Hornets Fly Into Second as Dorking Fall in Meadowbank Thriller

By Dougie
Dugout AI round-up reporter · National League South round-up · Saturday 22 August 2026

Four games into the new National League South season and the table is already beginning to throw up some fascinating storylines.

Dagenham & Redbridge remain the division’s early pace-setters with a perfect 12 points, but the big story from a Sussex perspective is Horsham, who continued their outstanding unbeaten start with a 2-1 victory at Braintree Town to climb into second place.

For Dorking Wanderers it was a very different afternoon. Marc White’s side led Maidstone United at Meadowbank but eventually went down 3-2 in an entertaining contest that could easily have produced more goals.

Elsewhere, Dover Athletic grabbed a dramatic late victory at Weston-super-Mare, Billericay won a six-goal contest at Farnham and Hampton & Richmond finally exploded into life by putting five past Slough.

HORSHAM KEEP FLYING
BRAINTREE TOWN 1 HORSHAM 2

What a start this is becoming for Dominic Di Paola and Horsham.

The Hornets travelled to Essex unbeaten after opening the campaign with a 1-1 draw at Torquay United, a goalless home draw with Salisbury and Tuesday night’s 2-0 victory over Hampton & Richmond Borough.

Now they have added perhaps their most impressive result so far — an away victory over a Braintree side relegated from the National League last season.

And the man doing the damage was Greg Luer.

Luer struck twice for the visitors and was named star man as Horsham collected another three points. Braintree actually began brightly, with George Evans seeing an early header deflected over close to the line before Sam Howes was forced to punch away another dangerous delivery.

But Horsham absorbed that early pressure and punished the Iron when Luer found space and produced a composed low finish to put the visitors ahead. The forward would strike again during the afternoon, with his brace ultimately proving the difference.

1 It is another huge contribution from Luer, who also scored Horsham’s equaliser in their opening-day 1-1 draw at Torquay. Ashley Nadesan and Charlie Hester-Cook supplied the goals against Hampton on Tuesday, demonstrating that Di Paola is already getting contributions from different areas of his squad.

The statistics after four matches make particularly impressive reading.

Played four. Won two. Drawn two. Lost none. Five goals scored. Just two conceded. Eight points. Second in the National League South.

Only Dagenham & Redbridge sit above them.

For a club operating against some significantly bigger budgets at Step Two, Horsham continue to demonstrate just how far good recruitment, continuity and an experienced management team can take you.

Nobody at Hop Oast will be getting carried away after four matches, but this is no longer simply a promising start. Horsham look extremely comfortable at this level.

Next Saturday brings Farnham Town to the Fusion Aviation Community Stadium, and the Hornets suddenly have an opportunity to make an already excellent August even better.

DORKING PUNISHED AFTER TAKING THE LEAD
Dorking Wanderers 2 Maidstone United 3

If Horsham’s afternoon was about control and resilience, Dorking’s was about frustration.

Wanderers started positively at Meadowbank and were ahead midway through the opening half.

George Nikaj created the breakthrough himself, attacking down the flank before seeing his initial attempt saved by Lenny Holden. Nikaj reacted quickest to the rebound and fired Dorking ahead after 24 minutes.

The problem for Wanderers was what happened next.

Maidstone grew stronger after conceding and Tom Leahy brought the Stones level in the 36th minute, his effort crashing down off the underside of the crossbar and crossing the line.

After the break, the visitors took control.

Leahy turned provider eight minutes into the second half, releasing Ken Charles, who finished emphatically beyond Glenn Morris to put Maidstone 2-1 ahead.

Dorking pushed for an equaliser, but instead they were caught again after 76 minutes.

2 Riley Court collected possession and produced the goal of the afternoon, carrying the ball forward on a long run before rounding Morris and rolling into an empty net for 3-1.

Dorking were not finished.

Josh Barrett produced a beautifully improvised finish in the 86th minute, floating the ball over Holden from the right side of the penalty area to reduce the deficit to 3-2.

And they came agonisingly close to snatching something in stoppage time when Nikaj’s effort took a deflection and flashed inches wide in the 95th minute.

Maidstone survived.

For Dorking, it represents their second home defeat of the season. Their opening four matches have now produced a 1-0 defeat to Dagenham, a 0-0 draw at Maidenhead, that impressive 3-0 midweek victory at AFC Totton and Saturday’s 3-2 defeat.

Four points from four matches leaves Wanderers in 16th position.

There is clearly plenty of attacking quality in this Dorking squad, but finding consistency now becomes the challenge. A trip to bottom club Walton & Hersham next Saturday represents an immediate opportunity to respond.

DAGGERS SETTING THE EARLY STANDARD

At the top, Dagenham & Redbridge simply refuse to drop points.

A 2-0 victory over Torquay United made it four wins from four, with Rodari scoring in the 40th and 68th minutes. The Daggers have seven goals for and just one against and already hold a four-point advantage over second-placed Horsham.

One of the results of the afternoon came at Weston-super-Mare, where Dover Athletic produced a dramatic 3-2 away victory.

Dover led through Decarrey Sheriff before Louis Britton struck either side of half-time to turn it around for Weston. The visitors responded through Williams before Andrews grabbed the winner in the 91st minute, inflicting Weston’s first league defeat of the campaign.

Truro City continued their impressive opening with a 2-0 victory at Tonbridge Angels and sit fourth with seven points from only three matches, while Hemel Hempstead also moved onto seven after winning 2-1 at Salisbury.

Billericay Town returned from Farnham with a 4-2 victory, while Chesham United collected their first win by beating struggling Walton & Hersham 2-0.

3 There were goals everywhere at the Beveree as Hampton & Richmond Borough beat Slough Town 5-3 to collect their first three points of the season.

Folkestone Invicta and Chelmsford City remained unbeaten after drawing 1-1. Leo Sery gave Chelmsford the lead just before half-time before Joe Pigott converted a second-half penalty for Folkestone. Maidenhead United and Farnborough also shared the points in a 1-1 draw.

The scheduled Ebbsfleet United versus AFC Totton fixture was postponed as Ebbsfleet’s National League suspension continued. New ownership has now taken control and funds have been provided to settle HMRC and football creditors, but the League extended the suspension pending further financial information and another review.

SATURDAY’S NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH RESULTS

Braintree Town 1-2 Horsham | Chesham United 2-0 Walton & Hersham | Dagenham & Redbridge 2-0 Torquay United | Dorking Wanderers 2-3 Maidstone United | Ebbsfleet United P-P AFC Totton | Farnham Town 2-4 Billericay Town | Folkestone Invicta 1-1 Chelmsford City | Hampton & Richmond Borough 5-3 Slough Town | Maidenhead United 1-1 Farnborough | Salisbury 1-2 Hemel Hempstead Town | Tonbridge Angels 0-2 Truro City | Weston-super-Mare 2-3 Dover Athletic.

Four games might not tell us who will be celebrating next April, but they can certainly give us some clues.

Dagenham have laid down the first serious marker.

Horsham are quietly building something very interesting.

And Dorking have enough attacking firepower to know their current position should not define their season.

The National League South is already warming up nicely — and if the opening fortnight is anything to go by, there is going to be very little room for error.

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First published in Dugout News, Issue 3, 23 August 2026. Republished here in full.