WANDERERS INTO SEMI FINALS OF SURREY SENIOR CUP
Dorking Wanderers 12 Lingfield FC 1 Surrey Senior Cup - Quarter Final
February 15th 2022 Dorking were in ruthless form in front of goal as they booked their place in the Surrey Senior Cup semi-final with victory over Lingfield FC under the lights at a rainy Meadowbank.
Darren Oldaker was the one player to retain his place in the starting line up after Saturday's win over Bath. Among the changes were Slav Huk returning in goal, a first start of the season for Callum Kennedy on the left of the back three, and inclusion for Wanderers youth players Max Leitch, who started up top with Harry Ottaway, and Dominic Plank, the 16 year old academy graduate, who was named on the bench.
The open, quick-tempo feel to the game was embedded in the opening minutes, Lingfield smashing the first effort of the match off target before Oldaker put two headed opportunities over the bar in the space of a minute as Kennedy and Leitch provided from the left and right flanks respectively. Arron Jenkins then went for the spectacular up the other end and was not too far away from finding the top right corner as he tried to curl home from just outside the area.
Wanderers would spurn a couple of half-chances through Muitt and Leitch just before opening the scoring on ten minutes. Kennedy's delivery from a free kick midway into the Wanderers half found the head of El-Abd, who made no mistake nodding in from close range.
The high energy start from both sides slightly dropped as Wanderers took a stronghold of possession, and from the midway point of the half started to exert their ruthlessness in front of goal.
Kennedy exchanged a slick one-two with Taylor down the left wing before crossing for Ottaway, who after doing well to take the pace out of the cross showed excellent composure and balance to lift the ball coolly into the top right corner of goal.
Taylor then scored two himself in the space of three minutes. As the ball sat up on the left side of the area and space opened up, the wing-back swerved a powerful effort into the bottom right corner beyond Johnny Thurbin. He would then tap home Fuller's cross from the right as he closed in at the near post.
Five minutes later, Wanderers made it five. Huk's goal kick was impressively measured to find Leitch upfield, gaining a bit of luck with the bounce of the ball the youngster managed to stay on his feet under challenge and get past a committed Thurbin well off his line, before calmly stroking the ball into the unguarded goal from twenty five yards out.
Jamie Bakhit had tried to catch Huk out with an audacious half-way line strike before Taylor's brace, sending the effort just wide of goal, but close to half-time, the visitors spurned their best chance of the game so far as Scott Johnstone went through one on one with Huk, opting for the lob rather than a low finish in the decsive moment, the keeper was equal to it and caught the ball.
Half-Time: Dorking 5 Lingfield 0
Marc White made two straight changes at the break as Dan Gallagher and Dominic Plank, making his first team debut, came on for Darren Oldaker and Max Leitch.
Shortly after the restart, Bobby-Joe secured his hat-trick, striking the ball through the keeper's legs after Ottaway couldn't initially get a decent contact on a cross from wide right aimed for the back post.
Huk was brought into action as he made consecutive blocks to deny Scott Johnstone and Arron Jenkins from the left side of the area, before producing a top reaction save at his near post as Braiden Hall unleashed a powerful strike.
Muitt then got his name on the scoresheet just a few minutes later; a long ball over the top catching out the Lingfield back line, the Wanderers man of the match on the night driving on to the ball and getting forward before firing a low effort through Thurbin and into the back of the net.
Sammy Clemments and Braiden Hall had been effective for 'The Lingers' up top as they continued to show spirit and not let heads drop. Within a minute of Muitt's goal, Hall was unlucky to see his fierce strike come back off the crossbar, but Clemments was quickest to react to stab the ball home from close range to pull one back.
Wanderers capped a frantic several minutes in the game by scoring two goals in as many minutes as we edged past the hour mark. Muitt scored his second of the night with an emphatic strike into the far right corner, before the debuting Plank made his night even more memorable with a cool finish several yards out as Muitt turned provider pulling the ball back from the right. Kennedy then nearly marked a decent return to the side by guiding a free kick into the top right corner of goal, but just sent the ball over.
Wheeler came on for Kennedy midway through the half and within a matter of minutes, provided an assist. His corner ball was met on the run by Fuller, who impressively directed a powerful header into the far corner of goal, sending Wanderers into double figures for the evening.
Hall nearly punished a giveaway of possession between the defensive and midfield lines, the attacker going clean through on goal but Huk spread himself well to make the save.
With ten minutes to go, El-Abd got his second of the night with another firm header from close range. In the follow up move Ottaway showed good agility to take down the ball before forcing a decent save from Thurbin's legs, Plank then forcing the keeper into action again as he took on a strike from range.
The confident 16-year old was continually showing for the ball since coming on, and would mark an unforgettable personal evening by having the last word, scoring his second and Wanderers twelfth with a minute remaining. Getting on the end of Luke Moore's long ball, Plank stayed composed and applied quick feet to round Thurbin and slot the ball home, right in front of the lively AD Williams stand who had been in great voice throughout the evening.
The draw for the semi-final's of the Surrey Senior Cup are to be confirmed, with some 2nd round and quarter final ties still to be played in the coming weeks. Wanderers return to league action this Saturday as Chelmsford City are the visitors to Meadowbank.
Daniel Stobbart
Dorking Wanderers: 1 Slav Huk, 3 Bobby-Joe Taylor, 4 Sami El-Abd, 7 Jimmy Muitt, 12 Callum Kennedy (16 Nicky Wheeler 67'), 15 Kane Wills, 18 Luke Moore, 22 Barry Fuller (c), 24 Harry Ottaway, 26 Darren Oldaker (20 Dan Gallagher 46'), 41 Max Leitch (42 Dominic Plank 46')
No Unused Subs
Goals: El-Abd 10', 80', Ottaway 22', Taylor 29', 32', 51', Leitch 37', Muitt 55', 61', Plank 62', 89', Fuller 70'
Lingfield FC: 1 Johnny Thurbin, 2 Stephen Hodge (12 Ishmael Erskine 46'), 3 Conor Wilford, 4 Hayden Dickinson (16 Alfi Campbell 65'), 5 Scott Johnstone, 6 Jake Horn, 7 Jamie Bakhit, 8 David Heaton (c), 9 Sammy Clemments, 10 Braiden Hall, 11 Arron Jenkins (15 Sani Bakhit 81')
Unused Subs: 14 Aaron Abbott, 17 Alex McLean
Goals: Clemments 56'
Referee: Michael Webb
Att: 519 Wanderers Man Of The Match: Jimmy Muitt