Alfie ends a stunning season with promotion
Alfie Rutherford completed an unforgettable season with the winning goal as Dorking Wanderers’ meteoric rise up the non-league pyramid continued.
The Portsmouth-born former Moneyfields and Hawks striker ended the 2021/22 season as the leading scorer in National League South with 30 goals as Dorking finished runners-up to Maidstone.
Goal number 31 arrived in extra time as the Surrey club defeated Ebbsfleet United 3-2 in a thrilling play-off final at Meadowbank.
Only formed in 1999, playing their first season in the Crawley & District League, Dorking will next season dine at the top table of nonleague football. Among their rivals will be a former Premier League club, Oldham Athletic.
Ebbsfleet took a first half lead through Rakish Bingham. But Dorking levelled before half-time through James McShane.
Ebbsfleet appeared to have clinched the most dramatic of victories when Craig Tanner put them ahead in the third minute of stoppage time. Nine extra minutes had been played, though, when Luke Moore bundled the ball home from close range to force the extra half hour.
Rutherford, who had last week been named in the NLS Team of the Season, struck the winner in the first period of extra time.
It is the second time that Rutherford and his Wanderers strike partner Jason Prior have won promotion to the National League, having done so with Hawks in 2017/18.
Ed Harris was a late sub for Dorking in the play-off final while a fourth ex-Hawk, midfielder Josh Taylor, was among the starters.