So then, the Daggers secured back to back home wins for the first time since Hereford & Morecambe at the end of last season to ease the relegation fears.
As my day and Daggers blog will always start, I was walking down Victoria Road, once again rather weary of the challenge ahead, Yeovil being in reasonably good form and the Daggers enjoying a mini unbeaten run. Walking up and getting the programme and seeing Jon Nurse spelt wrongly on the front, I was hoping for another Nurse special like his heroics against Brentford the other week. Settling into my seat for the game and hearing over the tannoy that Man Utd had gone 2-1 up against Man City in the derby we were all hoping that we'd have some of the same. As the team news rung out, the fact the Dean Bowditch was missing for glovers was a real boost, however Taiwo was back for the Daggers, but i was unsure to view this in a good light or bad.
The game started pretty scrapilly with no one really getting and hold on the game and most of the play being in the midfield and in the air. It was extremely poor football and Yeovil really should have been a goal up inside 15 minutes. After a mistake near the half way line a Yeovil player raced away into the Daggers half and with only the evergreen Tony Roberts to beat, he put the ball wide into the side netting to the ironic cheers of the Daggers. If only Yeovil had taken their first half chances this game could have been so much different, but luckily for us they didn't and the Daggers survived. A few minutes later, Scott Doe was presented with the chance to head in from close range, but blazed it over the bar. Then in a 5 minute period, Tony Roberts kept the Daggers in it, every week I go on about this man, but the performances he churns out week after week are amazing and yet again he showed his worth, With Yeovil seemingly taking the lead he produced an amazing stretched out hand to deny them what looked like a certain goal. Just as we thought the danger was over, a poor clearance landed to a glover and he curled a shot that looked like it was going into the bottom corner, but a great palm away once again prevented them. In this 5 minute stint Tony Roberts single handedly kept us in the game like he has done many times before.
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| Roberts To The Rescue ! |
The Daggers then got a corner, Currie whipped the ball in for an unamarked Romain Vincelot to head home from inside the 6 yard box, Steven Henderson couldn't quite get to it. The players wheeled off in celebration, the goal drought at the Marcus James End has well and truely been broken. Then just as we were settling back into our seats, Yeovil broke away and Oli Johnson slotted home to make it 1-1. The Daggers once again fell asleep after conceding, but flicking through my programme, I noticed that Yeovil hadn't won any games this season after conceding first, don't you just love stats ! For the rest of the first half, nothing of real note with a few crosses being slung in for both teams, but none coming to any fruition. As the referee blew for half time just as we had earned a corner, i tucked into my chips listening to the half times.
Good news from most grounds in League One where a lot of the teams around us hadn't really asserted any dominance, this was probably the first time we cheered an Orient score as they were beating Brizzle Rovers 2-0. Into the Premiership they went and upon hearing West Ham were 3-0 down, a large cheer went around the ground from all the people that must have surely been Arsenal or Spurs fans. Anyways, enough about half time, into the second half we go !
As the second half started so did the idiot shouting like hell in the Carling Stand. Not usually I say this, but I felt sorry for the linesman, having to put up with that idiot all the game, it's not what football's about, especially when there's little kids all around him. Enough about that, back to the action; Vincelot was penalised quite a few times for fouls that we could only marvel it, surely it was the other way ref ! Damien Scannell had the first real chance of the second half, but he could only succeed in blazing his shot high and wide. Then came two bookings in quick succession, one for Yeovil for a silly foul by Luke Ayling on Jon Nurse and then for the Daggers with Doe hacking down Nathan Smith. From the resulting free kick from Does challenge, a great piece of defending from Nurse who charged it down like Barbadian rhino, the block eventually going out of play near the dugouts; if that's what you call them. The Daggers then penned in the glovers for a while with about 4 corners all coming to nothing. Then on 69 minutes, Marvin Morgan who had a decent game, nothing to shout about but a decent game none the less came off to be replaced by big Bas Savage. Then just minutes later, like at Oldham last week, as Bas came on we scored a vital goal. The ball was hooked to Nurse by Bas, , Nurse was on the 6 yard box whilst facing the Carling Stand, he turned hid defender and then slotted home past the helpless glovers keeper.
Dagenham & Redbridge 2-1 Yeovil Town.
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| Nurse scored another at Viccy Road |
Nurse and co ran off to celebrate into a jubilant sieve then getting absolutely mobbed to the joy of everyone, Victoria Road was bouncing like hamster on a pogo stick. Wary of what happened last time, I was nervous as I'm sure everyone else was, but we had passed 2 minutes, in which time Yeovil's goal had previously come. Then a flurry of subs from the Daggers & Yeovil. Antonio German the main sub on for Yeovil, whilst the Daggers replaced Scott Doe who had an arm problem with the returning Phil Walsh at centre half. Last time he played there for us, we conceded a last minute goal, lightening doesn't strike twice fortunately. We did have another chance or two, but Scannell was flagged offside and the last 10 minutes were extremely nervy. Fortunately we held on, a scare in injury time when it looked like Yeovil had scored, but it was blocked and cleared up field. As the ball was pumped in and cleared one last time, the referee decided enough was enough and the Daggers had won on a picturesque evening in Essex.
A great performance all round, my main criticism however was once again Femi, I say fair play to bloke he's come in and done a job but he constantly looks suspect at the back and i reckon it should only be a matter of time before McCrory returns to our pitch.
Man Of The Match was deservedly Tony Roberts with some fine saves in the first half that ultimately kept us in the game, not the first time this season that's for sure.
If we're honest we got slightly lucky today, against a better team we probably would have lost, but at the end of the day, that's what we've always needed but never got, a bit of luck. A much improved second half however saw us show our quality and get through a tricky test against Terry Skivertons men.
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| It Looks Brighter Now ! |
Well done to the 2100 odd supporters there today and a very well done to the Yeovil 300 odd that made the long journey up but to, unfortunately for them they got nothing, fortunately for us, we got everything. Daggers are now up to 22nd with 4 points seperating them from outside the relegation zone, but we do have games in hand.
Next up: Walsall vs Daggers, 19:45 Kick Off Tuesday Night
My Preview for that will be on Monday night.
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