Dorking v Dartford Sat 30 Oct 2021

[Park Life]

Strange game today as it never felt like a top of the table clash.
On the day i didn't think there was much to choose between the two teams and imo a draw would have been a fair result.
Would like to have seen us be a little more positive and get a few more bodies forward to support Ade, we had a spell in the second half when we did that and as a result it forced them into a few errors and wayward passes.
Two big moments in the game which had a massive impact on the result. Ade's one on one which hit the post and their goalkeeper handling outside the box. Felt at the time he had and would have been a red card so another big decision probably gone against us, we do seem to have had more than our fair share of those so far this season so hopefully they will start evening out soon.
MOTM for me Jernade Meade, another good performance from him.

They have made some improvements to their ground but obvious why they put the away fans in that corner, a terrible place to watch the game from and not great for trying to create any atmosphere.
As for their artificial pitch, i think it was terrible and the worst we have played on for some time. Would be interested to hear what the players thought about it.
Finally if you are going to segregate fans then why were there several home supporters in our section of the ground before kick off?

[Undercover Elephant]

That’s the monkey off our backs, move on to Tuesday night.

One thing I said at the fans forum on Thursday was we needed to keep our heads and we didn’t today!

[DA1]

I blame Kingy winning the manager of the month award last month.

Boring game. Nothing in it. Ade isolated up front. Pointless long balls straight to their keeper. Keeper should’ve been sent off. Not much more to it really.

Onto the caravan site Tuesday. I’ll think for MOTM.

[Park Life]

Steve King post match interview:-

https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1MYxNnWveAoxw

Confirms we've had another poor decision go against us, their keeper should have been sent off first half.

[dartLion]

I think the playing surface may have had something to do with the quality of the game, there was a spell midway through the second half when pass after pass was given away by both teams. Trouble controlling the ball too. And the players could have had a retread on their boots, there were so many chopped up car tyres under the blades of plastic grass. Not sure it would have made a difference had Dan Roberts been brought on earlier, but he immediately showed his strength on the ball once introduced. And Porter just does not cut it for me.

[Top Cat]

Steve King post match interview:-

https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1MYxNnWveAoxw

Confirms we've had another poor decision go against us, their keeper should have been sent off first half.

Jeez Even Whitey would have trouble defending that blatant handball by his goalkeeper ? I hear fans complaining about the officials when things go wrong but crikey ! How the hell did he miss that ?

[Tony H]

We’ve hit the buffers a little over the last two weeks. Always going to be one of our toughest fixtures today and it showed. Credit to Dorking - whatever we thought of their gamesmanship, they were the best team we’ve played this season in my opinion.

Anyway, not one normally to criticise Kingys team selections or tactics but, to start Kedman and Sonupe today simply didn’t work. They gave us absolutely nothing in the first half and wasn’t at all surprised to see Leonard introduced at half-time.

Other than for Ade hitting the post it was all Dorking in the second half. A point would have been amazing but we were hanging on at the end and the inevitable goal arrived for them.

Pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and move on to Tuesday. That ones now a massive fixture.

[Davedart]

Looking at the footage their keeper should have been definitely sent off, but it shouldn't distract from the way we lined up today, it reminded me of the Tonbridge game where we left Danny Leonard on the bench and played Graham which was a mistake, for me if you don't start with Leonard than like the Bath away game you start with Luke wanadio where he had a great 1st half, so to start with neither I find very baffling, why change something which was working so well before and against other quality sides. Hopefully a response on Tuesday night against an average concord side and back to winning ways.

[Kebabus]

We’ve hit the buffers a little over the last two weeks. Always going to be one of our toughest fixtures today and it showed. Credit to Dorking - whatever we thought of their gamesmanship, they were the best team we’ve played this season in my opinion.

Anyway, not one normally to criticise Kingys team selections or tactics but, to start Kedman and Sonupe today simply didn’t work. They gave us absolutely nothing in the first half and wasn’t at all surprised to see Leonard introduced at half-time.

Other than for Ade hitting the post it was all Dorking in the second half. A point would have been amazing but we were hanging on at the end and the inevitable goal arrived for them.

Pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and move on to Tuesday. That ones now a massive fixture.

Not one mention about the absolutely scandalous refereeing? Desperately unlucky today, freak own goal? Praising Dorking? WTF!

[Tony H]

We’ve hit the buffers a little over the last two weeks. Always going to be one of our toughest fixtures today and it showed. Credit to Dorking - whatever we thought of their gamesmanship, they were the best team we’ve played this season in my opinion.

