Aldershot Town 1-0 Daggers, It's No Laughing Matter.

So then, who thought it would come down to this? Dagenham & Redbridge face a relegation shoot out at Victoria Road next week with York City following an underwhelming 1-0 defeat at all but relegated Aldershot on Saturday. The loss leaves Daggers one point above the relegation zone with just Barnet and AFC Wimbledon below them. Seven teams remain in the relegation mix going into the final day, where literally anything could happen.

There was a weird sense of optimism in the air before the match. The feeling that not only could we stay up ourselves with a win or even a draw, but we could send someone down. I've seen us send someone up before, but relegating someone would be a new experience. Recent form suggested a draw with both sides on fairly torrid runs, whilst the head to head record pointed towards a favourable result for Daggers who hadn't lost at The Rec since 2008. 

The journey to Aldershot was uneventful. After meeting at Chadwell Heath we headed to Waterloo for 12:00 via Liverpool Street and Bank. Upon arrival at Waterloo, we boarded our train for the final away game of the season, arriving at Aldershot shortly after 13:00. We then heard a fantastic description of ourselves as, "shifty" by the police and that we had to have, "an eye kept on us." Our record of zero criminal offences in 17 years clearly backs this statement up. I mean really, do we look like the type of people who would go to football to cause trouble?

After that brief conversation with the rozzers, we found a local beer garden and settled for a cider before the match. With the spring sun blazing down on us and with the clock approaching 14:30, we made an exit and went towards the famous Aldershot away end. After surviving the

notoriously steep hill and battling our way through the forest, we arrived at the WWII like turnstiles. 

Having paid just £5 we headed through to the stadium which was largely unchanged from last year. That and the food was still an absolute rip-off at £3.50 for a rather small burger and a very crusty bun. Still, when there's nothing else to eat what else are you going to do? After feeling sharp pains following the handing over of the money, we advanced through the doorway and into the silo-like away end.

The stadium has just one change from last season, with the addition of a new 300 under cover seated stand at the opposite end which raises the capacity to 7300. The small old main stand remains, with two terraced areas beside it - one for away fans and one for home supporters.

Opposite that is the new main stand which continues to be overshadowed by the massive building behind it.

The best part of the stadium though, both for character and atmosphere remains the 4000+ capacity East Bank. Housing both home and away supporters separated by two barriers, it allows for good banter between fans and for songs to be exchanged. Its curved roof ensures an echoing atmosphere, whilst the playing action remains obscured by several poles, such is the age and design of the stand itself. 

We soon began to watch our forwards warm up and from that; we concluded that we had no chance of winning the match. Thankfully our faith was(n't) restored when the team news was announced over the muffled tannoy system.

Aldershot Town: Young, Herd, Tonkin, Brown, Vincenti, Bradley, Stanley, Hall, Rose, Rankine, Reid. Subs: Warner, Lancashire, Berqvrst, Risser, Cadogan, McCallum, Goulding. 

Dagenham & Redbridge: Lewington, Femi, Doe, Wilkinson, Ogogo, Saunders, Bingham, Maher, Howell, Ogogo, Scott, Reed. Subs: Seabright, Fortune, Hoyte, Elito, Shariff, Dennis, Woodall.

Wayne Burnett continued his chop and change philosophy by making three changes from last Saturday's narrow defeat to Oxford United. Chris Lewington, Josh Scott and Billy Bingham were all restored to the side in place of Jordan Seabright, Medy Elito and Toni Silva. Brian Woodall had been recalled from a loan spell at Bishops Stortford and found himself named among the 18 for the first time in over a month. 

With the tension around the ground building, a succession of fast paced songs got the blood flowing before the Aldershot cheerleaders ruined everything. They didn't do anything particularly wrong; I'm just not a great lover of cheerleaders at football. As soon as they completed their rhythmic walking, the teams emerged from the tunnel to enthusiastic applause from all sides of the ground.

Both sets of supporters knew how much this game meant. Both sets of players knew what this game meant. This was do or die for Aldershot in particular who needed a win to stand any chance of remaining in the Football League. For the final away game this season, the pre match pleasantries were completed, the teams lined up and the referee signalled the beginning of the match.

With the anxiousness surrounding the game, it came as no surprise when both sides began tentatively. The first chance fell to Kevin Maher after good build up play; however the experienced midfielder could only blast over from 20 yards. That initial shot sparked the match into life, with Asa Hall seeing his strike blocked before Josh Scott dragged his effort wide of the post following a clever turn. 

