Daggers 1-1 Exeter City, Parkin Space.

 

Dagenham & Redbridge continued their mediocre start to the new season on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against promotion chasing Exeter City. Despite a tough opening to the match, Daggers took the lead in the first half through Josh Scott, before Sam Parkin equalised for the visitors late in the second half with a controlled header. 

Before the match there was cautious optimism ahead of the clash with Exeter. Despite our notoriously poor record against the Grecians, we claimed all three points at St James Park last year when we needed it most. Not only that but our impressive 4-1 victory over Colchester United in midweek was also encouraging, retaining our unbeaten home start to the season. 

There was to be no pre-match pints this week, as upon arrival we sought shelter from the arctic winds in the warm alcove that is, the Sieve. Soon after our entrance the teams were announced, but not without one or two surprise selections.

Daggers boss Wayne Burnett made three changes to the side that was defeated in convincing fashion at Mansfield last week. After his debut in the Johnstones Paint Trophy in midweek, left back Jack Connors was handed his full league debut at the expense of Femi who dropped to the bench. Medy Elito and Luke Wilkinson were also replaced by Josh Scott and Gavin Hoyte, allowing Scott Doe to revert to his more familiar centre back position alongside Brian Saah.

Dagenham & Redbridge: Lewington, Connors, Doe, Saah, Hoyte, Howell, Bingham, Ogogo, Hines, Scott, Murphy. Subs: Seabright, Wilkinson, Saunders, Woodall, Elito, Obafemi, Femi.

Exeter City: Krysiak, Woodman, Bennett, Baldwin, Coles, Sercombe, Oakley, Davies, Grimes, Gow, Parkin.

With the Daggerettes having completed their "routine", the teams soon emerged from the tunnel to be greeted by warm applause from the 2000 or so supporters inside the ground. After the pre-match pleasantries were adhered to and the two most stylish managers in the division had shaken hands, we began. 

 Exeter City fans
(From Twitter)

From the off the visitors came within a lick of paint of taking the lead. Jack Connors, on his Football League debut, gave the ball away on the left, allowing Exeter to attack. A swift move saw the ball played to Arron Davies who took a touch before curling a terrific effort goalwards that glanced off the post before going out for a goal kick. It was a nervous start for Connors, who understandably was feeling the pressure early on. 

Despite that early chance, neither side could establish a real foothold on proceedings during the opening stages. Zavon Hines shot wide for the hosts from long range, while defender Danny Coles was on hand to deal with the early threat down the Daggers' right hand side. With few chances for either side, it was perhaps appropriate that Wayne Burnett's men should take the lead in slightly fortuitous circumstances.

A hopeful punt upfield from Brian Saah was raced onto by Josh Scott, who, after Exeter goalkeeper Artur Krysiak fluffed his clearance, volleyed home from a difficult position outside the box to give Daggers a 1-0 lead. The moment of madness from Krysiak seemed to take an age to happen, leaving Daggers fans on tenterhooks as to whether the ball had in fact gone in. Nonetheless we were now 1-0 up through Josh Scott's first league goal of the season.

That goal gave the hosts momentum to push forward in search of a second. The onus was on Hines in particular, who was giving his full back a torrid time as we edged closer to half time. The dynamic winger flashed down the right before firing in a cross that evaded both sets of players before going out of play for a throw in. Chances for Exeter were few and far between, but top scorer Alan Gow managed to test Chris Lewington 30 minutes in with a long range effort.

 

Liam Sercombe and Luke Howell then both traded strikes on goal, but in truth it was a half of few chances. Neither side had been able to establish a real foothold on the game, and as a result, few clear cut chances had been created. The referee soon blew his whistle for half time, bringing to a close a satisfactory half for Daggers fans.

During half time we were treated to another rendition of the Daggerettes, who as I'm sure you know by now, are my favourite Barking & Dagenham based dance troupe. Soon after their three minutes of fame was over, the teams re-emerged for the second half, with the visitors having made two changes.

Jimmy Keohane was introduced for Arron Davies, with David Wheeler replacing midfielder Matt Grimes. Despite the change, it was Daggers who opened the half the stronger. Once again it was Hines who looked the most menacing, forcing a shot from close range out of Krysiak after he weaved his way round the Exeter defence. From the resulting corner he went close again, this time firing just over the bar. 

Exeter then began to grow into the game, forcing successive corners that were dealt with by the resolute Daggers defence. Up the other end Rhys Murphy headed narrowly wide, while the newly introduced Keohane forced a quick double stop from Chris Lewington. It was the same pair who came closest as the half wore on, Murphy sliding another effort wide before Keohane flashed a shot just the wrong side of the post.

With just over 25 minutes left both teams continued to push for a goal - Daggers to make the game safe and Exeter to draw things level. Yet it was the hosts who continued to create the better of the opportunities. Jack Connors who was growing into the game more and more as it progressed skipped past his man before playing the ball to Zavon Hines. Hines, the architect of so much of Daggers' best work all afternoon, turned on his brilliance once again, forcing his way to the byline before cutting back for Josh Scott whose left footed shot was superbly stopped by the diving Artur Krysiak. 

