MATCH PREVIEW | THE BEACH BOYS
Penultimate Home League Game
Dorking return to National League South action on Saturday as they welcome Concord Rangers for a first time visit to Meadowbank.
Wanderers made it back to back wins over the Easter Weekend, following up Good Friday's 3-0 home victory over Chippenham Town with a 0-4 defeat away at Welling United on Bank Holiday Monday. Alfie Rutherford secured his 4th hat-trick of the season to send Wanderers into a three goal lead at half-time, before Davide Rodari came off the bench in the second half and opened his account for the club, adding a a fourth in stoppage time.
Rutherford's hat-trick put him right back in the thick of the race for the league's golden boot as he continues a superb personal campaign. He now sits joint second with St. Albans striker Shaun Jeffers on 25 goals, the pair just one behind Hungerford Town's Ryan Seager with the majority of teams having four games left to play.
The Easter results extended Wanderers run for April to three wins, three clean sheets and 12 goals scored, an emphatic response so far to what was a frustrating run of results for Wanderers in March. Marc White will very much be hoping for more of the same as the season target of a home play-off place edges closer to becoming academic, and Wanderers remain hot on the heels of Maidstone at the top of the table in a title race that is by no means done yet.
In his weekly update Marc White did not confirm any new injury concerns heading into Saturday's game.
The Beach Boys
Concord Rangers make a first time visit to Meadowbank this weekend arriving in the haven of mid-table obscurity, residing in 15th place with five games to play. Results over the Easter weekend ensured 'The Beach Boys' were mathematically safe from relegation for another season. It's an achievement that has been proudly acknowledged by the club on social media in recent days, as they look forward to a 10th consecutive campaign at Step 2 level, 55 years on from when they were founded. Chris Search's team went through March unbeaten. Draws against Dulwich Hamlet and Tonbridge Angels occurred in and around 'doing the double' over St. Albans, with a 0-1 away win proceeding a 2-1 victory back on home soil. April has been more of a mixed bag of form so far, with back to back wins over Bath City at home and Braintree Town on the road book-ended by defeats away at Eastbourne Borough 2-0 and Ebbsfleet United at home this past Easter Bank Holiday Monday, 1-2. Concord have maintained a settled squad of players since the start of the campaign, and a couple of mid-season signings have had a positive impact since their arrival. Former Port Vale and Cambridge United forward Ben Williamson has brought experience to the side and been a regular since joining in January. Winger Nana Kyei previously played for 'The Beach Boys' in 2018, and re-joined the club for a second spell in February after leaving Hungerford Town. Since his return he has netted half a dozen goals, including a hat-trick in the defeat of Bath City, and has bagged a couple of man of the match awards for his recent performances as well. A player very much in form, Kyei will be one to look out for should he feature in tomorrow's game. #Throwback In similar fashion to Wanderers last game against Welling United, the pandemic-affected last couple of seasons prevented the fixture from going ahead, so Concord will be making a first time visit down to Meadowbank on Saturday. The reverse fixture took place in peak early season conditions on the opening day of the campaign. A hard-fought contest ended in a narrow win for Concord as Temi Babalola's penalty with just under twenty minutes to go was enough for a 1-0 home victory. Josh Taylor was sent off for Wanderers very late on in the game, on the day Wes Fogden unfortunately injured his ankle and would be ruled out for a few months.