After that burst of excitement, the game resumed into a more low key affair, with neither side able to assert any dominance. The Shots were looking tricky down the right, whilst Daggers were seemingly struggling at the back, allowing the Aldershot attackers far too much time on the ball. With the half threatening to peter out, Josh Scott and then Craig Stanley fired over with limp efforts.

Aldershot continued to look the more threatening and on 35 minutes really should have taken the lead. Broadway's Danny Rose shot down the left before whipping a pin-point ball onto the head of Michael Rankine who somehow glanced his free header wide of the post. Despite Chris Lewington remaining untested in the Daggers goal, it was evident that the hosts were coming closer to finding the opening goal.

Daggers fans in the away terrace at half time.

As has become common away from home, Daggers looked threatening on the breakaway. On 45 minutes that vital quality shone through. The visitors broke down the left with Luke Wilkinson winning the ball and advancing into the box before teeing up Josh Scott whose initial shot was palmed back into the danger zone by Jamie Young. The rebound fell to Jake Reed who laid the ball off to Josh Scottt once more, and after taking a second to steady himself, Scott was denied by the bar to the anguish of Daggers fans in the East Bank.

The referee soon blew for half time with both Aldershot and Daggers fans on tenterhooks. The scoreline remained at 0-0 with the Daggers ending the half on top. At the moment, that would have been enough to see the visitors safe for next season, whilst the Shots would have found themselves relegated. 

The second half began with a bang, and unfortunately it was at Daggers expense. The Shots opened with more urgency, more passion and more desire and as a result looked far more threatening. And despite that, it was Daggers who should have opened the scoring on 50 minutes. Luke Wilkinson's defensive clearance released Jake Reed down the left, who after losing control of the ball inside the box could only prod a tame effort at Jamie Young who saved well before the danger was cleared away.

And that one piece of play just about sums everything up. So near yet so far. Jake Reed really should have done better, but when you're relying on a young, inexperienced striker you get what you pay for. He looks like a goal threat, but his ball control is very poor. On numerous occasions he's been in one-on-one, only for his control to let him down and squander a fantastic goal-scoring opportunity. Would we be made to rue that miss? Of course we would. 

Little over five minutes later a ball from the right by Craig Stanley was bundled home by Michael Rankine, despite the best efforts of Chris Lewington and Abu Ogogo on the line. Thankfully a pole restricted my view somewhat so I couldn't see the anguished faces of our two players. The

silence in the away end was eerie as the Aldershot players and fans alike celebrated what could have been the most important goal of their season.

And with that, Wayne Burnett sprung into action, making a double change with 30 minutes remaining. The midfield duo of Kevin Maher and Billy Bingham were replaced by Medy Elito and Mo Shariff, someone described them as, 'wingers', apparently. Even with the change the Shots continued to press for a second, with Craig Reid seeing his shot deflected narrowly behind for a corner.

With the constant pressure of the hosts, it was evident Daggers needed someone to transform their fortunes up front. Brian Woodall who had been hibernating in Bishops Stortford came on for the flagging Jake Reed who despite his nuisance value, failed to make his presence felt up front. Almost immediately, Daggers looked more dangerous going forward. Medy Elito received the ball on the left before advancing into the box and diverting his shot wide from close range.

With little over 20 minutes remaining, the decision to bring on Brian Woodall nearly provided instant dividends. Mo Shariff beat his man on the right before crossing for the tightly marked Woodall who leaped above his man, only to see his powerful header palmed away for a corner by the acrobatic Jamie Young. Even with that effort, Daggers failed to kick on, allowing Aldershot back into the game. Kieron Cadogan passed up two good opportunities as the game approached its climax.

The Aldershot defence submerged deeper and deeper into its own half as we entered the final 10 minutes of the match. Daggers were now bombing down the left hand side through Femi, Medy Elito and even Josh Scott. Unfortunately, despite the "best" efforts of our wingers, they once again lacked the final ball. In the one case where Elito did find his man, Matt Saunders failed to pull the trigger early enough and was eventually crowded out in the area as a result.

The barrage continued as 90 minutes approached, yet Daggers looked destined to fail. We were bombarding the left hand side without any real reward, our wingers simply failed to deliver that crucial final ball. Once again Saunders was played the ball inside the box, but this time instead of opting to shoot when he had time and space, he passed to no-one with the ball rolling out for a goal kick.

