Dorking Wanderers is a tough enough away fixture with a full squad to choose from let alone having to deal with a number of walking wounded.

Having lost three of our last four league games, though there is an argument to suggest we  deserved better in two of those losses, Town go into Tuesday night’s fixture without Sam Youngs, who has been skippering the side of late, as well as potentially a few other forced absentees.

In all likelihood, Sam will be out for a minimum 10 days having had a number of staples inserted in a 3-cm gash to the head suffered during  Saturday’s defeat to Eastbourne.  

With Jack Bates and Ruaridh Donaldson again likely to be on the sidelines and Gavin facing the prospect of at least two other first-team absentees, the squad could be stretched to its limit for what is bound to be a massively  awkward tie against one of the strongest sides in the division that have put together three straight league wins and are especially formidable at home.

Town fans will be hoping we can at least repeat last season’s hard-fought draw as we bid to move clear of the drop zone.

“The task is not lost on any of us,” said Gavin. “I have huge belief in our squad but it’s got to the point where we would all take a poor performance but sneak a scrappy 1-0 win in the last minute. I’m working dreadfully hard to get this team to where it should be. We all know how strong Dorking are but we have to get something either tomorrow or at Dover on Saturday, preferably both.”

AW