A rollercoaster second month of the season where Wanderers hosted two of the promotion favourites, kept a first clean sheet of the campaign and ended the month with another early reality check...

The Documentary Derby...

From the fixture release day back in July, many supporters would have no doubt kept a close eye on where the visit of Wrexham to Meadowbank would land in the footballing calendar. A former stalwart of the Football League and the overall favourite's for the National League title before a ball was kicked, the takeover of the North Wales side by actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds ahead of the previous season garnered much increased attention and eyeballs on the club, but there was some additional intrigue in the build up to the meeting with Wanderers on September 4th. The FX documentary series 'Welcome To Wrexham' was in the very early weeks of its streaming on Disney+ at the time of game, and with Wanderers own documentary team, Bunch of Amateurs, capturing all the action again in 22/23, the fixture was affectionately dubbed by many 'The Documentry Derby'. The week building up to the game certainly included plenty of good content and humour between the clubs across the social media channels, and like with Oldham last month, a unique bond between the two clubs was forming. Recognising that Wrexham fans had sold out their away allocation for the game, manager Marc White offered to put money behind the bar at a few local pubs around Dorking town centre thanking away supporters for making the trip, a gesture greatly appreciated by everyone at Wrexham, including the famous owners, and reciprocated by the Welsh club for the reverse fixture in February welcoming Wanderers fans to The Racecourse Ground.

As for the match itself, the visiting side very much continued their positive start to the campaign, putting on a clinical display in front of goal to consign Wanderers to a third straight league defeat. Ed Harris led a defensive effort which had kept The Red Dragons prolific front-line quiet in the early exchanges, but the withdrawal of the Wanderers defender on 20 minutes through injury ultimately proved to be a turning point in the contest; striker Ollie Palmer's header and wing-back Jacob Mendy's measured strike from range quickly sending Phil Parkinson's side into a 0-2 lead. A Luke Moore own goal made it 0-3 going into half-time, and further goals in the second period from Palmer and substitute Elliot Lee rounded out a 0-5 win for The Red Dragons. Another tough day at the office early on for Wanderers was compounded heavily by a season-ending injury to Alfie Rutherford, who sadly ruptured his ACL during the first half of the game.

Back-to-Back Wins & A Memorable Week...

The second midweek away fixture of the season was up next for Wanderers, making the journey to North London to face Barnet at The Hive. Whilst former Wanderer Sam Beard would be named in the starting line-up for The Bees, Marc White included new signing Alfie Egan in the matchday squad for the first time since the midfielder made the permanent move from Boreham Wood the previous week.

Weathering an early spell of pressure from the home side, Wanderers grew into the contest and managed to get ahead just past the hour half mark; Bobby-Joe Taylor's cross-turn-shot from the left flank evading Harry Ottaway's attempt to get on the end of the delivery and sailing all the way into the bottom corner of goal. Producing a resolute defensive display thereafter to reduce Barnet's opportunities at goal to a minimum, Egan came off the bench midway through the second half for his debut and was unfortunate not to net a debut goal and put the game to bed for Wanderers late on. After missing the early part of the season due to his cricket commitments, goalkeeper Dan Lincoln had come in for his first start of the campaign, as had Harry Ottaway up top after being named on the bench in recent weeks, and both players impressed on the night with their respective efforts at each end of the field. Holding out to get back to winning ways, Wanderers would come away from the Capital with maximum points and a first clean sheet of the campaign on the board.

Four days later, another early-season favourite and former Football League giant would make the trip down to Meadowbank in the shape of Notts County. Unbeaten since the beginning of the season, The Magpies travelled in good numbers down to Surrey and Marc White again recognised that support with the same gesture offered to Wrexham a couple of weeks earlier, putting money behind the bar at a few local pubs. Lined up in the same formations and both committed to playing out from the back, the high press applied by both teams would lead to each having success in the final third during a competitive first half, but Wanderers managed to go into the interval ahead. Notts keeper Sam Slocombe's pass out from the back fell short of the required distance, and James McShane took full advantage to coolly lob the keeper from 25 yards out. Having ended the half in the ascendancy though, Luke Williams side got back on terms shortly after the restart; Cedwyn Scott sending a low effort between the dive of Dan Lincoln and the post after receiving the ball from the left. The visitors attacking play, with fluid movement and slick passing between the lines proved to be some of the very best football played by an opposing side at Meadowbank throughout the course of the season, but for all their efforts, The Magpies just could not find that breakthrough to get them in front. Into stoppage time and kicking towards the The Bank end, cue the pandemonium, as Wanderers struck not once but twice in the allotted time to take all three points very late in the day. And it was James McShane who scored both goals to complete his hat-trick - the midfielder fastest to react from close range after his initial strike at goal came back awkwardly off the post, before then earning himself the match ball by tapping home a rebound after Ryan Seager's shot across goal could only be parried away. Ultimately the first of only three teams to defeat Notts County all season, the game and result proved to be many Wanderers fans highlight of the campaign and serves as a truly memorable moment in the club's recent history.

A Game Of Two Halves...

With back-to-back wins achieved the previous week, Wanderers finished the month of September with a trip up to North Lincolnshire to take on Scunthorpe United. Relegated from the Football League after a 72 year stay and having struggled to adapt to life in the National League early on, Wanderers added further misery to The Iron's recent woes after turning in a dominant first half display at Glanford Park. Composed finishes from Ryan Seager and Niall McManus after excellent passing moves in the build up had sent Wanderers into the break 0-2 up, the atmosphere around the stadium becoming increasingly hostile as home supporters frustrations threatened to boil over. Perhaps using that as motivation, and perhaps coming out for the restart feeling like there was nothing to lose, The Iron began the second half on the front-foot and immediately sought to take the game to Wanderers. Kicking towards the end with their most lively, noisy support, Tony Daws side mounted a comeback which would startle and stun Marc White's mean through the course of the second forty-five. A chipped finish from Caolan Lavery, long range daisy-cutter from Jacob Butterfield and header from George Taft overturned the scoreline dramatically to give the hosts a 3-2 win, on an afternoon where top scorer Joe Nutall also missed a penalty midway through the half by clipping the outside of the post. Like August it was another tough end to the month for Wanderers, and another early reality check.

September certainly contained some of the highest high's and lowest low's for Wanderers in their debut National League season, and October also had its fair share of up's and down's...

Follow the drama from the very start next season and secure your seat for 23/24 with one of our season ticket packages, on sale now: https://dorkingwanderersfc.ktckts.com/package/dor2324st/season-ticket-202324