Daggers v Burton Albion Match Report

A very disappointing display from the Daggers allowed them to slump to a disappointing draw at home to Burton. After the Brewers recent revival of a win and a draw at home to Gillingham and Crawley respectively, they were comfortable midtable and out of the relegation battle. With this in mind, the Daggers should have seen 3 points as near enough safety. Unfortunately, the performance didn't merit this and we managed to rescue a draw late on. I set off just after 1 and went through my pre match ritual of breakfast in the Eastbrook cafe followed by putting my bets on in Coral. I then made my way to the clubhouse for a pre match pint being stopped in my tracks by the two long term injury casualties Sam Williams and Kevin Maher who encouraged me to sign up to the Fans Power Stadium campaign in order to win the club £30,000. I obliged to this due to the rather attractive young lady who assisted me in this as I left her logged into my Facebook hoping for an add later that day, I'm still waiting...

The Lads lining up in the reverse fixture this season

I made it in the ground just for kick off as I quickly looked through the teamsheets. Still had made two changes from the victorious side from last week as he introduced on loan from Crawley John Akinde and the returning Dominic Green. This meant that Billy Bingham had to settle for a place on the bench while Jon Nurse wasn't even on the substitutions bench possibly injured or dropped which hasn't been confirmed. The only other change to the squad was on loan Josh Parker being given a place on the bench as oppose to ex West Ham midfielder Ahmed Abdulla last time out. Caretaker bosses Gary Rowett and Kevin Poole named an unchanged starting eleven to the ones that drew at home to Crawley with the only change being the introduction of Calvin Zola to the bench for loanee Seanan Clucas.

The game started fairly slow as I much became much more engrossed in looking at the travelling Brewers next to myself who looked quite an odd bunch probably what opposition supporters think about us loyal travelling Daggers when we're on the road. Both sides traded corners early on with neither keeper tested. The big talking point came 16 minutes in when the Daggers had a big penalty shout when Dom's cross clearly hit the arm of Villa graduate Jack Dyer however I believe the referee didn't judge this handball to be intentional and therefore waved away the protests, a decision that was still being argued by Terry Harris as they walked in at half time. Stoke born Jimmy Phillips then had a tame effort saved by Lewy as this was the first recognisable shot on target. The only other notable event was the booking of Aaron Webster as he fouled Medhi Elito with the resulting free kick hitting the wall from the boot of Dominic Green.

The boys at Vale last week.

The Daggers started to edge the second period of the first half without creating any clear cut chances. Tricky wingers Elito and Green were starting to get at the Burton defence but failed to find the powerful Akinde and the ineffective Woodall who didn't seem to be making a good pairing in this first half. Brewers full back Webster could have soon be heading for an early bath as he fouled Green after already being cautioned earlier on but referee Mr Ward who showed pity on Webster and gave him his final warning. It is worth mentioning than Webster was the one who made a rather theatrical fuss about Abu's challenge in the reverse fixture this season where him and his team mates cynically worked to get our former Arsenal man dismissed. The last chance of the half fell to the hosts as Baudry who hadn't had his finest performance in a Daggers shirt hit a 35 yarder which looked to dipping in the bottom corner but was tipped around the post by on loan Rams keeper Ross Atkins. The half time whistle was welcome in a very slow and even first half which I was expecting more from our own boys.

Both dugouts failed to make any changes at the break clearly hoping their half time team talks would do the trick. The Daggers came out more lively with a few corners that were hesitantly defended by the Midlands side although there was no capitalisation from the Daggers. We were then silenced by a fantastic effort from the troublesome Jacques Maghoma who curled in a 25 yarder giving Lewy no chance and sending the 123 travelling Brewers into hysteria. After being the front line culprit in the firing line for the Albion fans, I took the goading knowing that it would come back to haunt them later on. The Daggers then had a half hearted appeal for a penalty as Akinde showed good strength and pace before going down in the box. The Daggers were then awarded another free kick in a dangerous position however it was Irishman McCrory's turn to waste a good opportunity into the wall. The visitors then made the first chance of the afternoon as journeyman winger Lionel Ainsworth was introduced for youngster Jack Dyer. The Daggers continued to pile on the pressure with no real chances created despite valiant efforts from Baudry, Ogogo and Doe respectively. Albion then made a second change as the nuisance Calvin Zola replaced the ineffective Justin Richards.

Mickey Spillane then showed good footwork to get himself into a dangerous position but was too indecisive in what looked a very good opportunity for the ex Bees man. Akinde was then brought off for Josh Scott who typically made an impact to bring more of our attacking players into the game. Elito was then given a clear run on the Burton defence however went for the Hollywood strike from 25 yards which was high, wide and not at all handsome. Both sides then made more changes with just over 15 minutes left to play as Rowett introduced Cameroon born Patrick Ada for forward Greg Pearson in a tactically defensive change. Still contrastingly made an attacking change bringing on the fresh legs of Josh Parker on for Dominic Green who had faded out of the game. Burton then started to relieve their defence of the constant pressure by pushing forward forcing Lewy into two saves from efforts from Ainsworth and central midfielder Adam Bolder as target man Zola gave the young Baudry room for concern. Still then brought on Billy Bingham for McCrory who had underperformed for his ability as a formation change meant we were left vulnerable with three at the back. The change worked well as the Daggers left it late as Brian Woodall struck a 25 yarder out of nothing into the bottom corner of the net. Cue a Jose Mourinho like celebration from myself as I calmly celebrated in front of the travelling Brewers. Despite there being enough time for a winner, it was the visitors who looked more likely to nick a winner in stoppage time as they earned themselves two late corners which couldn't be converted before the final whistle was blown.

