Dorking Wanderers vs Woking
Vanarama National League
Friday 7th April 2023

After a ten-day break, the Cards prepare to return to National League action on Good Friday, as they make the short trip to Surrey rivals Dorking Wanderers.

It’s the start of another huge period for Woking, who face the prospect of playing up to nine games in the next five weeks, dependent of course on the club’s final league position and a possible play-off campaign. The first of six remaining regular season fixtures sees Darren Sarll’s side travel to an in-form Dorking team, who are not quite mathematically safe from relegation, and will want to ensure their survival in the fifth tier is guaranteed sooner rather than later. For Woking, all eyes are on the race for both the top seven – in which they can guarantee a place over the Easter weekend – and the top three, with the Cards jostling with Chesterfield and last week’s opponents Barnet for an automatic spot in the play-off semi-finals and guaranteed home advantage in the battle for a place at Wembley.

Sarll could have his strongest squad available in several weeks, with Luke Wilkinson and James Daly both close to a return from injury, whilst there could be a debut for recent arrival Kacper Łopata, who signed following his release from Southend United just before the transfer deadline. That comes after the boss made three changes between the Maidstone and Barnet games at the end of last month, with goalkeeper Craig Ross returning in place of Will Jaaskelainen to make his 200th club appearance, Billy Sass-Davies starting at centre-back alongside Joe McNerney, whilst Charlie Wakefield made his first Woking start in place of Solomon Nwabuokei.

Opposition Watch

Dorking have had something of a rollercoaster first season playing at National League level, but entering the final month of the campaign are well-placed to avoid a nervy end to the year, having accrued 46 points from 40 games, eight clear of the bottom four. However, 21 of those points came by mid-October, and 30 by the end of 2022, before a run of two wins in 12 games between the start of January and mid-March saw them drop down the league table.

Three straight wins – at home to Maidenhead and Southend, and last time out away to Dagenham, have helped alleviate fears of joining Maidstone in an immediate return to the sixth tier. Crucial to the turnaround in their fortunes has been the return of veteran striker Jason Prior, renowned for his goalscoring record in the sixth and seventh tiers, who has scored four times in the last five games, having re-joined the club from Havant & Waterlooville in February.

Marc White’s side are certainly never shy of goals – scoring or conceding them – their total of 142 goals in 40 fixtures (58 scored, 84 conceded) is the highest in the league, ahead even of Wrexham (141) and Notts County (139). Their tally of goals conceded is the second worst in the division, with only Maidstone having conceded more (90), and that’s despite back-to-back clean sheets in their last two games.

Other players to watch for include James McShane, who has 17 from midfield this season, although only two of those have come since Christmas, experienced midfielder George Francomb, a recent arrival from Crawley, and veteran defender Tony Craig, who has played in the Championship with Millwall, Crystal Palace, and Brentford.

Recent Meetings

• Woking 3-3 Dorking Wanderers – 25th October 2022, National League (Amond 2, Browne)

Tickets

Online ticket sales are now closed for this fixture. The away allocation is SOLD OUT. Due to this fixture being an all-ticket match, Woking supporters cannot purchase tickets at the gate on the day.