincerely hoping the weather behaves itself between now and the end of the season.
After my mid-season break, I’m fully charged and ready to go, looking forward to hopefully catching lots of re-arranged games over the next month or two.

Enjoyed this blog post? Then you may be interested in reading my kindle book which recounts my 2018/19 groundhopping journey (take a look, it’s only 99p).