A bit of controversy followed the final whistle caused by the cynical and unprofessional Burton centre half Nathan Stanton who we'd had a previous with in the reverse fixture this season. Being part of the famous 96 that travelled to the Pirelli this season, we didn't forget Stanton's assault on Ogogo that got Abu dismissed and only meant Stanton received a booking. Stanton reacted angrily to our taunts to him as he reacted in a angry and aggressive manner. After using language that the Queen wouldn't approve of, he then came out to warm down still taunting the home crowd who were leaving which required the intervention of a police officer and our wise manager John Still. There is ways of dealing with taunts from the crowd and this was not the correct manner to do this, players like Robbie Savage have mastered this however it appears Stanton hasn't. It also got me thinking whether the brave Stanton would have shown this bravery if he were on his own in a nightclub as oppose to being in a controlled environment where police and stewards would protect him.

As for our performance, it was thoroughly disappointing and I know the boys can produce more. I thought the point was a fair result as we played an average Burton side who offered very little either. My chap of the game would have to be Mickey Spillane who was his usual impressive self and is fast becoming my favourite player at the Daggers. I can only imagine that Josh isn't fit enough to last a 90 minutes yet to as why he isn't getting a start as his impact is very clear from the bench. This is the second home performance where we haven't performed to a standard that we have set ourselves in recent weeks and this is a cause for concern. We have difficult away games at Gillingham, Aldershot and Shrewsbury left while having to host Crawley at home before the last day of the season at home to Bristol Rovers. Ideally, we want to be safe before the last day of the season where 4-6 points would consolidate our league position. Despite, not picking up maximum points we increased the gap from the bottom two to 6 points as Macclesfield lost at home to Shrewsbury while Hereford drew 1-1 with fellow relegation rivals Plymouth. Bradford picked up a much needed win at home to the overrated high flyers Southend while Barnet lost away again at Cheltenham leaving us 3 points above them in 20th. We travel to the slums of Kent on Monday away to Gillingham where I shall be in attendance and address you all after that encounter. Keep the Faith. Stay Positive. We Are Dagenham.

Ground 46: Port Vale v The Daggers

Well I dare not speak too soon but it appears the Daggers may have shown some fantastic bouncebackability in recent weeks in order to maintain our Football League status. As usual, I was one of the few that was optimistic about getting a result at Vale Park yesterday. You often find at the results end of the season that teams playing for something will always be more motivated and therefore more likely to beat the comfortable midtable sides going nowhere. I left my front door at half 8 with Chaz as we proceeded to meet Nick at Chadwell Heath, Lee at Liverpool Street and then James at Euston. Me & Chaz grabbed a Burger King breakfast at Euston surrounded by a large contingency of Chelsea fans heading to Villa that day who seemed to be big admirers of the brand Stone Island. We then boarded our London Midland train to Stoke on Trent while having to experience the company of Northampton fans for a large duration of the journey. The Cobblers loyal were pleasant throughout the journey and showed great bravery when we got off the train by shouting abuse at us.

Ground 44: Vale Park

We then jumped in a taxi to the ground from Stoke on Trent which worked out £12 between 5 of us which was a decent price and a very reliable taxi service. I was then approached by BBC London Sport to do a pre match interview which I allowed Nick to accompany me on despite this meaning listeners may have switched off after I'd finished my views. An optimistic prediction of a 3-1 win from me while Nick characteristically predicted we'd lose 2-0 was expected. I then decided to go into their social club for a couple of swift halves while I spoke to a few Vale fans as I continued my fascination of accents. I decided that the Stoke accent is one that I don't hate due to it having more of a Northern tone to it as oppose to a Midlands tone. After having a brief meeting with a Vale fan I had spoke to on Twitter, I made my way into the away end 10 minutes before kick off.


As this was ground 46 for me, the halfway point in the 92 my first impressions were that Staffordshire was a pretty run down area and the ground reflected this as although being much bigger than our own home it didn't look to have been well looked after and didn't have much of an atmosphere to it. The Vale fans sang on occasions but weren't given much to sing about as it was also "Fans Day" to "Save The Vale" although this only attracted a few local Midland clubs in Wolves and Leicester. 114 Daggers were present in the away end which was a fantastic effort as we made our fair share of noise also.

The experienced Mickey Adams made three changes to the side that played in the abandoned midweek game at Shrewsbury as he brought in ex Dagger Doug Loft, ex Gashead Sean Rigg and on loan from Hyde Ben Williamson for Essex born Phil Roe, Sheffield United graduate Kingsley James and highly rated ex Miller Tom Pope respectively. Vale made some improvements from the midweek fixture by managing to name 5 subs as oppose to 4 subs they named last time out as as Roe, James and Pope were joined by keeper Chris Martin and Man City graduate Paul Marshall. Still kept a fresh new vibe around our very own Daggers as he brought in the promising Billy Bingham and cult hero Brian Woodall for the injured Josh Parker and on loan Crawley striker John Akinde. However, there was a place on the bench for Akinde as there was for Hogan, Wassmer, Abdulla and Scott.

All in this together.

On one of the biggest pitches in the Football League, this was always going to test the fitness and stamina of the team at this stage of the season. Vale made the early running in this one as Lewy was called upon early on to header the ball to safety after Arbs failed to deal with a long ball. Then, with not even 2 minutes on the clock powerhouse Anthony Griffith was booked for a rash challenge on Ogogo that had it been made later in the game may have resulted in further sanction. Both sides exchanged early chances with neither keeper being tested in the opening 10 minutes. Vale started to enjoy their fair share of possession as the Daggers looked strong and resilient. Ogogo was enjoying a good battle of his own against Griffith as the ball spent a lot of time in the middle of the park.

With diving or simulation as its properly called being a big talking point this weekend. Vailant's skipper Marc Richards tarnished his reputation with a poor dive which was not to have fooled the referee although did anger me with his lack of respect. The Daggers then had their own half chance as a good delivery from Irish found Mickey Spillane's head but couldn't find the target. The outstanding Baudry then took a blow to head and required treatment as Vale picked up their second booking after Wolverhampton born Sam Morsy was adjudged to have made an unfair challenge on Wembley hero Jon Nurse. Cue more moaning from the Vale fans who were clearly watching the game through their rose tinted glasses. Griffiths then unfairly challenged Ogogo but escaped a second bookable offence as the Staffordshire home fans became more irritable with the officials. Then two minutes before the break, the best chance of the half fell to the Daggers after some good footwork from the tricky Medhi Elito, he curled the ball well beating Stuart Tomlinson as it hit the post as the two sides went in stalemate at the break.

