There was a collective groan as the first round Surrey Senior Cup draw gave us a visit to Dorking Wanderers of the National League South – just the 77 places higher in the pyramid than us. A few in the team and on the sidelines remember that our first appearance in this cup in 2020-21, following our promotion to Step 5, saw us visit Dorking Wanderers in the Quarter Finals and lose 12-1. While there is disappointment at not getting on the score sheet this time, conceding just four goals was a distinct improvement. Their starting eleven contained seven first teamers with three more on the bench so the lads take great credit for a performance where at no point were Dorking able to cut loose.

A nervous start as Dorking won a corner in the opening minutes but it was cleared. Five minutes later Dorking were on the attack again and having rounded keeper Sammie Saward, Stephen Hodge was on the line to clear the shot out for a corner that came to nothing. On 13mins Saward punched out a shot and the follow up glanced off the top of the bar and behind. Our first chance to put Dorking under pressure came on 17mins from a trademark Richie Wetton long throw into the box but their keeper claimed it. With twenty minutes played we failed to clear the ball on the right and when the cross came in a kick at the ball missed and Dorking beat our keeper to score. Holding a line of five across the back and working hard to close Dorking down had worked well but made it hard for us to create going forward. Dorking had a corner from the right on 23mins that they played short but their shot was well wide on the left.

In trying to be positive and play out from the back the ball was lost on the right and the resulting shot was deflected behind for a corner. The corner was headed behind by Hamza Abubakari and the follow up was cleared. Dorking were having most of the ball but not really doing anything with it. On 37mins we won a throw which gave Wetton the chance to launch it into the box. The ball went up into the air and Kobi Asante forced them to head it behind for a corner. The corner from the left by Conor Wilford went long to Bradley Kauzemi, then on to Williams and Jack McDonnell who won a throw on the right. Wetton launched it into the box once again and it was cleared out back to him. He lofted the ball in under the bar but the keeper claimed it well. Into the last five minutes and Kauzemi had a shot from the left that stung the keeper's hands. Keanan Allassani had space to break into the box on the right with three minutes to half time but was tackled before he could shoot. In the final minute Wilford had a free kick from the left corner of the box that was saved. One added minute and we had made it to half time just a goal down – it was five last time.

Into the second half and on 52mins Dorking had a free kick outside the D that was taken short and the wall blocked the shot. However, we failed to clear the ball and Dorking made it 2-0. What we did not need was to gift them another goal and just two minutes later a long ball down the centre was comfortably controlled but not cleared immediately which allowed them to rob us of the ball and score a third. A minute later Wetton had a shot from wide on the left that was taken by the keeper as we tried to bounce back. With a need to keep our legs fresh with the work the lads were putting in, Ollie Powers replaced Asante just past the hour mark. McDonnell did well on 65mins to cover on the left and delay the cross until cover was in place and Hodge headed the cross clear. Two minutes later a good cross into the six yard box was headed over by their forward. Two more changes on 72mins saw Kauzemi and Abubakari replaced by Aaron Kiberu and Henry Robinson. Into the last fifteen minutes Williams and Wilford were replaced by David Heaton and Prince Aderogba.

On 83mins Aderogba put in a nice ball into the box from the right that nobody could connect with. Dorking had another good chance a few minutes later with a ball into the centre of the box that was headed over. Just two minutes to go and another decent delivery from the right was headed straight at Saward who gathered comfortably. In the final minute it was Hodge on station to head away another ball in from the right. Into added time and good work by McDonnell saw the ball played forward to Aderogba and his cross was dummied by Heaton leaving Allassani free for a shot. Strangely a goal kick was given when there looked to have been a deflection behind for a corner. With added time almost up, having won possession in the corner on our left, instead of clearing it to safety down field we dwelt on it and lost the ball. With no cover the cross into the box was tucked home unchallenged for 4-0. Wetton took a shot from the centre at the restart that was just a bit left and slightly high. The final whistle followed and a scoreline we would have taken at kick off given the gulf between the two sides. As if one tough game in a week was not enough, we travel to league leaders Hassocks on Saturday having given a heartening performance in the cup.