There’ll be pre-match dance displays, all manner of stalls selling colourful merchandise, a spin the wheel competition from Hertfordshire Zoo, a halftime girls’ penalty shootout out and free entry for all female fans.
All we need now as we celebrate International Women’s Day tomorrow is for the team to do us proud on the pitch against league leaders Dorking Wanderers — just as they did in the corresponding game in november when we eeked out a draw.
No-one is any doubt about the quality of opposition that faces us but after three straight defeats, we have to start to “change the narrative”, as Gavin Macpherson put it, as we bid to keep our survival hopes alive.
The fact that we have no midweek game next Tuesday is a huge relief, especially with a crucial visit to Salisbury next weekend. Psychologically at least, that should provide added incentive against a Dorking side that have only lost once this year and not at all away from home.
Lennon Peake looks like being available for selection after his long lay-off while the other piece of team news is that Dylan Adjei-Hersey and Joe Payne have joined Reece Beckles- Richards at Potters Bar in order to get some game time in their legs.
“They are all dual registered and I need to get all of them up to speed,” explained Gavin. “They are all very much part of this squad but we need to give them the right tools for when we need them”
Only 90 minutes’ training took place on Thursday after the rigours of Hornchurch and Gavin is under no illusions about the task facing us.
“We are just entering our toughest game of the season,” said Gav, “an extremely talented side with extremely experienced players. Everyone will need to be at least an 8 out of 10 and detailed in our planning. A bit like us last season, Dorking are a fired-up relentless team going for result after result.”
Gavin admits he has a figure in his head in terms of how many points we might ultimately need but understandably won’t say publicly.
“I have a number but every manager will be doing the same thing whether at the top or bottom. There have been some missed opportunities, especially last Saturday. Even against Hornchurch the stats show we were right in there except the one stat that matters.”
“We have to change the narrative of slipping back into some poor ways. That’s done by mindset and how you are tactically and organisationally. But realistically let’s face it we are massive underdogs. We never set out to make up numbers but we realise the levels we have to get to in order get anything from this particular game.
“Dorking have been training all week compared to our 90 minutes and it’s a massive step up. We have to be on it on and off the pitch. I know I’ve said this before and it’s an old cliché but we need the vocal support, the drums and everything that comes with it. It makes such a difference when you’re down in the trenches.”
AW