Dorking Wanderers (A) preview

Meadowbank is the venue for the league match, with the kick-off set to take place at 3pm.

Going into the fixture there is an 11-position gap between the two sides, with Marc White’s outfit at the table’s summit and City in 12th.

Having played one more game than the Clarets, Wanderers have an impressive 54 points from their 26 outings.

Up until Dorking’s recent defeat to Tonbridge Angels, tomorrow’s hosts won 10 league matches in a row, which saw them shoot up the table.

That run was brought to an end in a 3-1 defeat to the Angels, however Wanderers have since beaten Bath City.

The Clarets go into the game on a good run too, having gone unbeaten in the last four league games, winning two and drawing two.

City supporters attending tomorrow’s game should ensure they purchase away tickets or enter the away end on the day, with all of the details here.

Last time out…

Last Saturday the Clarets picked up a hard-fought three points in a 1-0 win at the EMG Inspire Stadium.

Hampton & Richmond Borough were the visitors on the day in which both sides found clear-cut chances hard to come by.

The closest either side came in the first half was a good chance for City, which presented both Cameron James and Danny Imray with opportunities.

Despite having good chances to open the scoring, a mix of solid defending from the Beavers and not being able to catch the ball cleanly for both City players meant the chances went begging.

Christian Frimpong and Imray would have further efforts for the home side, but both were speculative.

Hampton began the second half the stronger side and saw half-chances fall for both James Roberts and Ruaridh Donaldson.

With just over 10 minutes left to play, the Clarets broke the deadlock as Cameron James rose highest in the box to meet a Tom Blackwell corner and head home.

That proved to be the game’s only goal as City saw out a fifth clean sheet in six home league games to seal the victory.

The opposition…

Dorking Wanderers have proven themselves the team to beat in the Vanarama National League South this season.

Over their 26 league outings this far, Marc White’s outfit has accrued a whopping 54 points to take them to the top of the table.

The points total is made up of 17 wins and three draws, with the other six league games being lost.

Wanderers have also shown their potency in front of goal, bagging a stellar 65 goals, which is at least 13 more than any other side in the division.

Despite their impressive season, the recent defeat to 18th-placed Tonbridge showed that White’s side is not infallible.

Having conceded 36 over the season, Dorking have let in six more goals than the Clarets, with City having the fourth-best defensive record in the league.

In the Emirates FA Cup, Wanderers exited in the fourth qualifying round to Hayes & Yeading United and in the third round of the Buildbase FA Trophy to Southend United.

Opposition dangerman…

As the National League South’s joint-top scorer in the division’s most potent team, there is no debate over who Dorking’s dangerman is.

With 20 goals in 23 league appearances, Alfie Rutherford has been in excellent form throughout the campaign.

The player joint with Rutherford is Shaun Jeffers, who bagged against City in the 1-1 draw with St Albans at the EMG Inspire Stadium.

Having struggled for goals in the early part of the season, scoring once up to the end of September, Rutherford has netted three hat-tricks since December.

One of those hat-tricks came against his former club, Havant & Waterlooville, in their 8-0 hammering on Boxing Day.

Despite not scoring last time out, the 23-year-old frontman bagged Dorking’s goal in the recent 3-1 defeat to Tonbridge.

Our last meeting…

Clarets 2-2 Dorking Wanderers, 4th September 2021

Last time the two sides met it was a last-gasp goal that shared the points at the EMG Inspire Stadium.

Having started brightly, it was City who went ahead in Essex, with Simeon Jackson glancing a header past Lee Worgan from a Tom Wraight cross.

A quiet half followed up until injury time, with a penalty awarded to the visitors for handball which was slotted in by Bobby-Joe Taylor.

The away side then carried that momentum into the second half, going a goal up after Jason Prior headed in a Barry Fuller cross.

Chances for Wraight and Jackson fell over the remainder of the half, but both went begging as City continued to press for an equaliser.

The Clarets continued to knock on the door and with just seconds to go, Charlie Sheringham met a Tom Blackwell cross at the back post and applied the finish to cue wild celebrations and share the points.

Where to follow the game…

The Club will be providing live minute-by-minute coverage of the game on Twitter (@OfficialClarets) using the hashtag #CCFC.

There will also be live audio commentary from Radio Clarets.

Post-match reports, highlights and interviews will be found on the club website, social media and ClaretsTV following the game.

For those attending the game, ticket details can be found here.