Dorking Wanderers 3 Horley Town 0
Dorking signed off the first half of their pre-season schedule with victory over Horley Town on a hot summer's evening at Meadowbank. Jason Prior's spot kick just before half-time and second half goals from Callum Kealy and Sami El-Abd secured the win as Wanderers now head out on the road for a run of three away fixtures in a fortnight, before finishing pre-season at home to Wealdstone a week before the season starts.
With the upcoming away trip to Chorley in mind, Ed Harris, Wes Fogden and Luke Moore were rested for tonight's game, as Marc White was able to welcome Alfie Rutherford, Nicky Wheeler and Charlie Hester-Cook back to the matchday squad, with Josh Taylor handed a first start after making his debut in the second half of 'El Clasimole' at the weekend.
The two sides last met in what turned out to be the unfortunately the one and only Surrey Senior Cup fixture of last campaign, Wanderers coming from behind to win 1-3 at The New Defence Stadium last November. Ryan Brackpool's first half opener was overturned in the second half courtesy of goals from Jake Gallagher, Nicky Wheeler
and a free kick special from Giuseppe Sole.
The visitors starting line up featured a current Wanderer in the form of on-loan youngster George Membrillera, and he would have the first real opportunity of the contest on 7 minutes, latching on to a Kevin Moreno-Gomez through ball in the left channel, and striking across goal, the effort just evading the far post.
In continuation of the weekend's contest Wanderers were quickly able to assert themselves on the game and dominate possession, but without creating too many chances inside the opening half-hour. Most attacking play was generated down the right wing, Barry Fuller's overlapping runs supporting the lively Jimmy Muitt, the winger firing over the bar from 25 yards before Horley skipper Brad Peters produced an excellent sliding tackle to deny Prior from getting a shot off when the ball fell kindly for the striker inside the area.
Mario Quiassaca played a tidy one-two with Membrillera to get through on goal, but Huk was out quickly to halt the opportunity. James McShane picked out Prior in the area with a well taken free kick from wide, the effort deflected wide for a corner, and further good work from Muitt began to up the ante for Wanderers in the lead up half-time.
A succession of corners proceeded Josh Taylor dragging an effort wide and Wheeler having a strike tipped on to the post by keeper Jordan Brown, but two minutes before the break Wanderers managed to make the break through. McShane's superb cross-field pass found Muitt, who in turn provided for Fuller to cross on the overlap. As the ball came across the box at pace a clumsy challenge was committed, penalty awarded. Prior stepped up, and tucked the ball firmly to the keeper's right.
Half-Time: Dorking 1 Horley 0
Callum Kealy was one of five changes in personnel made during the interval, and the striker didn't take long to bag a third goal in three appearances for the pre-season campaign. The Australian finished a quick counter attacking move, getting on to Wheeler's long through ball before rounding the goalkeeper and showing great composure to calmly stroke the ball home from a tight angle.
Approaching the hour mark fellow sub Matt Briggs was unfortunate his cross/shot was just ahead of Alfie Rutherford closing in at the back stick. Bobbie-Joe Taylor picked out Briggs with precision a moment later, his rapid ball across goal reaching Kealy in a similar position to where he scored from, and he attempted a similar effort again, but this time stopper Jordan Brown got down well to keep it out.
On 65 minutes Briggs did manage to bag a deserved assist, whipping the ball in from the right for Sami El-Abd to head home from close range.
The visitors were still very much set up to counter Wanderers, and came close to finding a consolation with a quarter of an hour to go. Membrillera showed good feet to get his shot off from outside the area, the strike just bobbling wide, and a few minutes later the Dorking goal was briefly under siege as in the space of ten seconds the ball came back off the woodwork in between Lee Worgan producing two decent saves.
Similar madness in front of goal followed at the other end with five minute remaining, Rutherford will still be wondering how his strike didn't go in, his curling effort somehow hitting the foot of both posts and coming away from goal having not crossed the line. Muitt, the designated 'roll on, roll off' sub for the evening tried a couple of efforts late on which his performance definitely deserved, but it wasn't to be.
Wanderers begin their run of away fixtures in the north of the country this Saturday, with a visit to Chorley FC.
Daniel Stobbart
Wanderers: Huk (Worgan 46'); Kennedy (Bobby-Joe Taylor 46'), El-Abd (Ray 68'), Fuller (c) (Wills 62'); Muitt (Briggs 46'), Gallagher, Josh Taylor (Manning 68'); McManus (Hester-Cook 62'), Wheeler (Muitt 68'); McShane (Rutherford 46'), Prior (Kealy 46')
Goals: Prior 43', Kealy 53', El-Abd 65'
Assists: Wheeler 53',Briggs 65'
Horley Town: Brown, Peters (c), Steer (Richardson 46'), Goulter (J. Rapson 46'), Hall, Smith (M. Rapson 60'), Poplett, Moreno-Gomez (Standen 75'), Membrillera (Williams 75'), Quiassaca (Skipper 46'), Ford (Ansell 70')
Subs: Bakalli (37'), Bennett (GK - 46'), Ryan Green (46'), Adam Green (80'), Reece (58'), Okechukwu (72'), Hardwick (37'), Ahorlu (46'), Smith (58'), Morris (46')
Referee: Barry Small
Stats (courtesy of @ollie_wyse)
DW Horley
3 Goals 0
4 Shots on 3
10 Shots off 5
12 Corners. 2
11 Fouls. 11
25 Crosses. 3 0 Offsides 0
0 Yellows. 0
0 Reds. 0
65 Possession (%) 35