Amongst the National League billing this weekend is a fascinating match-up between two lopsidedly attacking outfits, at the expense of their equally open defences, whose fixtures thus far have cumulatively featured an astonishing eighty goals - Dorking Wanderers hosting Dagenham & Redbridge in a clash of the entertainers.
Each have freely fluctuated between extremes throughout an erratic past few weeks, epitomised by their most recent result, to which there was something of a reverse symmetry. Dorking relinquished a two-goal lead to ultimately lose at Scunthorpe, while Daggers overturned the same margin enroute to a chaotic 5-4 triumph over Barnet.
Overall, both sides suffered an equal split of victories and defeats throughout September, each also suffering a 5-0 defeat on home soil on it's opening weekend. With such parallels underpinning the clash, the stage is set for an intriguing encounter.
There will likely be at least two enforced alterations to the matchday squad from the last outing at Scunthorpe last weekend. Luke Moore is yet to recover from the injury that forced him off after twenty minutes there while Jack Jebb, who came on in the latter stages, is suffering from illness.
Alfie Rutherford is the most notable occupant of the treatment table, and will be for a sizeable duration after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament through turning awkwardly on the artificial surface at Meadowbank.
Dagenham & Redbridge
Nikola Tavares suffered the same dreaded fate as Rutherford during a recent training session, his season also cut short. Ángelo Balanta and George Saunders are the only other two players unavailable for the foreseeable future, having been out since February and March respectively.
Defensive trio Elliott Johnson, Josh Hare and Yoan Zouma are all back in training after missing the most recent fixtures, but David Longe-King remains a fortnight or so away, as per manager Daryl McMahon's latest squad update.
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Likely lineups
Dorking Wanderers| Dan Lincoln; Bobby-Joe Taylor, Dan Gallagher, Isaac Philpot, Barry Fuller, Nick Wheeler; Niall McManus, Josh Taylor, James McShane; Ryan Seager, Harry Ottaway
Dagenham & Redbridge | Elliot Justham; Myles Weston, Elliott Johnson, Manny Onariase, Kamarl Grant, Sam Ling; Omar Mussa, Mo Sagaf, Matt Robinson; Paul McCallum, Josh Walker
James McShane is mobbed by teammate Ryan Seager after putting Wanderers ahead against Notts County. (Image: Dan Westwell)
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Key Players
James McShane (Dorking Wanderers)
Interspersed between the big names in the league's top scorers list is an unlikelier one, namely Dorking attacking midfielder James McShane, with a sensational eight goals from the first ten games he has ever played at this level. The 28 year-old has been an integral and permanent part of the club's seismic ascent through the pyramid, always managing to not only acclimatise but actively excel in every step up. Reflecting that, he scored all three of his side's goals in a superb victory over Notts County a fortnight ago.
Josh Walker (Dagenham & Redbridge)
Another player coming off the back of a hat-trick in their last home game is Josh Walker, whose confidence has emphatically returned. On song, the pacy striker is one of the best finishers at this level, as his former club Barnet found out with devastating consequences last weekend. Ten goals last season was a decent return, although he tailed off significantly after half of that tally came in the opening eight games. Four goals from only five starts this time underlines his potential to set a new personal best in professional football providing there is more consistency and fewer injuries this time out.
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Match Details
Where is the game being played?
This fixture brings Dagenham's first ever trip to Meadowbank, a modern ground opened in 2018 to facilitate the meteoric rise of their hosts, which has consequently continued to rapidly materialise to the point of them achieving National League status at the end of last season. The average attendance thereafter has been just over 2000, albeit inflated by sizeable followings from Chesterfield, Wrexham and Notts County.
What time is kick-off?
3pm. The contest between Boreham Wood and Maidstone United is the only one of Saturday's games in the division to deviate from that traditional time, instead getting underway just over two hours later due to being televised on BT Sport.
How can I watch?
Tickets remain available from the Dorking website. In terms of live coverage, the best alternative option is Gary Pascoe's live commentary via the twitter handle @LiveDWFC, while both clubs will provide in-game updates across the same platform. The relaxation of the highlights embargo means footage can be posted on YouTube from midnight.