Eastbourne Gain Revenge - Dorking Wanderers vs. Eastbourne United Association

The stand, dugout and clubhouse at Westhumble Playing Fields.

As I've stated before, the Sussex County League is the best league for grounds in scenic locations and Dorking Wanderers' Westhumble Playing Fields is certainly no exception. Located in the shadow of Boxhill and surrounded by trees, the ground is in a fantastic setting as the photos will hopefully show. Dorking were adapting to life in division two following their division three title winning season last year, quite well. They were on a run of ten straight wins in all competitions and had beaten Eastbourne 4-0 earlier in the season. Eastbourne have since had a major overhaul of their squad and were looking to push up the table.

Kick off in the shadow of Boxhill.

The first half is largely uneventful. Both sides seem to struggle a bit with an uneven pitch. As the game wares on, the visitor's midfield begin to gain a hold on the game and they look more likely to score. They do indeed take the lead when a pinpoint cross field pass is controlled by the Eastbourne player and he lashes the ball past the keeper. The Dorking keeper makes a good save to keep his side in the game shortly afterwards. Towards the end of the half, the home team force a few corners but the Eastbourne defence hold strong to ensure they go in at half time one up.

Dorking trying to find an equaliser before half time.

Dorking go on the attack right from the start of the half but this allows Eastbourne to attack on the break and they prove to be lethal in this respect. They double their lead when the Eastbourne winger is able to cut in from the right flank and his shot finds the bottom corner via a slight deflection. The keeper then makes a few more saves to keep his side in the game but Eastbourne soon stretch their lead. The goalie can't keep hold of a fierce shot and the Eastbourne striker is on hand to grab a third.They soon add a fourth and Dorking's winning run comes to an end.

View towards the other goal with the changing rooms in the background.

The closest station to the ground is the fantastically named Boxhill and Westhumble. Trains depart from Victoria on an hourly basis and take fifty minutes. The Dorking stations are also about a fifteen minute walk away. Half way between the station and the ground is The Steeping Stones which is more of a restaurant but does have a wide choice of ales and the food did look quite good. The clubhouse sells cans of larger and has a TV. It is also located next to the rail line and shakes an awful lot when a train rattles past! I also have to say how friendly the officials of both clubs were. I will defiantly be making the effort to visit Eastbourne United in the future.  

The skies darken over Westhumble playing fields.