I have to admit, the final 3 minutes of the game are a bit of a blur, what I can say though is that I've never shouted as much at a game than as I did in that 3 minute period. The frustration of several Matt Saunders corners failing to beat the first man was too much to bear. And when one did beat the first man, Scott Doe's effort was blocked on the line as the Shots clung on for dear life. 

The ball was soon punted up field where Luke Wilkinson and Abu Ogogo made a hash of getting it back into the Aldershot penalty area. The hosts closed the game out and amongst a chorus of cheers from the opposite side of the East Bank; the referee blew his whistle to signal full time. Daggers fans exasperated at their sides performance; stood silent. It was eerie. A sense of knowing what we had done. There were hands on heads and a number of people staring into the distance whilst the rest left immediately, cursing our abject performance.

Scores from around the grounds only helped to compound the misery. AFC Wimbledon had comeback from 2-0 down to pick up a point at Gillingham; whilst Torquay, York and Accrington had all won. Our saving grace was that Barnet remained at 0-0 with Wycombe. A scoreline that soon changed as we made our way back to the station, my face drained of expression upon seeing Barnet 1-0 ahead.

Back at the station and hope remained, hope remained that Wycombe might ruin Barnet's Underhill party and find that equaliser. News then came through of a penalty...to Wycombe. You knew, you just knew, on today of all days, Graham Stack would be the hero and ensure a 1-0 Barnet win. And so he did, denying Joel Grant from the spot to drive the final stake into Daggers hearts in what was a most dismal Saturday afternoon.

It's amazing really. It's amazing how football has that weird habit of helping you back up when you're down and then swiftly kicking you in the bo**ocks when you're at your weakest. That phrase seems to sum up Daggers at the moment. And unless we equal or better AFC Wimbledon or Barnet's result next weekend, we could be down for good.

But Saturday's performance just defined the season. We've been poor as a collective, not as individuals. The defence looked shaky, the midfield lost their passing ability once more and going forward we were just abysmal. The decision making and our touch in the final third completely deserted us, it bordered on laughable. Well, it was either laugh or cry. I chose the former although should we be relegated next week, it'll revert to the latter.

Jake Reed may well be a promising youngster, but we cannot start him next weekend. We desperately need someone who knows where the back of the net is and who can provide a sterner test for opposition defenders. Brian Woodall and Josh Scott fit the bill perfectly so hopefully Reed makes way for Woodall to make a crucial start. 

To be quite honest, I can't suggest anything else - only that we all unite next week no matter what qualms you have with anyone in the ground or any of the players. As a club we need to be fully behind the XI on the field and roar them on to safety. It's not an over-exaggeration to say this could well be the biggest game in the history of Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club. And as such, we need everyone at Victoria Road to create a positive atmosphere. 

I don’t feel as though I need to tell you, but that match next week takes place at Victoria Road against York City. Bring anyone along you can, bring old Daggers, new Daggers, anyone that’s a Dagger. We need the support and we need it now. If you’re on Twitter, try to expand our support by tweeting, #PackTheVic. Remember, you can follow myself on Twitter, @NickMurphyDRFC.

Hopefully this time next week we’ll be safe, but if we’re not – we only have ourselves to blame. Have a good, if nervous week chaps and hopefully I’ll be bringing good tidings come 17:00 Saturday afternoon. 

**Disclaimer** I do not claim to be any good at Photoshop.

Daggers 0-0 Aldershot Town, Uninspiring.

Following a dull and uninspiring draw between Dagenham & Redbridge and Aldershot Town on Saturday afternoon, both sets of fans would have been forgiven for wanting the clocks to go forward 10 minutes into the game, rather than going back on Sunday morning. The majority of the 1700 people in attendance would agree it was the drabbest game ever witnessed at Victoria Road - not helped by the freezing cold conditions and intermittent rain.

The Daggerettes

Despite Aldershot's impressive victory over Southend United in midweek, I was optimistic of a victory considering their position in the table, and I'm sure they felt the same regarding us. It was however going to be a difficult game, with wispy rain and freezing cold temperatures to contend with - and that's just for the supporters. As the time approached 14:40, I entered the ground and took up my position for the ensuing two hours of pain.