Anyway, not one normally to criticise Kingys team selections or tactics but, to start Kedman and Sonupe today simply didn’t work. They gave us absolutely nothing in the first half and wasn’t at all surprised to see Leonard introduced at half-time.

Other than for Ade hitting the post it was all Dorking in the second half. A point would have been amazing but we were hanging on at the end and the inevitable goal arrived for them.

Pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and move on to Tuesday. That ones now a massive fixture.

Not one mention about the absolutely scandalous refereeing? Desperately unlucky today, freak own goal? Praising Dorking? WTF!

Just my opinion mate!! Yes, the ref was poor, agree, but we didn’t do enough to win the game. A draw would have been a good result for us on today’s showing!

[Park Life]

Post Match interview from Marc White:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnf9yhcuGq8

OMG, it's a sensible interview

[M1 South]

He thought their bald #18 cheating centre back was brilliant?? Blimey were we watching the same game?

[The Duke]

Last season Marc White did overstep the mark on a couple of his interviews but I have to say that I regularily watch his pre and post match interviews and the guy is ok with me as he says it as it is and Dorking are a good side which is to his credit

No time for sour grapes we lost yesterday and didnt put in a good performance so its important that Kingy gets us on another winning run as the top of the table is starting to get very interesting with St Albans, Ebbsfleet , Dorking and Havant starting to get it right , Maidstone are on the slide despite what that whinging Manager of their says !!!!!!!!!!!

[ozymandias]

A tad disappointed by the result, not sure on SK's team selection, he obviously had a game plan which seems to have backfired.
Are we surprised this was going to be our first defeat? I for one, am not. We know that Dorking are going to be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.
I hope we get a result Tuesday as we all do, but even there it will be tough as all games will be. Just because we were out of the traps quick with a good start, the season is settling down now and teams are finding their feet.
Up the Lads

[dartLion]

We’ve hit the buffers a little over the last two weeks. Always going to be one of our toughest fixtures today and it showed. Credit to Dorking - whatever we thought of their gamesmanship, they were the best team we’ve played this season in my opinion.

Anyway, not one normally to criticise Kingys team selections or tactics but, to start Kedman and Sonupe today simply didn’t work. They gave us absolutely nothing in the first half and wasn’t at all surprised to see Leonard introduced at half-time.

Other than for Ade hitting the post it was all Dorking in the second half. A point would have been amazing but we were hanging on at the end and the inevitable goal arrived for them.

Pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and move on to Tuesday. That ones now a massive fixture.

Not one mention about the absolutely scandalous refereeing? Desperately unlucky today, freak own goal? Praising Dorking? WTF!

Unfortunately, the poor standard of refereeing is as good as we are ever likely to get at this level, something we just have to "grin and beer with". We seem to get poor refs, then poorer. I would have thought a pre-requisite of the referee appointments panel would be that a referee should be enthusiastic about his duties. However, if what is reported is true, (ref Dean Skipper said words to the effect he couldn't care and was retiring at the end of the season anyway) he should be suspended from this level now. Again unfortunately, decisons are generally the opinion of one person based on what that person sees, (sometimes I wonder why there are "assistant referees" present as they are ignored by the man in the middle). Oh well, roll on Tuesday, now it's back to the Sunday lunchtime, "grin and beer"!
Finally, well spoken by Marc White, as said previously, he says how it is and no attempt to hide his keepers embarrassment and potential consquence. And it was also nice to see the Dorking supporters behind their goal clap our boys in at the end, ok it may have been with a degree of sarchasm but it appeared honest.

[Davedart]

Dorking highlights
http://youtu.be/Tp7hlJ9mKoA

[ozymandias]

Having just watched the highlights I can well understand Steve's rage/annoyance at Dorking having 11 men on the pitch at half time. Having said that Dorking looked far sharper than us as the game went on.
Didn't get the rub of the green Saturday, but 'shit happens'.

[Park Life]

DFCTV Highlights:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1neGW3hayM

[Ajaxman DFC]

I did hear from a well-connected sauce that when confronted about how he could have missed such a blatant handball by the keeper, the referee indicated that he wouldn't be losing any sleep over it as this was his last season anyway.

If that's his attitude then Saturday should have been his last game. If he's not bothered about turning up to manage games, by not being focussed on his positioning and keeping up with play for ninety minutes, he should be deemed unfit to wear the whistle and do the decent thing by packing it in now.