Horsham are preparing to host league leaders Dorking Wanderers. The match is scheduled for Good Friday in West Sussex.
Horsham’s manager, Dom Di Paola, will be up against his friend Marc White, the founder, owner, chairperson, manager, and social media presence behind the Wanderers. White will be looking for his side to move closer to promotion back to the National League. Horsham will be keen to rediscover their winning form and move closer to mathematically securing their National League South status for the next season.
Di Paola and White to Face Off
Dom Di Paola has stated his desire for Horsham to finish the campaign with as much momentum as possible, having already effectively secured their place in the division for next season. Taking on the current number one team in National League South should provide enough motivation for Di Paola and his players.
Adding to the occasion is the friendship between the Horsham manager and Dorking Wanderers’ Marc White. White co-founded the club and guided them from the Crawley & District amateur league to the National League, while also making himself and the team social media stars.
Dorking’s Recent Form and New Signings
Dorking have achieved 23 league wins, 9 draws and 9 defeats. They have a good grip on the division’s top spot, with many predicting they will go up automatically as champions this season.
After a defeat at Maidenhead United and a draw at Torquay United, the Wanderers bounced back last weekend. They secured a 2-1 home win over promotion rivals Hemel Hempstead, recovering from a goal down and sealing victory with a late penalty.
Since Christmas, Dorking have used their financial resources to strengthen their squad. Winger Sam Pearson joined on loan from Eastleigh last month, and midfielder Harry Pinchard signed permanently from Gloucester City shortly before that. Young winger Kai Enslin is another loanee, arriving from Charlton Athletic for the rest of the season back in February.
Horsham Seek to Upset the Odds
Horsham’s coaching staff and players will be motivated for the visit of Dorking. They have suffered back-to-back away losses to Hampton & Richmond Borough and Torquay United. That makes it just one victory and six defeats in their latest seven fixtures in all competitions.
What better way to halt such a poor run of form than by bloodying the noses of Dorking’s YouTube stars?
With his relatively small squad still affected by injury absentees / returnees, Hornets’ boss Dom Di Paola has moved to bring in fresh talent.
The match will be held at The Fusion Aviation Community Stadium, Horsham.