Somewhat unusually, there were no changes for either side yesterday afternoon, which saves me the hassle of going through the teams. Michael Rankine & Peter Vincenti who scored in the 2-5 win at Victoria Road almost a year to the day would both start, whilst only three who played in that game last season, remained in the Daggers starting line up. With the time coming up to 15:00, both sides entered onto the pitch with the help of the Daggerettes, whom I were beginning to feel sorry for.

The most polite thing to say about the first half was that it was uninspiring. Sam Williams fired a shot wide of the post early on; meanwhile Adam Mekki was unlucky not to earn a penalty after being brought down inside the box. The game continued to be fought largely in the midfield, with very little being offered in forward positions. Aldershot began to get slightly on top, with Sonny Bradley directing a header wide of the post, and Peter Vincenti also drifting a shot past the post.

The Daggers were looking very blunt and short of ideas, as Dwight Gayle forced the hulking Jamie Young into a comfortable save. The closest either side came though, was with about 37 minutes in. The ball fell nicely for Matt Saunders outside the box and the midfielder volleyed a rasping strike onto the bar to cause Young some concern. The first piece of genuine action and the first strike to draw a reaction from a subdued Victoria Road crowd.

Lewington made a good save

Despite Matt Saunders' effort, it was nearly Aldershot who went in at half time with the lead. Luke Howell brought down Peter Vincenti on the edge of the box which allowed youngster Adam Mekki a chance to make his mark. The 20 year olds strike looked as though it was destined for the corner, but Chris Lewington got across superbly to palm the ball away for a throw in. 

That was the last action of the half and what an awful half it was. Not only was there very little to shout about in terms of football, but it was freezing cold and I'd finished my tea. Could things get any worse? 

Although the second half wasn't setting the world alight, it was a slight improvement on the first. Both sides had chances straight away, Luke Howell firing over the bar for the Daggers, whilst Danny Hylton's looping lob bounced agonisingly wide of the post for the 331 travelling supporters. Aldershot then began to bombard the home side with balls into the box, some of which forced Lewington to punch clear - much to some of our supporter’s distress. To be quite honest, if Lewy deals with the ball effectively, I really don't care how he does it, whether it be catching it, or punching.

Triple change from Stilly

John Still opted to make three changes in the second half, including a switch of formation to 4-4-2 when Kevin Maher was introduced. Whilst none of the changes heralded a goal, we did look slightly improved with Maher controlling the midfield, whilst I wouldn't be opposed to Dominic Green starting over Medy Elito. 

There were a couple more chances before the final whistle, with Dwight Gayle firing a shot just wide of the post. The best opportunity however, fell to Michael Rankine, who terrorised the Daggers in the same fixture last season. A superb ball across found the physical forward at the back post, his powerful volley was blocked well by the body of Chris Lewington to deny the Shots the lead. 

The final opportunity of the afternoon fell to Dwight Gayle, but his speculative effort from outside the box was driven over the bar. A triumphant cheer went up when two minutes of added time were illuminated on the fourth official's board, although this was still too long. With 92 minutes of purely awful football in the freezing cold played, the referee finally ended the nightmare to signal a pitiful 0-0 draw. A very apt way to describe the game would be to say, "You can't polish a turd." 

This will be a game many want to forget rather quickly, with very little goalmouth action and yet another poor refereeing display contributing to the drab affair. Scott Doe, Luke Wilkinson & Femi continue to look impressive, whilst Sam Williams had what can be considered as a "decent" game. All in all though, no one really shone, with Kevin Maher's reappearance to first team affairs late in the second half probably being the highlight.

As for Aldershot, whilst they were pretty awful as well, if I was asked to pick a side that deserved it more, it would have been them. Danny Hylton & Michael Rankine looked on the ball, whilst Adam Mekki is a very dangerous youngster who will cause problems for opposition teams this season.

The only thing to take from this is the fact that we didn't lose 2-5. That and it'll probably be a better result than the one against Bournemouth next weekend in the FA Cup. Luckily for you, I'm testing my resilience and will be in attendance at Dean Court. Let's hope it's slightly warmer than it was yesterday!

Thanks for reading, and remember to follow me on Twitter, @NickDRFCMurphy.

Aldershot Town 1-1 Daggers, Mid Table Mediocrity

Dagenham & Redbridge made it a club record seven games unbeaten in The Football League thanks to a 1-1 draw away at Aldershot Town with a result which further confirms the Daggers' place amongst the League Two elite next season. It was a game that won't live long in anyone's memories with Scott Doe and Troy Brown getting the only goals in a lacklustre contest between two teams with nothing left to play for.

