Development Friendly Away Streatham and Croydon
Dorking Mixed/Dev Team Continue the Squad’s Winning Ways
Dorking Women were on the road this week with a mixed development squad heading to Streatham and Croydon for a friendly in a replacement fixture for their cancelled league match.
Having beaten a strong S&C team made up of first team NC2 players in pre-season, Dorking had high hopes for many of their new and developing squad playing their 2s.
It was an unsettled first ten minutes from an understandably nervous side, many with their first starts for Dorking and only peppered with a few more confident players to help structure the play. Sadly, Dorking had their first injury with Amelia Corbett falling foul to a collapsing scrum.
S&C were able to steady themselves and with a lovely break managed to score first but were unable to convert.
This just added fire to the Dorking side who immediately responded with classic phase and support play creating an opportunity for Nim Brown to take the ball over the line. With the conditions turning blusterier, the conversion was close (to the point where one linesman gave it) but the referee saw that unfortunately it didn’t make it over the posts.
Now settled, Dorking started to play their way making some big tackles but also taking some big hits in to what was becoming a tough and feisty match. After much of the play staying in the centre of the pitch, Jemma Wood finally made a strong break from full back and managed to take it over the line just too far out wide to convert.
With S&C dominating in the scrum, substitutions were made with Jas Pitt-Payne moving to her second of four positions on the pitch across both the forwards and backs – a true utility player and Player of The Match.
Showing their absolute depth across the whole squad, Dorking started to dominate and in the second half Rachel Higgins was set up to break through and score under the posts making it easy for them to convert.
This was quickly followed by a great period of possession from Dorking for Wood to take it over their second with an excellent conversion from Rowan Shiers.
Heading towards the final whistle, Wood put in one last big run to add a further five points to the score line with Shiers running the clock down on the conversion just that bit too far to make.
The growth of the Dorking Women’s squad has been spectacular this season and this game showed the depth that is coming through with many spectators commenting on how difficult it was to separate the more experienced players from those learning. Congratulations to the whole squad for a great game.
Next league match is the 3rd December against Didcot on the Big Field but until then we rest, recover and……we go again!
