Bath 0 Dorking 2

As soon as I saw the size of the Dorking players I knew we'd be lucky to get anything from the game. We've seen it so often over the years, physical sides that go down at the slightest touch and play the ref like an old stradivarius. It isn't pleasant to watch and leaves an unpleasant taste. Ref bought into it totally.
Having said this I felt we didn't help ourselves. It was crying out for Jones to come on and get Joe into midfield, but it didn't happen. They started to dominate and there was an inevitability about the second goal, even though it was a beauty.

It's frustrating because there's a good City team in there somewhere. We gave the ball away far too easily in midfield today and there doesn't seem to be a plan B when things go wrong.

and all our opponents already know how to upset our plan a

Crying out?!

Dorking were a big side.

However, they seemed to fall over very easily.

What is the cost of sending 35 players to do a course with RADA?

Oh, and ref was exactly brilliant!

stillmanjunior wrote:Crying out?!

It's an old fashioned idiom.

I forgot to say, I thought we played well up to the penalty causing them some problems. That changed the game.

BenE wrote:

stillmanjunior wrote:Crying out?!

It's an old fashioned idiom.

It is - it’s just been used in the wrong context.

I thought that Jerry’s post match comment that they were able to step up through the gears in the second half was spot on. Whatever people’s thoughts on their gamesmanship, Dorking are one of several clubs who have raised the bar in this league. What concerns me is that only two of them can be promoted and who knows the strength of those coming up.

Next season could be very tough and that’s assuming we’re still at this level! Those below us are picking up points and we still have to face some of them in matches which may prove very important.

stillmanjunior wrote:

BenE wrote:

stillmanjunior wrote:Crying out?!

It's an old fashioned idiom.

It is - it’s just been used in the wrong context.

Is it? That's how my old man used to use it so I do the same.

comrade powell wrote:I thought that Jerry’s post match comment that they were able to step up through the gears in the second half was spot on. Whatever people’s thoughts on their gamesmanship, Dorking are one of several clubs who have raised the bar in this league. What concerns me is that only two of them can be promoted and who knows the strength of those coming up.

Next season could be very tough and that’s assuming we’re still at this level! Those below us are picking up points and we still have to face some of them in matches which may prove very important.

I think the pen gave them an advantage that they hadn't earnt. They got more confident and we had the stuffing knocked out of us. The lads gave it a right good go at the start of the second half but then tiredness kicked in. Our passes started to go astray and they took over in midfield.
You are right about teams being stronger. Just look at the quality of the goalkeepers in the league. We are better ourselves but haven't improved as much.

Promoted teams tend to do well initially as they have built up a good momentum in the previous season. The opposite often applies to those coming down and Dover and most probably Weymouth may well be surprised at how much the standard has risen since they were last here.

BenE wrote:As soon as I saw the size of the Dorking players I knew we'd be lucky to get anything from the game. We've seen it so often over the years, physical sides that go down at the slightest touch and play the ref like an old stradivarius. It isn't pleasant to watch and leaves an unpleasant taste. Ref bought into it totally.
Having said this I felt we didn't help ourselves. It was crying out for Jones to come on and get Joe into midfield, but it didn't happen. They started to dominate and there was an inevitability about the second goal, even though it was a beauty.

Context looks ok to me.

I thought we matched them in the first half and Elliott really should have put us ahead. Seems fairly unanimous agreement that penalty wasn't one, but we have to be good enough to put those sort of setbacks behind us. Once it went 2-0 it was game over and Dorking really didn't look troubled after that.

As has been said so many times, the problem is in midfield - this puts extra pressure on defence and means forwards don't get service they need. I lost count of the number of times Rowe gave the ball away but by the time he came off it was too late. Don't think Cody is as effective out wide either.

Once we get the next three league games out the way hopefully things will get a bit easier and we might get a bit of a run going otherwise those of us who said we will be okay because only one goes down might have to think again!

Difficult to say whether Dorking were better than Maidstone. I think Maidstone may have not used
the dark arts to the same extent so despite us being out-muscled we were more able to give a reasonable performance.
Of course another major difference was the performance of the officials. The Maidstone referee seemed to accept no nonsense and players simply got on with playing football. In fact I can only recall one yellow card being issued. The Dorking penalty looked dubious but may have been correct but a number of decisions/non-decisions made by yesterday's referee were simply baffling.
Of course we missed a great scoring opportunity early in the match. If we had gone a goal-up it might well have been a different game.

As Comrade has commented we now have to start looking over our shoulder as that 21st spot is only 9 points away. Also a little worrying is failing to get a gate of 1000+ for a match against the top side. We have seen attendances on the rise and it would be a real shame to start to lose that momentum.
All round a frustrating Saturday afternoon. However once I got home and kicked the cat things felt better.

2weirdtown wrote:

BenE wrote:As soon as I saw the size of the Dorking players I knew we'd be lucky to get anything from the game. We've seen it so often over the years, physical sides that go down at the slightest touch and play the ref like an old stradivarius. It isn't pleasant to watch and leaves an unpleasant taste. Ref bought into it totally.
Having said this I felt we didn't help ourselves. It was crying out for Jones to come on and get Joe into midfield, but it didn't happen. They started to dominate and there was an inevitability about the second goal, even though it was a beauty.

Context looks ok to me.

We will have to agree to disagree, or let’s agree that you agree with me. I didn’t see the point in reshuffling our defence and bringing on Jones, a decent player but short of match fitness, against the likes of Wheeler and Rutherford. Thought we defended well, just didn’t do enough at the other end and didn’t have the personnel to change it.

Our season isn’t going to be defined on how we get in against Maidstone away, Dorking home and Dartford away. If those games are spread over say six months and we lost all three there wouldn’t be much reaction. Last two games we’ve given it a go - last week we were unlucky, this week we ran out of gas and paid for those early missed chances. Plus a penalty decision which on first viewing looks harsh, second and it looked a shocker. Speaks volumes that we had two players missing and couldn’t name a full bench. Dorking had four or five out and still had players not in the squad. Realistically we just aren’t in a position to compete with these top sides now and I hope we don’t try and overspend in trying to do it.

comrade powell wrote:Promoted teams tend to do well initially as they have built up a good momentum in the previous season. The opposite often applies to those coming down and Dover and most probably Weymouth may well be surprised at how much the standard has risen since they were last here.

With almost every team from 10th to 23rd position in the current National League table a southern-based side (including Kings Lynn in this), there'll have to be a bit of rejigging in the north-south boundary as well for next year.  If Kings Lynn get relegated presumably they'll end up in the NL North next year. Not sure if or who else would need shifting beyond that. Oxford, Hemel, St Albans and Chelmsford are all pretty much equally the most northernly teams in our level, with Oxford presumably the most likely to be shifted if required. Which on this year's form would be no bad thing for us.

Of course Oxford might get promoted. Braintree would be a candidate provided they were not relegated.

I think 980 for a wet Saturday in February is still pretty good considering our recent form.

An aggregate attendance of over 3,000 for Eastbourne, Braintree and Dorking home between January and February is a remarkable effort and, as I've hinted at before, speaks volumes how far we've come.

In January-February 2018 our four home games in those months attracted crowds of 612, 569, 593 and 731.

Especially as none of those sides brought large numbers of fans it is very good indeed.