Moving Forward

SATURDAY PREVIEW

What a Saturday. Beating second in the league, who were on a ten game winning streak at their ground, is no mean feat and is a massive turnaround from how we have played at Dorking in recent seasons. The players raised their physicality to a new level and executed the plan, putting in one of the best performances of the season so far. It’s important to acknowledge that we won by the finest of margins, with Dorking missing a conversion with the last kick of the game. After a dominant first sixty minutes we had established a commanding 18 point lead but small bursts of consecutive errors swung the pressure back onto us and big defensive efforts were not rewarded due to playing penalty advantages. To make sure our fate remains in our own hands, the fix is removing these small indiscretions which collectively can be very influential. That said, it shows how this team is moving forward and it was a performance the players can be immensely proud of.

Many teams in our league can find emotional “get up” for one big game, but the ability to back that up the following weekend is something that separates the good teams from the best. Sevenoaks visit the Marine Travel ground on the back of three wins and the last game of the year is always a one to remember. Our challenge is to replicate the highs of last week so that we go into the Christmas break satisfied. It goes without saying that Sevenoaks will be aiming for the very same.

The Pilgrims travelled to play Sevenoaks 2nd XV last weekend, losing 47-24, one of their worst defeats in recent seasons. As the scoreline suggests defensively we did not meet our usual high standards, but the players fought hard in the final quarter to score an important fourth try to come away with a losing bonus point. Thanks to that point, Sevenoaks now sit one place behind us in the table meaning results in the next run of games are very important for us to maintain our place at the top of the table. The Pilgrims travel to Ashford and are looking to get back to their high performance standards and back to winning ways.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support in 2024. I feel the club and team continue to move in a very positive direction thanks to the enormous amount of backing that we receive and the hours of time that people give to make it such a special place. It makes me extremely excited about 2025. Until then I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New year.

Matt Corker, Head Coach