Farnham Town 2, Dorking Reserves 0

FARNHAM Town have reached an interesting point in their season.

Saturday’s 2-0 win over Dorking Wanderers Reserves at the rain-hit Memorial Ground was the seventh in nine league starts for boss Luke Turkington’s charges – and a win this weekend will mirror their start 12 months ago.

Then the wheels fell off somewhat as the weather turned before a late-season revival secured a top four finish – something that would secure promotion this time around and a return to the top table of the Combined Counties League.

“If we win on Saturday our start will be a carbon copy of last year in the first ten games and that resulted in fourth place at the end of the season, and we would take that now, that’s where the club needs to be, up a level next year,” said Turkington, whose side make the short trip to play Fleet Spurs at the weekend.

Last season, Town had a nasty habit of beating their fellow contenders but slipping up against the sides much lower down the table, including a 5-1 thrashing at then rock-bottom Fleet Spurs and a loss to lowly Cove.

“The confidence is high, especially with a couple of players missing, but to have our squad players step in and perform was good and it was another great result for us,” said Turkington, who has now seen his in-form side keep three consecutive clean sheets to go with three successive league wins.

“Dorking are a young, fit, bright side and are very well organised, so to get the result we wanted was great and the boys are buoyed up by it.

“My concern now is can we do it against the bottom teams, because that’s where we slipped up last year, and I’m just hoping now that the mindset doesn’t return to those levels. If we can play at the level we have been playing I will have no worries about us going to play Fleet Spurs away on Saturday.

“Hopefully on Saturday they will have the mindset to go and win, and win well. Last season we had our worst result off the season away at Fleet Spurs, so I want to see a much better performance and a much better result this time around.”

Saturday’s win against a decent Dorking side in the rain showed a lot of character and stretched Town’s unbeaten league run to six thanks to goals from striker Charlie Oakley and a first for the club for new boy Gavin Brainch.

But they certainly rode their look at times and were indebted to an outstanding display from goalkeeper Dease Kerrison, who saved a penalty in the first half with the game goalless and made a stunning reflex save from a point-blank header to preserve a 1-0 lead before Brainch slammed home late on after a delightful delivery from a Rowan Sharratt free kick to secure the points.

“Dease was outstanding on Saturday,” said Turkington.

“He’s been long overdue a performance like that, he was man of the match for us. A lot of accolades go to the scorers, a lot of accolades go to the midfielders, but for him to save that penalty low down to his left and then to make a quick-reaction save in the second half, with his decision-making on point, he has to be man of the match for me.”

So now comes the little matter of the ‘derby’ game with Fleet, some seven miles up the road, and a chance to right the wrongs of last season.

“People say you are only as good as your last result – well I would take a 2-0 win at their place right now,” said Turkington.

“I’ll be saying to the boys ‘don’t look at the league table, just look at the opposition in front of you and can you repeat what you have done over the last five games?’

“We’ve got a good squad together now and we just have to keep this winning mentality going. The weather is starting to change, it’s getting colder and we need to become more men than boys now. It’s a case of so far so good, we’ve ticked the box of the first ten games and we’re up in second. It’s an interesting and exciting time of the season.”