The day began at Chadwell Heath Station at a pretty late 11:15 where I met Bill, Matt & Chaz for the journey to Aldershot. We took the overground to Stratford before getting to Waterloo via Bank for about 12:30 where we learned we would have to change at Guildford before getting a straight route to Aldershot. An enjoyable journey on a very sparse South West Train Service saw us arrive in, "The Home of The British Military", for just after 14:00.

My first impressions of the area was that it was a very nice place, looking pretty quiet and having some character to it. We then decided to go and find a Bookies where several bets were placed including my tip for The National, Postmaster; no prizes for guessing if I won that or not. At this point I should say my tips for the day were a Norwich win, a draw between West Ham vs Brighton & a draw between Leeds vs Peterborough, I hope none of you take betting tips from me.

The Best Turnstiles In The Football League

With that all sorted and several pounds lost forever, we headed towards the away end located up a steep hill and through a not so enchanted forest. Whilst it may not be to everyone's liking, I quite like a ground with something unique to it, and I have to say walking through a mini forest before reaching the turnstiles is the most unique thing I've seen all season. Following a brief wait to get in due to the massive amount of Daggers fans wanting tickets, I showed my ticket and went through into the open area before advancing into our stand.

The first thing that hit me to be honest is how different it looked from the pictures you see on TV, something I always love when travelling to new grounds. We were allocated half of the undercover East Bank terracing which extends round into open terracing, as well as a small selection of seats in 1390 capacity South Stand.

My first impressions of the terracing were that it was quite old fashioned and the roof was akin to that found on the body of a silo. It did however look as though it created good noise and I was proved right as the Aldershot fans sang continuously through the first half. In terms of facilities it's quite poor, but its old fashioned which is what I like. One thing that marked it down however were the several poles which got in the way of the action, as it’s slightly old fashioned though, I suppose it can’t be helped.

The ground is completed by the South Stand which was opened in the 1920's and the North Stand which runs along the opposite side of the pitch; a main feature of this is the long brick wall which runs across the bottom. It combines a mixture of seating and terracing, furthermore it has a massive factory situated behind it which dwarfs that stand itself. The North Stand holds 1540 and was largely full up for our visit.

The final stand is one that isn't actually in use do to Football League regulations, the High Street End. With this being closed off and only used for advertisements the stadium effectively only has three sides creating another unique and with no disrespect to Aldershot supporters, quite a Conference feel to the ground. I view this as a good thing as the stadium has raw passion and grass roots embedded within it which can only be viewed as a good thing in my opinion.

I then stepped outside and opted to try some of Aldershot's infamous cuisine, choosing the burger that was priced at £3. It was pretty decent, however I'm sure it would have tasted even better if I hadn't put chilli sauce on it instead of tomato; only realising when I took a bite and realising how hot it was. That’s a lesson for all of you people who don’t read labels.

We were then read the teams by the excruciatingly loud tannoy announcer:

Aldershot Town: Young, Herd, Straker, Jones, Morris, Vicenti, Brown, Mekki, Roberts, Hylton, Risser. Subs: Clement, Berqvrst, Molesley, Connolly, Madjo.

Aldershot manager Dean Holdsworth made one change from the side that were defeated by Plymouth last week by introducing youngster Jordan Roberts in place of Ben Smith who was recalled by parent club Crawley Town in the week. 

Dagenham & Redbridge: Lewington, Doe, Arber, Baudry, McCrory, Green, Ogogo, Bingham, Spillane, Elito, Woodall. Subs: Hogan, Scott, Rose, Howell, Parker.

John Still made a single change following the victory against Gillingham on Easter Monday with goalscorer Dominic Green replacing Josh Parker on the wing. John Akinde & Charlie Wassmer also returned to Crawley in the week meaning that there were places on the bench for Richard Rose & Luke Howell as the Daggers hoped to avenge a 2-5 home defeat to the Shots earlier in the season.

As the time approached 15:00, the pre match music blared out and both sets of fans got ready for the ensuing kickoff. Within a few minutes the teams came out onto the pitch to good applause from all three sides of the stadium. It was the Shots to kick off attacking the empty High Street End whilst the Daggers would be facing The East Bank where a selection of home and away supporters were situated.

