MATCH PREVIEW | THE STONES
Dorking Wanderers vs Wealdstone FC
Vanarama National League
October 22nd 2022 - 3pm
Back To League Action...
Dorking return to league action on Saturday afternoon as Wealdstone FC make the visit to Meadowbank.
For the second consecutive season Wanderers were eliminated from the FA Cup last weekend at the 4th qualifying stage, bowing out to fellow National League side Eastleigh, 1-3. Dan Gallagher's header in first half injury time did put Wanderers in front at the break, but Tristan Abrahams swiftly restored parity after the restart before Ryan Hill and Danny Whitehall finished off counter attacking moves in the final twenty minutes to book their side's place in the 1st round proper.
Coming into the FA Cup tie off the back of a disappointing away day at Altrincham the week before, Marc White will no doubt be looking for his side to show a positive response on Saturday as we now enter a dense schedule of fixtures with three consecutive midweek away games lined up, starting with Woking next Tuesday night.
In his weekly update broadcast on Thursday evening, Marc White confirmed his team were looking light on numbers in the defensive department, with Isaac Philpot set to miss out for up to a few weeks alongside captain Barry Fuller, who did not play in the FA Cup due to suffering an injury in the friendly against Abbey Rangers 10 days ago.
Opposition Focus: The Stones
Promoted as winners of the National League South at the conclusion of the 2019/20 season, The Stones have maintained their place in non-league's top tier with 19th and 16th placed finishes respectively in the past two seasons. The Middlesex based club are the other with Wanderers who operate on a part-time basis in the division, and, like Wanderers, will be looking to overcome the challenges that can present to push on and finish as high up the table as possible.
Four wins from their opening five games certainly saw Wealdstone hit the ground running to start the new season, including win's on the road at Oldham Athletic and Gateshead. A run of four consecutive draws from late August through September did begin a dip in form though which has dropped again in recent weeks as The Stones come into today's game without a win in the last three, including elimination from the FA Cup last weekend away at Boreham Wood (who incidentally will take on Eastleigh in the next round)
To compound their recent run of form, it was confirmed on the Friday before the FA Cup weekend that top scorer Rhys Browne would be joining fellow National League side Woking. With 7 goals to his name so far, the departure of Browne will of course be a disappointing loss, but The Stones did bolster their attacking options earlier in the month with the signing's of former Barnet and Southend United forward Simeon Akinola and graduate of the Huddersfield Town academy, 21 year old Micah Obiero. Akinola already has two goals in two games after making his debut a fortnight ago against Boreham Wood, a game where midfielder Giovanni McGregor, last playing at Dulwich Hamlet last season, also made his Stones bow after also joining in recent weeks.
Elsewhere through the side their is a strong former Woking connection with versatile defender Jack Cook captaining the team in his second season since moving from The Cardinals and midfielder's Malachi Nappa and Max Kretzchmar both making the switch from Surrey in the close season. Wanderers will be coming up against a familiar face on Saturday as goalkeeper Sam Howes - signed by Wanderers from Woking in 2020 - returns to Meadowbank after joining The Stones from Horsham during the summer.
Stuart Maynard is the current Stones boss, having served as assistant manager to Dean Brennan at Hemel Hempstead, Billericay Town and Kingstonian previously before the pair took up the reigns at Wealdstone in 2019. After winning the National League South title at the end of that season, Maynard would take up his first lead managerial position the following year after Brennan's departure in February 2021.
Have We Met Before?
The two sides met at Meadowbank in Wanderers final pre-season fixture of 2021, but in competitive terms the last meeting was an entertaining 2-2 draw in the National League South back in November 2019. Goals from Dejon Noel-Williams at each end of the first half gave The Stones a 0-2 lead at the break, but Wanderers came back fighting in the second half to rescue a point, Jack Barham and James McShane both scoring well taken goals.
Key Info TICKETS AVAILABLE BOTH ONLINE & AT THE TURNSTILES! BUY ONLINE: https://dorkingwanderersfc.ktckts.com/event/dor2223h08/wealdstone
PRICES: Adults £16 / Concessions £13 / U18s £8 / U8s £4 FAMILY OFFER! A family of 4 (2 adults, 2 U12s) can watch the Wanderers against Wealdstone for only £35! Matchday Programme: £3 (physical copies only, available at ground) Why not join us for a drink in the FanZone? Open to supporters from 1pm!
Not attending Saturday's match?
Gary Pascoe will be providing matchday commentary, stay tuned to our social media channels for more information. We will be providing action and score updates throughout the afternoon via Twitter (@DorkingWDRS) VISITING FANS INFORMATION: Getting to Meadowbank, where to grab a pre-match drink beforehand and more...
https://www.dorkingwanderers.com/visiting-supporters