Neither side made any changes at the break as the Daggers looked to be making their mark in the opening exchanges of the second period. Both sides earned early corners in the first half with the Daggers looking the more likely to score as Scott Doe made connection on his famous front post run which falls straight into Tomlinson's arms. Lewy was then called into action as Vale won a free kick in a dangerous position which required a convincing punch from the ex Leatherhead shot stopper. The game then became very open as both defences were tested with some decent creative players in action for both sides. Mickey Adams then opted to go for all 3 points as he introduced Tom Pope for Ben Williamson and Paul Marshall for Sam Morsy. Despite, Vale having the fresh legs it was the Daggers who started to have the ascendancy and one of the deciding moments of the game was just around the corner. Tremendous bravery from Nursey as he put his head in where a Port Vale boot was flying to win a free kick in a inviting position. Another class delivery found Spillane who needed no directions to where the goal was as he headed home. Cue myself running down numerous steps to celebrate with the players.

With 25 minutes to go, players, staff and fans alike knew this was going to be a big result if we managed to hold on as Vale would pile on the pressure. The cynical Richards then hacked down Baudry who had had the target man in his pocked all afternoon but still wasn't cautioned as I was sure he was the referee's love child. The Daggers were happy to play on the break with Elito providing a good outlet to prevent a constant Vale onslaught. Adams then introduced Louis Dodds for Phil Roe as they continued in their pursuit for the equaliser. The Daggers were then forced to make their own change as Baudry having recently been out for 5 months with injury suffered cramp on the widest pitch in this league meaning Charlie Wassmer was given a debut. King Lewy then had his time to shine as he produced several match winning saves. Firstly, he made a fantastic save from a shot from ex Walsall defender Clayton McDonald as he tipped it over the bar. Then Wassmer's first telling contribution of the game was a harsh decision against him as the referee pointed to penalty spot after he was adjudged to have climbed on his opponent. As the pressure was on, Lewy was too clever for Richards as he guessed the right way and saved it and then made another fantastic double save from the follow ups before Arbs cleared away. Still then brought Josh Scott on for the hardworking Woodall as the Daggers looked to the targetman to hold things up at the other end of the pitch. The Daggers then managed to prevent a late Vale surge who seemed to have accepted it wasn't their day as the boys dug deep to earn a well earned precious 3 points.

A big 3 points for the Daggers as we reached unholy heights of 19th in the league and 5 points above the relegation zone. Macclesfield and Hereford both lost to Gillingham and Rotherham away respectively while Barnet had already lost the previous night to high flyers Torquay. Plymouth had won but to fellow strugglers Bradford we went above both of them as well. That "massive club" Northampton could only manage a draw away at Crewe leaving them only a point above us despite them having a game in hand. There was immense celebrations after the game as everyone there involved with the club celebrated together after the game. After waiting for our cabs in the Port Vale car park long after the game had finished ourselves, the Bognor Daggers and the Upminster Daggers were all on the 17:50 train back to Euston in high spirits and those including myself were involved in some celebratory drinking on one of the better trips home this season.

A real decent away day which will live long in the memory considering I've only seen two of our 4 away league wins this season as I missed the wins at Macclesfield and Morecambe this season. I was overjoyed for Lewy who had received some real unfair criticism in recent weeks, people need to realise and see his potential. He is a very promising young keeper who will make mistakes from time to time but will also repay us by earning us points like he did yesday. Recognition also should go to Baudry who has been excellent in his time here and his centre half partner Arbs who has also recieved his fair share of criticism this season but was immense yesterday. Other stand out players include Bingham who hopefully gets a deserved run of games in the side between now and the end of the season while his makeshift midfield partners Spillane and Ogogo grafted hard in the middle as well. The rest of the team also showed tremendous commitment and determination to the cause as we look to be nearing survival. The work is not done yet as we all agreed on the way home that 2 wins and a draw will be enough although we aim to take as many points between now and the end of the season. I'll address you all again ahead of the Good Friday clash at home to Burton. Stay Positive. Keep the Faith. We are Dagenham.

Problems Of The Game: Treatment of Football Managers

As much as I love the beautiful game and I don't know where I would be without it, there are a number of problems and issues with it that I plan to discuss in the next few weeks. The first problem I would like to talk about is the treatment of football managers in the modern game. As usual I'm going to start with the facts to prove my point before discussing how we can resolve these problems in the game. Since the start of the 2011/2012 season out of the 92 Football League clubs, 31 clubs have changed their manager in the season. 23 of these clubs have sacked their boss with 4 resigning from their posts and 4 leaving for another job. This issue has become even more evident in the last month as 8 managers have been sacked from their jobs.

There are a number of things to consider to the reasons that managers are given such little time before being sacked if results are not going their way. Ultimately it lies with the owners of these clubs who envitably make the decision to get rid of the manager however there are a number of things that also contribute to a managers downfall. Two major aspects can also be the players and the fans, the minute a owner recognises that the manager has lost the faith of the dressing room, he has a big problem and often acts fast to avoid any further consequences. Fans can also contribute to a manager's departure as the manager is all too easy to blame for the fans at times. An example where a board has stuck by their manager despite fans not approving is at Blackburn Rovers where Steve Kean has not been the fans favourite for most of the season but despite the criticism Kean continues to do an amazing job with a group of average Premier League players with a good work ethic.

Connor was a panic appointment at Wolves.