The referee blew his whistle and we began albeit very slowly. The first cross of the match from Jordan Roberts was claimed well by Lewington despite heavy pressure from Wilko Risser who broke clear of his marker. The ball was booted up the other end where Brian Woodall showed fantastic never say die attitude by keeping the ball in play when it looked as though it was going to be a goal kick; however the Shots did earn a throw.

With just over five minutes gone, Woodall really should have tested Shots' Australian 'keeper Jamie Young. Mickey Spillane played a fine ball over the top that Woodall brought down with a deft touch, a quick shimmy saw him get round the defender and advance into the box. With another cut back Woodall had the chance to shoot and curl the ball into the bottom corner, however the former Gresley man showed signs of naivety by taking too long and eventually being crowded out as Aldershot cleared the danger much to the frustration of the 196 travelling Daggers.

The match continued to be very open in the opening quarter of an hour as we were then straight up the other end with youngster Roberts blazing a shot over following good play from Danny Hylton. As Aldershot continued to have the bulk of the possession, neither side could really get a foothold in the game going forward, creating a bit of a stalemate. With just over 20 minutes gone Scott Doe worked some space for himself before letting rip with a not so impressive 30 yard strike that bounced off the corner flag and out for a throw in. My advice to Doey would be to stick to headers.

The home side were looking to make it seven straight home victories and they would have taken the lead if Risser made a better connection with a volley that was confidently palmed over the bar by Lewington. The Daggers were only threatening from set pieces with two Elito deliveries being headed away by the Shots back line at various stages in the opening half hour.

The game was lacking any real quality with both teams cancelling eachother out, however it was Aldershot that were looking the more likely scorers. Adam Mekki headed just wide following good pressure from McCrory whilst minutes later Ben Herd crossed for an unmarked Peter Vincenti who could only head the ball onto the roof of Lewington's net.

The Daggers weren't really offering much, however they were playing some pretty good football with Elito & Green getting down the wings on several occasions. Mickey Spillane played a ball through to Woodall once more but Young came out to claim it well to deny the away side the first goal of the afternoon as the first half petered out in a slow and painful fashion.

Customary Woodall Picture.

That was the end of a very lacklustre and uninspiring first 45 minutes where the best chance came in the form of Woodall being crowded out; says as much for the quality of the game really. Despite the lack of goalmouth action, both sides were unusually (for Dagenham at least), playing pretty neat football on the floor. This meant as previously expressed that the main outlet were the wingers for either side, however both teams' defences were proving very difficult to break down.

The half time entertainment consisted of several children attempting to hit the crossbar from the penalty spot, of which one child with particularly distinguishing red hair done so about three times. That was about it really, the rest of the time was spent trying to work out the half time scores over the tannoy and praying that my horse would win the National - more on that later.

The teams came back out for the second half to a small ripple of applause; I think after the first half the supporters of both sides weren't really expecting rip roaring talent and end to end action. The second half began much as the first had ended with lots of promise that was ultimately undone by sloppy possession from both sides.

It was the Daggers though who got the first shot of the half away, good battling from Ogogo and Dominic Green saw Mickey Spillane fashion a chance, however Young was equal to his effort from just inside the box and he palmed it away for a corner. The away side began to dominate the game and with 10 minutes gone, Baudry had a poke at goal pushed wide once more by Young who looked to be in inspired form yesterday afternoon.

The home side, shooting towards the East Bank then brought themselves back into the game with a succession of good chances. Firstly a free kick into the box was only partially cleared by Lewington, the ball fell to Vincenti who chipped goalwards before it was cleared once more, this time to Troy Brown. Attacker Brown got a shot away that was blocked on the line by McCrory, before the ball was eventually kneed over the bar from close range by Risser. Cue chants of "You missed from two yards", by the Daggers away faithful.

The Shots weren't finished there though and from Lewington's goal kick they won the ball and broke down the right hand side where a cross was put into the box. The ball found the head of Danny Hylton who could only contrive to head the chance wide of the post when he should have really hit the target.

Despite all of the pressure from the home side, it was in fact the Daggers who took the lead in the contest. It was the infamous Scott Doe front post run that had heralded the goal once more as he met McCrory's corner at the front stick to glance a header past Young and into the far corner to send the travelling fans into delirium. That was Doe's sixth goal of the season, making him the third top scorer for the away side in the current campaign.

Dean Holdsworth would have wanted an instant response from his play off chasing outfit; however he didn't get it with Hylton getting down the left before slicing a cross over the East Bank and into the forest. Then came some superb unorthodox defending from Ogogo by effectively sliding across the floor head first to deny a Shots player a chance on goal; however the referee unbelievably saw this as an infringement and gave a free kick!

