Chessington & Hook United vs Dorking

Certainly not one for the purist or the coaches who would not have planned this, but nonetheless for the spectators an evening to remember.
With back-to-back wins preceding this, and bar a couple of absentees with a full squad to choose from, expectations were high.

In an open game both sides had early chances that resulted in nothing, due mainly to either a misplaced final ball or poor finishing, but at least the prospect of goals was evident.

On ten minutes the breakthrough came when our own defence who seemed too far off their player allowed a shot on Fishers goal, which thanks to a slight mis hit looped agonisingly out of his reach to give the visitors the lead. Just when a positive reaction was needed we had exactly the opposite with a scrappy ten-minute spell, which saw the visitors enjoy an equal share of the game and double their lead. With our defence again stretched, a through ball found the Dorking wide man who benefited from the leniency of the linesman who adjudged him to be onside, allowing him to proceed unchallenged towards our goal to confidently slot home the second goal of the night.

This time our reaction was clinical. Within two minutes Bennett evaded a number of tackles setting up Reece Jackson to sweep home from ten yards to get us back in the game.

Whilst the home support hoped that this would be the catalyst for a comeback Dorking had other ideas. In a repeat of the first goal for the visitors, a series of missed challenges and poor marking saw us fall further behind when a low drive found the corner of our net.

All of this in the first thirty minutes. With chances going begging during our attacks, our visitors were still threatening themselves with virtually every forward pass causing our defence a problem. With a mountain to climb already our fate worsened, when a poor pass from Lloyd Welsh allowed a simple tap in for Dorking to take a four one lead after Thirty-seven minutes. Despite the comfort of a three goal lead the visitors still seemed nervy, and as a result our own pressure was growing. Following a sustained assault on the Dorking goal and from a resulting corner taken by Cole-Bolt, Bennett headed home to reduce the arrears and send us towards the break just about in touch.

With thoughts no doubt turning towards the fifteen minutes available to the manager, bizarrely the seventh goal of the half arrived. Andrew Heath’s pass finding Reece Jackson who swept home to make it four three. Such was the nature of the game he probably left the field disappointed that he hadn’t completed a first half hat trick, given a couple of good saves from the keeper and a few poor choices when in front of goal.

At the start of the second half and with criticism no doubt ringing in the players ears there was a more professional approach all round. Two early chances of note falling to Bennett and Jackson, both of which when better was expected, failed to draw us level. That said Fisher was called upon shortly after and there was a sigh of relief when he saved confidently.

Just after the hour a free kick awarded for a foul on Bennett was swung in by Cole-Bolt for Bennett to head home his second of the night and our equaliser. With our opponents now having to deal with wave after wave of attacking play, they were at times resorting to stopping us by any means and so it was no surprise when following another shortly taken free kick by Cole-Bolt to Bennett, he waltzed round three challenges to fire home for his hat trick and to give us the lead for the first time.

As brazen as it sounds but Dorking were a spent force, and it did seem that another goal was inevitable. The only surprise now was Bennett turning down his own opportunities to score in favour of his colleagues, who unfortunately were failing to convert. With the bench demanding the security of a two-goal lead, it finally arrived with ten minutes or so to go, when Bennett again skipped effortlessly past a number of challenges before rolling home number six.

With the game now constantly in the Dorking half chances came and went with thankfully no danger of the misses affecting the score line. Just about as the ninety minutes were up Bennett was upended in the box offering us the chance to score again.

Bennett himself stepped up and somewhat playing to the crowd attempted an audacious chip which hit the crossbar. Bennett headed the rebound home but the linesman ruled that the goalkeeper had not touched the first effort, although it did seem as if he had. So with the goal disallowed we had to settle for six and Bennett with four.

Thankfully we secured three points on a night where we could have slipped up.