We suffered a frustrating loss at home to Dorking Wanderers as the Surrey side ran out 3-2 winners this afternoon at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
The defeat was particularly crushing given how hard we had worked to get back into the game, after Calvin Brooks put us level early in the second half with a header from a Brandon-Goodship corner.
But when substitute Rhys Murphy let fly a half-volley from the edge of the box and into Will Buse’s net, it was a goal worthy of winning any game.
Before the break, we had initially taken the lead after just 20 minutes via a volley from Ben Greenwood, before “Wanderers” equalised almost immediately afterwards when Jason Prior tapped home from a deflected cross.
Brennan camp then gave the visitors the lead when he headed in from close-range after being unmarked from a corner-kick.
Today’s loss against Marc White’s side further ensures our status at the foot of the National League South table, a fact all the more worrying given the results of those around us.
Aveley’s draw at home to Chesham United, alongside Hemel Hempstead Town’s 4-1 hammering of Slough Town now leaves us bottom by two points and 11 from safety, with one more game played than 20th-place Salisbury.
Though Warren Feeney correctly pointed out this week that “there’s still a long season ahead of us,” this recent result is certainly a concerning one.
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Following Tuesday’s loss away to Welling United, which included two injury setbacks, Warren made three changes to this afternoon’s line-up, bringing in Ben Greenwood, Brooklyn Genesini and Calvin Brooks for Keelan O’Connel and the injured Andy Robinson and Josh McQuoid respectively.
Our woes were further exacerbated 10 minutes before added time in the first half when Charlie Rowan was forced off for newcomer Ibrahim Meite.
But before that we had already seen entertaining end-to-end action which produced goals from both sides.
The game started cagily, as any attacking threat from either team was ultimately thwarted by a gang of resolute defenders.
But it was us with the first notable chance, on the quarter-hour mark when Goody found an angle for a shot and dragged the ball towards the near-post, firing just wide.
Two minutes later, Wanderers were forced into their first change when Josh Brooking made way for Dan Gallagher, not the last injury-induced sub that would be seen that afternoon.
Then, just three minutes afterwards, things got even worse for White’s side when Mal Linton forced a header into Robert Milsom, who miskicked the ball into the path of Ben.
Making no mistake, the winger thumped the ball first time on the volley and into the left corner to give us a 1-0 lead after just 20 minutes.
But only two minutes later saw the visitors respond with some fast-paced attacking play, as Wanderers’ skipper Charlie Carter flicked the ball down the line into ex-Terra Alfie Rutherford, whose accurate low cross into Jason Prior allowed the veteran striker to tap in from barely a few yards out.
After taking an impressive lead, our players witnessed why the Surrey side have scored more than any other team this season very shortly afterwards.
Then, approx. 10 minutes before added time, we suffered yet another injury setback when Charlie was forced off for newcomer Ibrahim, making his debut in a Weymouth shirt.
Though our new signing appeared lively when he came on, it wasn’t enough to prevent Dorking from scoring another before half-time and taking the lead.
After Jordon Thompson had initially cleared Morgan Williams’ cross behind, ex-Terra Camp found himself in space from the subsequent corner-kick, heading past Busey at the near-post to put his side in front after 38 minutes.
Wanderers were appearing to grow in confidence, as was shown with another chance five minutes later.
This time it was Rutherford, who spent a month on-loan with us last season, who carried the ball before lashing at goal from approx. 30 yards out.
Thankfully it rolled just wide, as we headed down the tunnel just a goal behind and still in the game.
The second half came close to being a nightmare start for us, as Camp headed another corner towards goal just two minutes in, but luckily this time over the bar.
Leo Hamblin then dispossessed Rutherford four minutes later, before striking into the hands of Harrison Foulkes.
Then, after we were on the receiving end of some dangerous corner-kicks throughout the game, we began to be the attackers, first through Mal and JT, whose headers were deflected over the bar.
Though it wouldn’t be long before our set pieces paid dividends, as Goody lofted a ball onto the head of Calv, who leapt beyond the Wanderers defence to equalise for us two minutes before the hour-mark.
The game was continuing to show end-to-end excitement, as we were once again tasked with keeping the ball at bay.
With 67 minutes gone, Williams was played down the right with a through-ball before sliding the ball towards Busey’s goal, and could have put his side back in front had JT not bravely stuck a leg out.
But if we were able to keep that chance out, we would not have as much luck seven minutes later.
After JT headed the initial cross from Carter outside the box, substitute Murphy, much like Ben in the first half, volleyed the ball first-time into the left corner of the net, a wonder goal worthy of giving any side the lead.
With us now a goal behind, we continued to pepper Foulkes’ goal, and had a number of close calls, most notably when Ben’s powerful low strike was deflected behind with five minutes of regular time remaining.
But we were unable to break down the dam of Dorking for a third time as we were eventually defeated 3-2, our second successive league loss.