The home side then made a double change in an attempt to exploit the tiring Daggers back line with fresh legs. Guy Madjo who has scored against the Daggers this season already for Port Vale was brought on in place of Risser, furthermore Reece Connolly was introduced for the impressive Jordan Roberts.

At this point in time the result for the Grand National came through and there was immense anticipation as everyone was more interested in this than the languishing football. Unfortunately for me, Neptune Collonges was the winner meaning that my 100/1 shot "Postmaster", had probably fallen. Oh well, there's always next year.....

Back to the football and the Daggers midfield were putting in a very impressive shift, especially Ogogo who was getting around the whole of the park with energy left in the tank, immense from the makeshift midfielder. Mickey Spillane then nearly wrapped the game up, dodging and ducking past Straker & Brown before taking too heavy a touch when advancing in the box meaning Young was on hand to gather.

Aldershot had the perfect opportunity to level the scores with just six minutes left to play but a simply superb low, diving stop from Lewington following a Vincenti touch at the back post turned the ball round for a corner. That's probably one of the best saves I've seen from Lewington this season and he has made some absolutely stunning saves this year.

The game then had a vibe about it; almost as though Aldershot would inevitably get the equaliser. Sure enough with just four minutes remaining an Adam Mekki cross went straight through the box and onto the head of Troy Brown who headed home unmarked to level the scores; it was also the Rotherham United loan players second goal for the Shots in his loan spell.

The final chance of the game was a Morris shot from outside of the box which only tested the reflexes of the fans in The East Bank, clearly causing Lewington no problems. Josh Parker came on for Dominic Green with minutes to go, but that was it. The final score from probably the most dull and uninteresting game of the season so far was 1-1.

Results from around the grounds mean that we're now 9 points clear of the relegation zone with 9 points left to play for, in simple terms - we're safe. This game was a typical match between teams not really having anything to play for, whilst there was good football, there were no really good opportunities and the match lacked a degree of tempo and urgency throughout.

I can't really fault any Daggers players, all of whom had pretty good games. Brian Woodall was very fast paced, whereas the midfield five each contributed an individual skill to extend the unbeaten run to a league equalling seven for us. The back line was solid once more, only slack marking allowing the Shots to deservedly equalise. As for Lewington, a few superb stops which have epitomised his season, on the whole a very successful opening campaign for him.

Ogogo was also solid.

Aldershot looked as though their season had ended; no real desire up front meant that when crosses were put into the box there was no one to get on the end of them. Jordan Roberts particularly impressed me however and it looks as though he has a pretty decent future ahead of him in the game, whilst Jamie Young looked equally as talented between the sticks.

Well done to the 196 Daggers in attendance and the Shots fans located in The East Bank who attempted to make an atmosphere, even if their repetitive singing got on my nerves quite a bit. It was also nice to see Aldershot employing a Youth scheme to get youngsters to the game, hopefully something which works to boost attendances in the long run.

This result extends the unbeaten run to seven matches and it also sees the Daggers go four games unbeaten on the road in the League for the first time since March 2010. The players have really turned it around in our "ten game season", picking up 15 points from a possible 21 so far; that run of form has kept us up so well done to everyone involved with the club.

We now move on to Crawley Town at home next Saturday where we'll be hoping to enjoy the game and create a good noise in the TB Stand.

On a final note I'd like to say thank you to some Aldershot fans who complimented our management team and the club as a whole following yesterday's game. Praise doesn't go unnoticed and I'd like to offer my thanks to them for that.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading, feel free to follow me on Twitter, @NickDRFCMurphy.

How you had to get to the away end.

Daggers Fans in the Open Terrace

 

Daggers 2-5 Aldershot, Hot Shots Part Deux

Dagenham & Redbridge lost their 100th league home game to Aldershot Town this afternoon in a simply shambolic performance. The game ended 5-2 to the Shots in a game that left me physically sick after the final whistle, add to that my illness which made me sick and we have a winning combination.

I won't go into detail in this Blog, as to be honest, I don't want too, we'll briefly outline the match and then have some thoughts on the encounter and just everything in general at the moment. I begin pre match, where I was quietly optimistic of a good result, Aldershot aren't one of the "form teams" and therefore we could be expected to give them a game and perhaps even beat them. With the news that Danny J Green was starting in place of Ollie Lee, my optimism flourished some more, add to that the Shots were resting Danny Hilton for their giant Carling Cup clash with Manchester United in midweek, I was brimming with confidence, as well as mucus, a cold, and a bunged up nose.

