Baffins boss full of praise for Dorking after defeat
Shaun Wilkinson heaped praise on Dorking Wanderers after they handed his Baffins Milton Rovers side a heavy friendly defeat.
Baffins capped their pre-season programme with a 7-0 home humbling at the hands of Marc White’s National League South title contenders on Tuesday.
Rovers boss Wilkinson conceded it was his side’s ‘worst’ friendly performance this pre-season against the strongest opposition they faced.
However, the former Brighton and Hawks midfielder claimed Dorking were the ‘best non-league team he’s seen in a number of years’.
And the Baffins boss is backing White’s squad to go on and beat his former club Hawks to the National League South title this term at a ‘canter’.
Wilkinson, below, said: ‘They (Dorking), I’m not talking out of turn here, were absolutely outstanding. They’re probably the best non-league team I’ve seen in a number of years – that’s how impressed I was with them.
‘Without going too mad, we weren’t very good and it’s probably the worst we’ve played all pre-season, but when you analyse the game and look back at it, they didn’t let us play.
‘They pressed so high up the pitch, they were so fit, they were organised, they passed the ball, they went from left to right quick, they were aggressive, created chances and scored their goals.
‘I think they’ll win it at a canter (National League South), they’re that good. It was a massive, massive step up for our lads.’
Despite the heavy defeat, boss Wilkinson was not too downbeat after what he viewed as a satisfactory pre-season overall.
And he was delighted Dorking suggested they’d be more than willing to head back to the PMC Stadium for a pre-season friendly next summer.
Wilkinson added: ‘I wouldn’t change anything. They’ve already said we’re going to be their first pre-season game next season, they were very complimentary of the facilities, how we looked after them and how the game was played.
‘The positives to come out of the game is fitness in the legs, which is what it was for, we’ve got a top club in Dorking down to the PMC Stadium who have loved every minute of it.’