A number of questions need to be asked when analysing the treatment of managers. The first one is the process of the appointment of a manager. I believe that when a club appoints a manager they must make sure that they are definitely the best possible candiate. Too often you see a panic and rushed decision which doesn't work out and then puts the club in a worse position than before. An example of this is the appointment of Terry Connor at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wolves sacked experienced manager Mick McCarthy for his assistant at the time rookie Terry Connor. With all due respect to Connor, an inexperienced manager is not exactly ideal for someone who is not used to managing a top flight team especially in a relegation battle. It's no surprise to see Wolves bottom of the league, 4 points from safety with only 8 games remaining. This is a classic example of a hurried appointment that may leave the club regretting their decisions. On the lower league scale, the appointment of Carl Fletcher at Plymouth Argyle may be seen as a panic appointment by some. Argyle sacked Peter Reid who had shown the club tremendous loyalty in a difficult time but in the harsh world of football, it is a results business and he was relieved of his duties. Fletcher gives a great impression in the media as a real honest guy but has struggled throughout the season as he remains one point above the bottom two with Argyle's league status hanging in the balance. While this may have been a financial decision by the club, many of the Home Park faithful have questioned whether Fletcher was the best man for the job.

AVB is probably the biggest casualty of the season.

Another major issue in the treatment of managers is the time a manager is given to make his impact. Managers seem to be given less and less time to make their mark on the club and this is a problem in the game. It is not encouraging for young coaches looking on to know that if they would be appointed in a big job that they would have to make an immediate impact and get results immediately. The most high profile sacking in English football this year would have to be the departure of Andre Villas Boas at Chelsea. Villas Boas was brought in over the summer at Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in English and World football. AVB came with a big reputation from Porto where he won 3 trophies in one season at the Portuguese giants. Although inexperienced at managing a big club Russian billionaire and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was willing to take the risk on the 34 year old who had a very similar style to the "special one" Jose Mourinho who was a fan favourite in his time at Chelsea. Unfortunately, AVB only lasted 40 games in all competitions and just over 8 months. AVB tried to make a lot of changes very quickly in Chelsea's style of play and lost the faith of his senior players in the dressing room. The real issue that needs to be addressed here is should the Porto born young buck been given more time as a young manager learning his trade. The treatment of young managers is something that needs to be addressed and managers in general as a lot are not given time to make the team their own.

Another aspect that has to be addressed is the timing of when clubs decide to change the manager. When you are into a season, there is never an ideal time to change your manager however I do believe there is a fine line of not giving the manager enough time and sacking someone too late. This season 3 clubs changed their managers in August, 2 in October, 5 in November, 2 in December, 6 in January, 5 in February and in our most recent month March 8 managers have been sacked. For me, if things are really not working out and there is no way to resolve the situation, the best time is the November/December time as it will give the new appointment time to bring his own players in the January transfer window. The recent 8 sackings in March make little to no sense to me as the new appointment has no time to bring his own players in or change things. 3 of the clubs who have sacked their manager are in the relegation battle with my beloved Dagenham & Redbridge in League Two. Hereford, Macclesfield and Burton have all sacked their managers in the last few weeks. Again no shocks to see Hereford and Macclesfield occupying the bottom two positions while Burton are on a shocking slide into the relegation battle after looking comfortable midtable just months ago.

I've spoke enough about the problems in the treatment and change of managers, now I'm going to show you some hardcore evidence of why sticking with your manager and giving him time can have its rewards. The two longest serving managers in the Premier League are Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger who both manage two of the most successful clubs in England Manchester United and Arsenal respectively. The 3rd longest serving manager is David Moyes of Everton who has never suffered any serious relegation battles and has always made Everton a very competitive side on a limited budget in the top flight. The next four longest serving managers all manage sides who are heavily overachieving considering the budgets and the size of their clubs in our very own John Still of Dagenham & Redbridge, Tony Pulis of Stoke City, Paul Tisdale of Exeter and Terry Brown of AFC Wimbledon. It is a well known fact that those who stick with their managers get more success in the long term yet many owners don't seem to have recognised this. All the teams I have mentioned in this paragraph are a credit to themselves and are the best run clubs in England in my opinion. Another club who deserves recognition for sticking with their manager are Wigan Athletic who have stuck with Roberto Martinez for 2 years, 284 days although constantly being in a relegation battle, Wigan against all the odds have stayed in the Premier League for the past 7 years and are still in touching distance this season. For me, the main message from this article from me is a message to owners and fans: stick with your manager and reap the rewards.

Thank you for reading this article and if you  have any queries either follow me on Twitter @EssexDaggerBC or e-mail at billycove94@hotmail.co.uk.

Daggers v Accrington Stanley

Daggers 2-1 Accrington Stanley

Well, what a day it turned out to be for the Daggers yesterday. The past few months really have been a rollercoaster as we continue to yo-yo in and out of the bottom two. It was quite pleasant to not wake up for "Football Day" on a hangover for once as me and Chaz made it to the cafe just after 11. After collecting the betting slips, I enjoyed a delightful full English in the Eastbrook cafe accompanied by a budweiser as the drinking began. We then made it into the clubhouse to watch the early game the London derby Chelsea v Spurs. While watching the game, I read through the programme notes with Still's programme notes being the most inspiring for a while. He reiterated a number of times how much the players and the club appreciate the support, it is worth mentioning at this point despite the numbers not being as much as most of the teams in the Football League, the togetherness is and always has been second to none. We then made our way in the ground at quarter to 3 after not the most exciting 0-0 stalemate in the early game made slightly more entertaining by a very vocal Spurs fan who keep making the point Spurs wouldn't be happy with 4th and only wanted 3rd, how quickly expectations rise after a few months of success.

As I made my way to The Traditional Builders Stand which is normally allocated to away fans but had been opened to the Daggers fans today, there was certainly more of a buzz around the place compared to normal. As I predicted the rest of the ground looked a bit sparse however the atmosphere in the TB stand was certainly building up some momentum and creating one of the best atmospheres of the season. Gaffer John Still named an unchanged side to the team that dominated Barnet on Tuesday night with the only change being Dave Hogan returning to the bench after Jon Bond had been recalled by Watford in the week. Stanley made one change to the side that hosted Morecambe in midweek with Craig Lindfield coming in for Padraig Amond up front. Amond instead took his place up on the bench with the only other change being Ryan Hopper replacing Jersey born Kurtis Guthrie on the bench.