However, the first five minutes were the most painful of the season so far. After Nursey had tested Ross Warner to start off with, Aldershot went up the other end and took the lead. Adam Smith floated a delightful ball in towards the backpost where Jermaine McGlashan was on hand to slam past a helpless Lewington with just three minutes in. The Daggers nearly equalised when a rasping Gavin Tomlin volley was saved well by Warner between the sticks, but as that promise fizzled out, Aldershot doubled their lead. Bradley Bubb had a shot parried by Lewington, however the ball fell straight into Peter Vincenti's path who got their before the defender and tapped home. Within the first five minutes, the Daggers were 2-0 down, deja vu of the previous 5-2 against Aldershot was beginning to set in.

A restbite of 30 minutes or so followed where neither team really provided any significant threat of any kind. On 36 minutes however, Mark Arber made a hash of a challenge just inside the box on Michael Rankine, Mr Drysdale pointed to the spot and handed Arber a yellow card. Rankine dispatched the fifth spot kick at Victoria Road this season with ease to send us 3-0 down. Just over five minutes later, the Daggers pulled one back. A corner from Damien McCrory was met by Jon Nurse who headed home despite the best efforts of a Aldershot defender on the line. Some kind of solace in a drab first half showing, that looked to be the final action of the first 45; or so we thought. On the eve of the half time whistle, Luke Guttridge headed in from Anthony Pulis' cross to further dampen Dagenham fans' spirits.

The half time whistle blew and the Daggers went in to a chorus of boo's, personally I don't agree with that at half time, but at the end of the day, everyone voices there frustration in different ways I suppose. Half time was taken up by me gloating over beating Jon Nurse in the programme quiz, I beat the Barbados International 9-8 if you didn't know. A fantastic victory for all fans around the world.

The teams re-emerged for the second 45, with everyone hoping for a somewhat miraculous Daggers comeback. A mediocre start to the second half saw Brian Woodall replaced by Troy Hewitt who hadn't really made any impact as yet since his loan move from QPR. Gavin Tomlin was given the best chance of the half so far, a cross from the left met his boot from yards out, the slightest of touches would have seen it go over Warner and into the back of the net. However we're Dagenham & this is Tomlin, it went high over the bar and out for a goal kick. The Daggers made their final two subs in the space of 10 minutes. Danny J Green was replaced by Damien Scannell and Gavin Tomlin was withdrawn for Ollie Lee.

Directly after Lee was introduced came the Daggers second goal of the afternoon. A foul on Scannell by Luke Guttridge saw the Daggers get a free kick on the right hand side, ideal for a left footer to shoot. Damien McCrory stepped up and slammed it home to bring the deficit down to just two goals, game on perhaps! Just minutes later, McCrory laid one in down the left, Hewitt pulled off a neat flick and it nearly crept past Warner, but the former Charlton stopper just saved it.

Just as it looked like that was the end of the scoring, Dean Holdworths men repeated the feat they managed two years previous. Jermaine McGlashan nabbed his second of the game after some neat footwork he outwitted Lewington and slotted the ball past him to send the Aldershot supporters home happy.

Dagenham & Redbridge 2-5 Aldershot Town.

What can we take from todays game? The answer is, nothing. We managed to score two goals again, but they were effectively pointless goals. The team lacks confidence severely, it's clear for all to see. It's all old ground really isn't it? Arber, confidence, conviction, we've been through it a thousand times but today is was more evident than ever.

People calling for Arber to be dropped, he's in poor form, but would you rather Phil Walsh play? I could rant & rave, but there's no point is there, the forum or the facebook page will give you all the diverse opinions you need.

As for Aldershot, decent performance by them, but we made them look better than they are in my opinion. However I still reckon they'll be around about the play offs come the end of the season, as for us, who knows! However I was very disappointed with your away following, a very poor number for a short trip if you ask me.

The players need to start being Daggers again, a good performance against Steve Evans' Crawley on Tuesday night could be the tonic we need. Whatever happens, I'm sure that Tuesday will be special, finally meeting the old adversary and hopefully getting one over on that cheating twat.

I'll speak to you again on Wednesday after the Crawley match on the Tuesday, until then, stay safe and keep the faith!