Isthmian League Premier Division
Westhumble Playing Fields, Dorking
Admission: Free
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 343
Although this match would represent a revisit for me, my only previous visit was nine years ago, when the ground was much more basic that it has become in recent years, and this would represent the last opportunity to visit one of the more unique and picturesque senior football venues in this part of the world, before the club moves into the newly refurbished Meadowbank in the centre of town. It was also a bonus that the club offered free admission to mark the last ever senior match to be played at the Westhumble Playing Fields.
Although Boxhill & Westhumble, Dorking and Dorking Deepdene train stations are the closest stations to the Westhumble Playing Fields, I decided to alight at Betchworth station and take on the three and a half mile walk mostly along the North Downs Way past Box Hill, which was not an easy walk, with steep ascents and descents on an often slippery path following recent rain, but which offered fabulous panoramic views of the Surrey countryside and the town of Dorking along the way. After crossing the busy A25 dual carriageway, the metallic turnstile block is a short distance along a path, between a small area for parking and secondary football pitches. Spectators enter the ground in one corner, and the length closest to the entrance is inaccessible to spectators, with dark green sheet fencing along the length. A small modern stand covers a few steps to stand on just before the goal, and beyond the goal is the players’ path from the wooden changing rooms set some way back from the pitch, underneath tall trees. Along the far length, there is an all-seater stand straddling the half way line, a further wooden seated stand, and then a wooden building housing the clubhouse and a refreshments window. Trains pass by occasionally along the line just behind this length, and one can also appreciate the spectacular back drop of Box Hill behind the opposite side. Behind the remaining goal, a temporary looking all-seater stand has been erected, with tarpaulin style roof, which stretches from close to the corner flag to behind the goal. Wooden pitchside railings complete the wooden appearance of the ground, which lends itself very well to the rural location, and presumably the facilities have been installed sympathetically in this area of outstanding natural beauty. There has certainly been a remarkable transformation of the ground since my last visit, mirroring the club’s remarkable progression on the pitch from intermediate football in the Sussex County League Division Three when I last visited in 2009, to step 3 of non league football this season, and although moving to the completely refurbished Meadowbank ground – formerly home of Dorking FC – will certainly represent an upgrade in facilities with the considerable added bonus of having a town centre location, it does seem quite sad that a venue that has had so much hard work put into it, not to mention its lovely setting, will be consigned to history. Although the ground will still be used by the club mainly as a training facility, it will mostly be dismantled over the summer. The programme was a very good effort, perhaps a bumper edition to mark the last game at Westhumble. The 60 pages contained plenty of memories about the ground and the club’s history, as well as an update on the new ground they'll be moving into, as well as plenty of information about today’s fixture and the league stats and facts.
Dorking Wanderers have had a solid debut season at this level, promoted via the Play-Offs last season, coming into this game in 17th place in the 24 team division, following 15 wins and ten draws from their 45 league games. A fixture pile-up, which has already seen them play 10 games (and a cup game) in April, has seemingly taken its toll on Dorking's form, picking up only eight games. Lowestoft have had a turbulent end to their season when their very existence has been in considerable doubt thanks to severe financial problems, and so it is no surprise that they have tumbled down the division, although after an awful March, when the extent of their woes was revealed, they lost all four league games during that month, April has been better, picking up two wins and a draw from their six league games. They came into this game third bottom in the division, following twelve wins and seven draws from their 45 league games, and they are certain to finish there, irrespective of today’s results, and can prepare for another season on Isthmian League Premier Division football next season. When the two teams met in January, the matched ended goalless.
To fully enjoy the countryside surroundings here, I was very much hoping for a sunny day with clear skies – but I was to be disappointed, as grey and dank conditions prevailed. After Dorking's manager and chairman Marc White gave a speech on the pitch outlining Westhumble's and the club’s history as well as the excitement for the future at Meadowbank, Lowestoft actually looked the better side in the opening ten minutes or so, but it soon became clear that Dorking would cause problems with their quick attacks and crosses into the box. A minute after they saw a goalbound header headed off the line, Dorking took the lead on 16 minutes, when a lovely cross from the left was headed home by Dan Pearse. They doubled their lead six minutes later with a wonderful goal, Pearse setting himself about 25 yards out before shooting the ball into the top right corner with the keeper motionless. They scored a third and what felt like the decisive goal on the stroke of half time, following a lovely aerial ball over the defence for a forward to run into down the right, and after a couple of smart passed, Tom Tolfrey received the ball in a central position eight yards out, turned and struck the ball past the keeper.
Dorking really went up through the gears in the second half, barely easing off as the team appeared determined to put in a performance to remember on the club’s final match at Westhumble. Within a minute of the restart, Daniel Walker ran in from the right before firing in a shot across the keeper and into the net. They made it five on 56 minutes, Lewis Taylor slotting the ball home, and Gareth Chendlik made it six on 76 minutes following a quick break, and Guiseppe Sole made it seven on 81 minutes with a curled shot inside the far post. Chendlik made it right on 83 minutes following a high cross to the back post, taking a touch before slotting the ball across the keeper into the net. Double figures looked a distinct possibility, and certainly should have been with other chances spurned throughout the game, but the visitors saw the game out without any further damage.
So Dorking Wanderers certainly gave Westhumble a terrific send-off, playing some excellent attacking football which was lovely to watch at times. One sensed a bitter-sweet feeling around the club today – some sadness at saying farewell to a lovely ground which has followed the club on its meteoric rise up the pyramid, but excitement at the new chapter opening at their new ground next season. As for Lowestoft, it was probably an achievement for them just to put a team out following their financial difficulties, and after confirming that they will be able to retain their place at this level of the pyramid next season, they’ll no doubt be hoping to be able to rebuild a more competitive team for next season.
No comments:
Post a Comment