The players grace the stage of the Stadio de LBBD

There was a fast tempo start to the game with both teams wanting to make their mark on the game. The in form Medhi Elito ran at the Stanley defence but found his effort off target to the left of on loan from Wigan keeper Lee Nicholl's goal to create the games first chance. We then experienced a heart in mouth moment when a lapse of concentration resulted in a poor back pass from Doey which then resulted in Lewy trying to prevent the corner and kicking in straight in the path of the highly rated Bobby Grant. Fortunately, Grant was too stunned at his luck and was unable to get a clear shot on goal. Liverpool graduate Grant was again causing the Daggers defence problems and if it wasn't for a last ditch Doey tackle, he may have caused Lewy even more problems. The Daggers then fort back as some good strength from Akinde earned us a corner which after an excellent delivery from Irishman Damien McCrory found the rather impressive Mathieu Baudry's head who would have had his 1st Daggers goal if it hadn't of been from a clearance off the line. The game was very fast pace and open as both teams look the draw first blood. Ex Blackpool full back Danny Coid clearly couldn't handle the heat as he was stretchered off after a clash with Baudry and was replaced by Leeds graduate Will Hatfield.

Both teams continued to exchange blows as half chances were created by the lively Bobby Grant who had a hard volley which Lewy managed to tip over while Elito again menaced the Stanley defence before shooting wide. Akinde did earn the Daggers a free kick in a dangerous position however Mickey Spillane was unable to repeat his spectacular effort at Burton from a dead ball position as he hit the ball high over the bar into the glorious Essex sunshine. Captain Arber focused on how important the first goal was for the Daggers in his programme notes however this time it went to the visitors as the ball fell to Bobby Grant who showed his class curling the ball into the bottom corner giving Lewy no chance. A great time to score for Stanley who in fairness had probably shaded the first half in a very professional performance. The Daggers managed to squeeze a half chance in before the break as Spillane found Doey but his header was no trouble to Nicholls. After a slightly jaded Daggers first half performance I decided to sample the beer in the TB Stand in the downstairs bar.

The Daggers were now attacking Liverpool's answer to the Kop The Traditional Builders Stand as they began the second half. Still had made a change at the break as he withdrew Josh Parker from the action and introduced an integral member of the reem team Billy Bingham. Within minutes of the restart Jon Nurse was brought down by the lively tempered Aristote Nsiala but the infamous controversial Stuart Attwell waved away any claims. Nursey was then also brought off from Still as target man Josh Scott was introduced to the play. The Daggers were looking more motivated and on the front foot however Stanley's starman Grant did give them a break as he unleashed a 25 yard strike straight into Lewy's arms. Still then went into a 4-3-3 formation as he introduced fan favourite Brian Woodall in place of John Akinde who is still trying to find his feet since returning on loan from Crawley.

Unity from the boys.

The Daggers were now laying siege to the Accrington goal with the Stanley defence staying solid and resilient as Ogogo and Bingham both had shots blocked as it looked like it was going to be one of those day's for Dagenham. Paul Cook then introduced ex Shamrock Rovers striker Padraig Amond for the fairly quiet Craig Lindfield. Doey then scuffed his shot to Scott who couldn't find a Daggers equaliser as time began to run out for Still's men. Scott then turned provider as he played in Ogogo who couldn't hit the target from 8 yards out. Stanley then again required the stretcher as on loan Latic Rob Kiernan injured himself meaning Ian Craney was required to grace the stage. Despite, the Daggers dominance the Lancashire side had an outlet with the tricky Jamie Devitt who nearly killed the game off after a great ball to the substitute Amond which required a last ditch tackle from the talented Baudry. Doey then received a booking after a cynical foul to break up Stanley who were on the break again. The Daggers finally got what their persistence deserved after the composed Arbs found McCrory whose good trickery found Spillane who played a classy cross to Woodall who headed beyond Nicholls. The TB Stand erupted as the Daggers had got out of jail with 5 minutes remaining. The Daggers then backed by the vocal TB Stand went for the winner as they won a free kick in a dangerous position. An off the ball incident from Nsiala in the first minute of the 6 minute injury time resulted in him being sent off after a great spot from the linesman as he reacted angrily walking down the tunnel. From that free kick Elito found Doey at the back post as he stole the winner. Cue mad celebrations all around the ground as the Daggers had taken all 3 points at the death. Accrington managed to have two corners before Attwell blew the whistle for the final time and the Daggers had picked up a magical 3 points.

This for me was easily the best home game of the season as the Viccy Road faithful finally showed some real togetherness and backed the boys from the off. The win also took us off the bottom and out the bottom two into the dizzy heights of 21st position. A real good weekend for the Daggers as no other team in the bottom 8 managed to pick up a victory with relegation rivals Macclesfield and Barnet and Northampton and Plymouth both playing out stalemates against each other respectively while Hereford were defeated at home to Crewe and Burton were battered away at Wimbledon. The only other strugglers Bradford managed to revive a point at home to Gillingham after being 2-0 down. There is still a long way to go with 7 games left to play however it is back in our own hands as we sit 2 points above the relegation zone.

Chap of the Game: Mathieu Baudry
This week I am giving my chap of the game to Baudry who is easily one of the best defenders I have seen put on the Daggers shirt. He is composed and reads the game extremely well for a player of his age and level. Another solid performance yesterday where he made several last ditch attempts and if it wasn't for his performance, we certainly wouldn't have had the opportunity to nick it at the death. The maturity of the lad is something we have definitely lacked and is a great loan signing from Still.

