Hampton & Richmond Borough came undone against the visiting Dorking Wanderers, losing 2-0 with two first half strikes proving decisive. Despite the result, HRBFC put in a solid performance and Manager Alan Dowson was encouraged with his side’s display.
Forward Craig Fasanmade squandered a good chance just 15 minutes in, having been slipped in by midfielder Max Kretzschmar, Dorking fullback Louie Annesley slipped and gave the winger a route in on goal. As Fasanmade approached the danger zone, he slowed down and appeared unsure of what to do, opting to play a drilled cross along the box which was cut out.
Despite HRBFC starting to get a foothold in the game, a corner in the 27th minute gave Dorking the lead. An inswinger was initially headed on target but blocked by a red body. Despite the block, Annesley was quickest to the loose ball inside the six-yard box and blasted it into the roof of the net.
Forward Patrick Casey doubled Dorking’s lead after some intricate passing in the 37th minute.
The visitors broke through the middle at pace before putting new signing Paul McCallum through the right channel, who then cut the ball back to the middle of the box for Casey, who passed the ball into the top left-hand corner.
On the stroke of half-time, defender Charlie Sayers was called upon to save his captain Alan Massey from embarrassment; the centre-half got caught in possession, and his fullback had to mop up the danger behind him, and the Beavers went into the tunnel 0-2 down.
Six minutes after the restart, forward Brendon Kiernan beat defender Brennan Camp in a footrace down the left wing, but the fullback got a handful of the winger’s shirt to slow him down. The referee gave the advantage and Kiernan cut into the box, put together a series of step-overs before having a shot which was blocked.
A matter of seconds later, Dorking burst down the other way and Lewis crossed in a fizzing ball for McCallum, who barely reached the ball as he jumped and stuck a leg out making minimal contact and failing to direct it goalwards.
After this, things started to really heat up. Sayers struck a knuckleball from just outside the box and rattled the woodwork.
In the process of getting the ball, midfielder Sam Deadfield went to ground, and Annesley went straight through the midfielder, somehow only incurring a yellow card in the 58th minute.
Things remained at boiling point as two HRBFC members went into the book for dissent on the 67th minute; the first being Deadfield for dissent after a challenge on Camp, a foul the fullback was very much searching for, and then manager Alan Dowson went into the book for kicking his own water bottle.
Kiernan drove straight at the goal from the left wing, but midfielder James McShane kept nipping at his heels until he eventually took down the attacker, resulting in McShane going into the referee’s book with 20 minutes to play.
Midfielder Jimmy Muitt had the chance to put the game to bed with 15 minutes remaining. He latched onto a long ball over the top and managed to get in between his two defenders. From a tough angle, Muitt took a bad touch just before shooting, which forced the shot into the side netting.
With a minute left of the game, HRBFC’s pressure on the visitors’ box earned them a chance, with Deadfield able to get a shot off from the edge of the box, but the ball was always rising, and it failed to trouble the keeper. Thirty seconds later, forward Reece Grego-Cox had an effort from range which the keeper saved.
Despite the result, Dowson was optimistic about his side’s performance. Dorking arrived at the Bev sixth, and their win jumped them up into fifth. In Dowson’s post-match comments, he stated that he felt his side competed well and how HRBFC were only a few small adjustments away from beating Dorking.
It is a quick turnaround for the Beavers who host Chesham United next Tuesday at 19:45, secure your tickets for that one HERE!
By Jake Holmes