We lost out in this competitive cup game as the scoreline flattered our visitors, writes James Barrett-Sterling.
Team news
Paris Hamilton-Downes and David Opoku made their first starts of the season, while Mekhail McLaughlin, Brendan Murphy-McVey, Ryan Healy, Josh Phillips and Peter Adeniyi all returned to the starting line-up. Ex-Robin Sol Pinnock was named in the visitors' starting eleven.
Kick off
Dorking had the first shot in anger on five minutes but Richard Ossai got down to comfortably claim Dan Pearse's low angled drive.
Pinnock then got forward shortly after and, before Opoku could close him down, he sent over an early cross that saw Tom Tolfrey rise highest but thankfully his header dropped onto the roof of our net.
We registered our first shot on target on 12 minutes as Murphy-McVey lined up a 30 yard free kick which Josh Pelling got behind.
Our visitors were looking the more likely going forward but McLaughlin, Danny Dudley and Hamilton-Downes all got good tackles in on different occasions.
At the other end, Pelling wasn't being tested but flashes of pace and guile from Raheem Sterling-Parker and Bobby Price kept Dorking's defenders on their toes.
But we picked up the pace just after the half-hour mark; Sterling-Parker got into their box but his square ball was just cut out in front of Phillips. Then our number nine won a free kick 20 yards from goal but no-one got on the end of Hamilton-Downes' low ball across the area.
Dorking tried to play themselves up-field from that goal kick but we stole the ball back on the right and Sterling-Parker burst into their box. His pullback was just behind both Phillips and Adeniyi but Healy picked it up on the edge of the area before being bundled over.
The referee initially gave a spot-kick but, after the linesman on the near-side intervened, a free kick was awarded which Sterling-Parker hit straight at the grateful Pelling.
Our front man was growing in confidence however and he fashioned a chance in stoppage time by getting onto his weaker left foot before blazing an effort over from 15 yards.
HALF-TIME: 0 - 0
We began the second-half brightly and Opoku almost closed down Pelling as the keeper dithered on an early back pass.
But the crowd didn't have to wait much longer until we opened the nights scoring - Sterling-Parker was bundled over as he ran into Dorking's box and he picked himself up to slot away the penalty for his fifth goal of the season.
We almost doubled that lead on 55 minutes as Opoku drove at their defence before, via Healy, the ball found itself with Phillips through on goal. The youngster took a touch and went to hit a shot as the exposed Pelling went to ground, but Chris Boulter bravely deflected the ball wide.
Healy and Murphy-McVey both put shots from distance off target as the game ticked over the hour mark, and we were still the side on top until things changed quickly within two minutes.
Dorking managed to get some space on the left on 68 minutes and a fizzed low cross was turned past Ossai by a combination of Tolfrey and Dudley as the pair tussled for the ball.
Then, before we had a chance to really draw breath, sub Eugene Haran-Morgan, whom had only come on after Dorking had equalised, got some space on the right and his curling cross was guided in by the head of Tolfrey.
It was a bitter pill to take as we had bossed more of the second-half but we kept plugging away as Phillips showed good strength to cross over halfway with the ball on 78 minutes.
He was eventually brought crashing down by a third incoming tackle that earned Brannon O'Neill a booking. Adeniyi met Murphy-McVey's deep free kick at the back post but Pelling managed to pat the looping header over his crossbar.
And, during the last 10 minutes, the game really opened up - Murphy-McVey waltzed past a couple of challenges on his way towards the Dorking area before slipping a pass into Dudley whom had the opportunity to have a shot or look for a teammate.
He chose the latter and Sterling-Parker seems odds on to bury his second from six yards, but Boulter again threw himself in the way and the ball deflected just wide of Pelling's left-hand post.
Then, a minute later, we got down the right and Opoku drove a hard cross along their six yard box with Phillips millimetres from connecting as he lunged in.
Dorking responded but, as one of their forwards showed quick feet to deceive Dudley and the sprawling Ossai 12 yards from our goal, McLaughlin was on hand to block the shot in front of an empty net.
But they did add a gloss to the scoreline as sub Matt Briggs wowed the crowd on 90 minutes, riding two tackles on his way into our box before calmly side-footing beyond Ossai, curtailing any chance we had of taking the tie to penalties.
Photos and highlights from the match will be available soon.
Next up
We host Phoenix Sports on Saturday 23rd September before we head off to Chipstead on Tuesday 26th September.
Carshalton Athletic: Ossai; Price (Cave - 73), Dudley (Alexiou - 90), McLaughlin, Hamilton-Downes (c); Adeniyi (Jarrett - 90), Healy, Murphy-McVey; Opoku, Sterling-Parker, Phillips
Unused subs: None
Goal: Sterling-Parker (54 pen)
Booked: Price
Dorking Wanderers: Pelling, Philpott (Haran-Morgan - 69), Boulter (c), Dyett (Briggs - 76), O'Neill, Pearse, Sole, Summerfield, Chednik, Tolfrey, Pinnock (Beard - 58)
Unused subs: Hamlin, Wells
Goals: Tolfrey (68 and 70), Briggs (90)
Booked: O'Neill, Briggs
Our 'Man of the Match': Raheem Sterling-Parker
Attendance: 113