There were a number of positives to take away from yesterday's encounter. The second half performance surely must have won over a lot of Still's doubters this year as his half time team talk and substitutions clearly made a telling effect and reinstalled that he is still the best man for the job. A real spirit was shown in the team to come back from a goal down and keep going right til the very end where we were rewarded. A personal highlight for me was the togetherness in the club as I enjoyed a post match pint, I reflected on why this club means so much to me. When I started watching this club, it was one of the things that made me fall in love, we don't have the thousands and thousands of supporters that the clubs around us do but we have something much more valuable which is a spirit and togetherness. I urge everyone to get to as many games as you can between now and the end of the season as together we will keep this club in the Football League. Stay Positive. Keep The Faith. We Are Dagenham.

Daggers v Accrington Stanley - Preview

Tomorrow, we host a club we know very well in Accrington Stanley, Stanley are very similar to the Daggers in size and they could be very well called the 'Northern' version of the Daggers. Stanley receive average gates of 1,700 at home with the Daggers only receiving around an average of 1,800 themselves. While the Daggers are surrounded by 5 London Premier League sides and 3 other big Championship sides who undoubtedly affect their gates, Stanley are in a similar position surrounded by 3 Premier League sides and being only 22 miles from Manchester doesn't do their gates any favours. I made my first visit to Stanley Park this season in what has to be one of the toughest away days I've done. To talk about it in brief, torrential rain in gusty winds in an open terrace to watch your team lose 3-0 in the slums of Lancashire showed me I would never survive in northern conditions. Despite this hellish journey, I did have a very good discussion with a Stanley fan on the way home who told me of how budgeted Accrington Stanley really were. On our journey back to Preston to catch the train home to London Euston, he told me of how their tannoy man was unpaid and was a local DJ who just turned up. Their groundsman's hours had been cut down despite their pitch looking the best in a long while and there was no ticket office in operation throughout the week. So next time you consider Dagenham to be a budgeted club, you may just want to take a look at Stanley's books which make Dave Andrews look like Sheik Mansour.

Recent Form

The Daggers form has been very indifferent this month as we've had 2 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw. We have been better on our own patch though with two wins and only conceding one goal showing there has been vast improvements made in the defence. Two goals each this month from Mickey Spillane and Medhi Elito may mean they will be the ones that the Lancashire outfit may want to watch tomorrow.

Stanley have been a very hard team to beat this month as they are on a 5 match unbeaten run drawing 4 games this month. They did however beat Northampton at home last week in their one win of the month. Despite their resilience to get beat this month, they have failed to keep a clean sheet in 11 games meaning the Daggers will be looking to keep this unwanted record up with the attacking line up of Akinde, Nurse, Parker and Elito.

Previous Meetings

As mentioned before the two clubs are no strangers to each other having met 13 times in the past 10 years with Stanley coming out winners 7 times, Daggers 4 times and the two clubs sharing the spoils only twice. In the most recent meeting which I mentioned earlier on, we were defeated 3-0 in a game where the familiar story of the Daggers not taking their chances meant that a brace from Irishman Padraig Amond and a goal from scouser Craig Lindfield gave Accrington a flattering 3-0 win. The last meeting at The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Stadium ended in a comfortable 3-1 victory for the Daggers in the memorable play off winning season as goals from now Swindon Town striker Paul Benson, Charlton winger Danny Green and still Dagger Peter Gain gave us 3 points despite going a goal behind.

Team News

The Daggers welcome back "legend" Dave Hogan back to the bench tomorrow as Jon Bond has been recalled by his parent club Watford to be loaned back out to League One side Bury. Luke Howell's injury last week is not suspected to be anything too serious but is unlikely to feature tomorrow. Josh Scott came off the bench on Tuesday night and will be pushing for a start with a lot of competition up top in the attacking line up.

Accrington continue to have Sean Hessey, Brian Hughes and Dean Winnard sidelined with long term injuries. Winger Ian Craney is back in contention after appearing on the bench in their somewhat derby match with Morecambe in midweek. In true lower league style, Kurtis Guthrie injured himself in the warm up Tuesday night while centre half Peter Murphy faces a late fitness test. With a few injuries and a small squad, some youngsters/youth team may appear on the bench tomorrow for Stanley.

One to Watch:

My one to watch from Stanley tomorrow is on loan winger Bobby Grant. Merseyside born Grant was a graduate of the Liverpool Academy and played for Stanley from the tender age of 16 right through til he was 19. He was then snapped up by Scunthorpe United but now finds himself back at the club where it all started for his professional career at Stanley Park. Grant may be known for the infamous incident that involved Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard where they assaulted a DJ, Grant was released on bail without charge. A tricky winger with an eye for scoring and creating goals, he will need to be watched by Irish tomorrow.

Prediction:

Tomorrow is very much a winnable game tomorrow but we can't expect it to be easy. With Paul Cook's men being 5 unbeaten, they are going to be full of confidence themselves and will require a typical working man's Dagenham like performance to beat them. Looking back to the game at the beginning of the season, there is not a lot of difference between the two sides in what I expect to be a very even encounter. Accrington have now spent 6 years in the Football League and show that on a limited budget, it is possible for clubs like ourselves and them to establish ourselves in the Football League. After visiting Accrington this season, I have huge respect for everyone at the club as they really do have the lowest budget in the Football League and yet remain positive and go about their business in the right way. A favour from our old friends tomorrow by giving us the 3 points we desperately need wouldn't go a miss though. Get behind the boys tomorrow as we can do this. Stay Positive. Keep the Faith. We are Dagenham.

Where do we go from here?

Firstly, I'd like to make a few apologies as I've missed 3 games to report on. I have no real excuses for this other than the fact I turned 18 on the 13th March against Northampton and then had my party the day before Macclesfield followed by a trip to Liverpool Hope University after the Barnet game meaning I haven't really had the chance to blog on these games. No worries though as I'm back and ready to sum up the last few games and where I think we'll go from here as we get to the real business end of the season.

