A lively encounter with the visiting league leaders produced goals, three penalties and lots of entertainment, writes James Barrett.
Team news: Ricardo Panton, Kalvin Morath-Gibbs, Bobby Price and Jordan Hibbert all returned to the starting line-up, while new boys Omar Folkes and Jordan Bird were named on the bench.
Both sides tried to get on the front foot during the opening 45 minutes and Joe Tupper did well to save a couple of dangerous attempts on our goal, while Mickel Miller was unselfish on 21 minutes - he had a sight of Dorking's goal but decided to play in Josh Phillips on the left but the young striker's shot pinged off the far post and away to safety.
But it was Dorking that broke the deadlock on 39 minutes as McShane managed to charge down a clearance inside our area before poking to the ball back across Tupper whom tried to close him down.
That lead only lasted three minutes however as Sekou Kaba was fouled inside their area and Paris Hamilton-Downes stepped up to blast home both our first converted spot-kick in four and his first goal of the season.
HALF-TIME: 1 - 1
We failed to kick on however and allowed Wanderers to retake the lead on 52 minutes as former Woking striker Giuseppe Sole capped off some approach work by Dean Gunner.
Bird came on for his debut just before we were given another chance to level from the spot on the hour mark. Dean Hamlin was adjudged to have handled the ball inside his own area, so Hamilton-Downes duly doubled his tally from 12 yards.
And we took the lead for the first time on 71 minutes as, after we broke from a Dorking attack, Bobby Price played a through ball which Kingsley Aikhionbare dummied and the unmarked Bird found himself through on goal before calmly slotting the ball past Slavomir Huk.
But the game wasn't done in terms of spot-kicks as the referee awarded another one - this time to Wanderers - with just eight minutes left on the clock as Panton tangled with McShane and Sole only just beat Tupper's low dive to ensure his side left with a share of the spoils.
Photos from the game are available here
Next up: We host Chatham Town on Saturday 14th January before we travel to Godalming Town on Tuesday 17th January.
Carshalton Athletic: Tupper; Price (Folkes - 79), Morath-Gibbs, Hamilton-Downes (c), Panton; Adeniyi, Kaba, Hibbert, Bradford; Aikhionbare (Healy - 85), Phillips (Bird - 59)
Unused subs: King, Sobowale
Goals: Hamilton-Downes (42 pen, 60 pen), Bird (71)
Assists: Kaba, Price
Booked: Panton, Aikhionbare
Dorking Wanderers: Huk, Sheridan, Boulter (c), Hamlin, Beccles, Beecroft, Gunner (Evans - 90), Briggs, Chendlik (Mahoney - 60), Sole, McShane
Unused subs: Wells, Familton, Hearne
Goals: McShane, Sole (52, 82 pen)
Booked: Boulter, Hamlin, Beccles
Attendance: 226
Our Man of the Match: Bobby Price