Daggers 0-1 Northampton

This game took place on the 13th March on my 18th birthday where many drinks were in order before the game. I have to admit that my memory of this game is a bit faded but still remember how the game went and where we went wrong. After losing to Wimbledon on the Saturday, it was seen as a must win game and a 6 pointer with Northampton being in the bottom two with us at the time. A flat performance from the Daggers where we failed to make any real impact on the game resulted in us losing 1-0 thanks to a Toni Silva tap in as Lewy failed to hold onto the original shot. The atmosphere after the game was one of the worst feelings I've had as many were sure this was the beginning of the end of our reign in the Football League. Despite the performance not being our finest of the season, there were some positives to take from the game. There were a few changes to the side who lost at Kingsmeadow with loan signings Mathieu Baudry coming in at centre half and Josh Parker coming into the midfield who both looked eager and very good prospects who could make a real difference from now until the end of the season. Still also welcomed back Luke Howell who has been out since the beginning of September which was a big boost to the side.

Daggers 2-0 Macclesfield

The boys unity before Macclesfield.

The games have been coming thick and fast lately and after the devastating loss to Northampton, we were back in action on our own patch at home to Macclesfield last week in another massive 6 pointer. A month or two ago, Macclesfield looked like for once they wouldn't be involved in a relegation scrap however despite this they have had a dramatic collapse and find themselves well in the mix for relegation now. This was shown as the Daggers did it the hard way to pick apart a very poor Macclesfield side. An early strike from Medhi Elito as his trickery found himself an opportunity in the box and his shot managed to deflect into the net. The Daggers had a host of chances to bury Macclesfield but due to some poor finishing, it took until one of the last passages of play to get the killer goal as the Daggers broke and Medhi Elito's shot managed to go over the Macclesfield keeper. A massive celebration of relief in the Daggers camp who desperately needed this result as we returned to within touching distance of safety. Despite the Daggers dominance, it does have to  be mentioned that Macclesfield did hit the bar and force Lewy into a very good save showing that there are still improvements to be made in the Daggers defence. A good result and fairly decent performance nonetheless put us in good spirits for Barnet the following Tuesday in yet another 6 pointer.

Barnet 2-2 Daggers

Barnet & Daggers sides before Tuesday night.

A game which we didn't really know what to expect, after outplaying Barnet on Boxing Day we were wondering if they had gotten any better since then. Their record in the league would have seemed to suggest that although they were firmly back in the relegation battle now. The answer was no, Daggers were again far the better side and our lack to have the cutting edge was the only reason we didn't manage to do the double over Lawrie Sanchez's men. The Daggers had control of the game and after some good work from Elito, Grease star Mickey Spillane opened the scoring for the Daggers. However, the lead didn't last long as a lapse in concentration allowed the prolific Izale McLeod through on goal who managed to lob Lewy to equalise. Barnet managed to survive a few goal mouth scrambles until 20 minutes to go when Scott Doe made his famous front post run where has been successful 3 times before this season to head home what we thought would be the winner. Despite the Daggers looking comfortable a long range effort from Ben May that didn't look to be troubling Lewy found the top corner with a shot that had Lewy thought would have been troubling him, he would have dealt with it. An incident that left the young promising keeper red faced showed he is still learning and may make a mistake from time to time. Two points dropped for the Daggers in a game which takes us within a point of safety as it is ridiculously tight down at the bottom.

Where do we go from here?

This is an extremely important and nervous time for the Daggers as our Football League status remains to hang in the balance. We currently sit bottom in 24th but all is not doom and gloom and as we are level on points with Hereford in 23rd and Macclesfield in 22nd who are playing as I speak with relegation rivals Barnet who are in 20th just 3 points above the Daggers. Plymouth sit in 21st position just a point above the Daggers as they are in action tomorrow against fellow relegation rivals Northampton who look to be heading to safety 5 points clear of relegation. Like most of the season, we have had to keep chopping and changing the side, while many may not agree with the loan market. The two current loan signings Josh Parker and Mathieu Baudry both look very talented and good players and may be very helpful additions in our bid to survive. We have 8 games left with in my opinion 8 teams still in this relegation battle at the moment. Our run is fairly balanced as we play 4 teams in mid table going nowhere which is always a bonus in my opinion as we should have more motivation and determination than these sides. We then have 3 games against sides in contention for the play offs and automatic promotion which will always be difficult but I still have a lot of belief in the side as we have beaten and outplayed sides at the top of the league as well this season meaning that it is all to play for. I am going to make a bold statement now that Burton Albion who we face on Good Friday are not out of this. Despite being 8 points above the bottom two, their run in includes many of the sides below them where if they were not to pick up any positive results would put them in touching distance of the bottom two. Watch this space.

Ground 45: AFC Wimbledon v The Daggers

AFC Wimbledon 2-1 The Daggers

Well it appears I might have might spoken too soon about the Daggers revival. A week ago, we had taken 7 points from a possible 9 and were looking in good form going into a run of vital fixtures however back to back losses have sent us back to the bottom of the league and 3 points from safety. I went into this one incredibly nervous as this was a genuine winnable game for us and arguably a 6 pointer with the Dons not entirely safe from being out of this relegation scrap. With no win in 7 for Terry Brown's men, I was quietly confident despite our 4-0 defeat in midweek, we would be very much capable of taking all 3 points here.

After meeting my friend who was off to West Ham, I met my little brother Chaz and my pals Nick, Matt & Andy. We left Chadwell Heath at 1 with the boys worrying we were cutting it fine for kick off, however with my excellent knowledge on transport we took the overground to Stratford, central line to Bank, Waterloo & City line to Waterloo and overground to Norbiton, we arrived in Kingstonian at half 2 even enough time for me and Andy to find a boozer while we sent the young bucks to the ground. We encountered a friendly looking pub called "The Peel" which despite the boarded up windows and the over 21's sign at the door looked decent, as soon as we stepped foot in the pub we realised why it was over 21's as to our right was poles and in front of us was a lady with no clothes on (Yes, we were in a strip club!). After that ordeal, we managed to get a quick pint in at another pub before going into the ground 5 minutes before kick off.

As I arrived in the ground, I quickly scanned through the teams to see if either manager had made many changes. Ex Aldershot boss, Terry Brown had made 4 changes to the side that were beaten by Plymouth on Tuesday night. Brown welcomed back former Dagger Gareth Gwillim who was also made skipper for this one, he also brought in Dutch centre back Paul Balkestein for West Ham graduate Callum McNaughton, Brown also made two changes in the midfield as ex Charlton Athletic midfielder Jason Euell was injured so was replaced by on loan Sunderland midfielder Billy Knott while ex Stevenage man Byron Harrison came in for John's son, George Moncur. Places on the bench were made available for ex Palace winger Kieran Djilali and 19 year old Brendan Kiernan. The Daggers were forced to make one change from the side that faced Swindon as Josh Scott was suspended following his dismissal Tuesday night. This meant that as expected Brian Woodall returned to the side. There two changes to the bench as Richard Rose was preferred to Femi and ex Chelmsford City striker Rob Edmans found himself with an opportunity. There was a rumour circulating the away end that new loan signing Josh Parker was meant to be in the squad but missed the team coach to the game, only Dagenham.

The sides lined up before kick off..

The first half was a very scrappy affair with the importance of the game showing nerves in both sides performance. A very good battle was taking place in the middle of the park as the impressive Billy Knott had met his match in our very own Abu Ogogo as they provided a very interesting battle. The highly rated Ben Reeves was struggling again for us as the physical battle wasn't suiting his style of play with two fairly direct sides in competition. Neither Seb Brown or John Bond were called into action in the opening half hour showing the lack of confidence from both sides.

Just after the half hour, there was the first chance of any real significance as it fell to the hosts. Some decent build up play from the long serving full back Sam Hatton and winger Byron Harrison provided a cross for ex Dover midfielder Sammy Moore who couldn't get any real connection on the ball. The Daggers then had a chance of their own as the ball fell to the ineffective Reeves who made good connection with the volley but fell straight into the ever present keeper Seb Brown's arms. The Daggers then had the best chance of the half after the lively Jon Nurse terrorised the Wimbledon defence to provide a golden opportunity for ex Gresley man Woodall who blazed over the bar. Bond was called into action just before the break as a clever ball from Knott found non league journeyman Byron Harrison who could only direct the ball straight at Bond from a difficult angle. Not the most memorable of halves that would need to be improved by both sides in the second half.

Both sides showing unity before kick off...

The real Dons came out rather energetic in the second half as they created the earlier opportunities, an inviting cross from Hatton couldn't find an end product to give the home side a lead. The Daggers then rode their luck as a flick on from on loan Brentford defender Balkestein found ex Dagger Jack Midson's head who hit the post. From the rebound, Bond produced a magnificent save as Whitechapel born Rashid Yussuff attempted to bundle the ball home. Dom Green was then introduced for the Daggers as Reeves again was not living up to expectations and his reputation that he has brought from Southampton. An intelligent ball from Green put through Nursey who crossed for Bingham who would be disappointed with his header from 8 yards out. The Daggers then became dominant as Nurse was put through on goal and enforced Brown into a fine save. Still brought on Edmans for Elito as he targeted all 3 points, the substitute was straight in the action glanced his header wide after yet more good work from Jon Nurse who is looking back to his best in recent games.

Brown introduced the influential Kieran Djilali to give the home side a foothold in the game and it wasn't long before in cruel circumstances, a killer blow was struck. After failure from Arbs and Irish to clear the ball, the ball fell to the talented Jack Midson who struck a sweet half volley which seemed to fly into the top corner in slow motion as Bond couldn't get there. The goal was not a fair reflection on the Daggers as we were left to rue our missed chances. The Daggers were clearly rocked by the goal and took a bit of time to compose themselves. We then counter attacked with the attack being led by Rob Edmans who beat a couple of Wimbledon players and then played in Woodall who tried to cut the ball back but then found his shot blocked. Nurse then had a header cleared off the line while Woodall had another effort tipped over the bar. The Daggers then finally got what they deserve as the stylish Mickey Spillane headed home to equalise. Cue a very animated away support including myself as I passionately celebrated the goal Alan Pardew style. However, the Daggers were then caught out as failure to clear their lines again meant the ball fell to super sub Djilali who managed to squeeze the ball under Bond who should have done better. Edmans had a chance right at the death but his header was comfortably saved as the Daggers lost a vital game they should have won based on the second half performance.

The AFC Wimbledon fans.

A result that left me feeling very dejected and in all honesty gutted. We created more than enough chances against a very average and out of form Wimbledon side. Bond made a few good saves but in all honesty cost us the game with a shot he should have easily saved. The defence looked strong for the majority of the game however costly errors where there was a lapse of concentration was where the game was lost. The midfield played okay but seemed passive with the long ball been used to it's full effect. The front two were the most impressive for me with the link up play between Woodall and Nurse causing the Wimbledon defence many problems and on another day would have mustered up a few goals. Everyone knows that the next two games are now do or die for us as Arbs passionately tweeted his frustration at the boys playing like boys and not men. As much as you might want to criticise them for their first half performance, they do care and are doing all they can to keep us in the Football League.

As this was my 45th ground out of the 92, I thought I'd like to dish out a few compliments and comments on AFC Wimbledon. As they ground share with Kingstonian FC, it was a very compact and small ground holding even less than our ground. A very posh area compared to the slums of Dagenham, I felt very safe and quite enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere. Not a very vocal home support except for the chant of "A-F-C Wimbledoooon" at the end which was admittedly quite catchy. I wish them all the best for the rest of the season as it is highly unlikely they will be caught up in this relegation scrap now and hope I can return there next year with the Daggers. As for us, Tuesday night could quite possibly be the biggest day of my life to date as I finally turn 18 and the Daggers have their most important match of the season which will give us a big insight on our fate next season. If you can get there Tuesday, be there as the boys need you more than ever. Big respect to my fellow 382 Daggers who made the trip across London despite West Ham being at home and our current form. Stay Positive. Believe. We are Dagenham.