That terrific save seemingly acted as the catalyst for an Exeter revival. But before they could truly kickstart their push for a point, Daggers made a double change. First Brian Woodall came on for Rhys Murphy, then five minutes later Medy Elito was introduced for Josh Scott. The substitutions seemed to disrupt Daggers' play, allowing Exeter back into the game to create several opportunities.

First the home defence were forced to clear away a tricky Pat Baldwin delivery, and then Alan Gow fired another speculative effort wide of the post.

But the Grecians finally found their leveller on 80 minutes. Former Leicester City maestro Matt Oakley delivered a ball in from the left that found Sam Parkin who was on hand to convert superbly with a glancing header that tied things up at 1-1. 

With the game there for the taking, both sides pushed following the equaliser. Good work on the left was wasted by Brian Woodall, who fired high and wide after working himself into a good position thanks to yet more neat play from Zavon Hines. Keohane aimed a late effort wide of the post, while Medy Elito found the scoreboard behind the goal during the three minutes of injury time.

Ultimately 1-1 was how it stayed. Daggers were punished for failing to capitalise on their chances against a strong Exeter City side that will be there or there about’s come the end of the season. Their lack of goal threat could be an issue however, with Alan Gow the only real problem bar Parkin's header for the goal.

Daggers meanwhile will be disappointed to have let three points slip from their grasp through abject finishing. Still, it was good to have Josh Scott score on his 100th appearance with a well taken finish. Hopefully alongside Murphy, Josh will thrive in a similar way to when he played alongside Paul Benson. Elsewhere Jack Connors did well after a nervous start, while Zavon Hines continued to prove why League One clubs were looking at him through the summer.

Next up for Daggers is Bristol Rovers at home on Saturday, while Exeter City are on their travels again at Northampton Town. Have a good week and remember you can follow me on Twitter at @NickMurphyDRFC. Thanks for reading! 

Oh and sorry for the lack of pictures from the game, only my Blackberry decided to stop working for the afternoon.

Exeter City 0-1 Daggers, A Walk In St James Park.

After Easter Monday's 4-2 capitulation at home to Bristol Rovers, no one expected a result quite like this. On Monday the defending was abysmal, the game plan went out of the window and the team lacked unity. But on Saturday, we were superb. A united performance and a solid defence saw Dagenham & Redbridge virtually quash any remaining relegation fears with a 1-0 win at Exeter City. The victory keeps Daggers in 17th place, but Wayne Burnett's men are now crucially 5 points clear of the drop zone with just three games remaining.

Before all of the jubilation and celebrations though, we were faced with the grim reading that we'd never won at Exeter. In fact during all of our league meetings, we'd only ever beaten the Grecians the once. That being a 4-1 home victory back in our promotion winning season from the Conference. Importantly though, there's always been goals in this fixture - with both sides scoring in the last 11 meetings.

Then came the arduous trek to Devon which began at 8:45 when we all met up at Chadwell Heath station. From there we went on to Liverpool Street before heading to Paddington to catch our South West trains service to Exeter St Davids. The train journey was uneventful overall, although it was brightened up by vandalising The Sun, newspaper. Well, what else are you going to do for three and a half hours?

Home Turnstiles

Upon arrival at Exeter St Davids, we headed through the ticket barriers to buy our ludicrously priced 70p return train tickets to St James Park station. I don't know about you, but I'm thoroughly against modern South West Trains. After shelling out the extortionate prices, we boarded the bus-like carrier for our six minute journey to the sub-urban station. And after arriving, I have to admit it was rather pleasant.

It's most probably the only ground where from the train station; you can see the home grandstand and a patch of allotments. After a quick walk around the stadium, we encountered the back of the away stand that had fallen down during the torrential rain two weeks previous.

The Away Stand that had fallen down.

We were soon directed to our destination - the Exeter beer garden behind the home stand. And in-keeping with the town so far, it was excellent. The local Thatcher’s Gold Cider was superb and reasonably priced, moreover the home supporters were extremely inviting and welcoming! After a couple of pints, we headed back around to the crumbling away terrace and headed through the rustic turnstiles just before the teams emerged onto the pitch.

The ground appears to be a very old fashioned one, which is good. The grandstand remains intact which seems to be a running feature of clubs in the South-West, with Plymouth, Bristol Rovers & Cheltenham all having similar main stands. It adds a rustic, old fashioned feel to the ground which was welcomed by stadium connoisseurs like me. Opposite that is a large all seated stand used by home supporters which was largely full up by the time kick off approached.

Exeter City Grandstand

Our away end as many will know was uncovered, but in the delightful spring sun, it felt very pleasant. Standing on the cobbled steps having had a few ciders, it felt as though what football should be like in spring. The terrace stretched round to beside the grandstand in a similar vain to York's. Although some visiting supporters opted for the small selection of seats available, the majority chose to stand in front of the temporary metal fence erected to avoid away supporters plunging to their death into the main road behind the terrace. 

Opposite that stands the largest terrace in English football, The Cliff Bastin Stand. It's more commonly known as, "The Big Bank", and accommodates just under 4000 supporters under its large roof. For our visit it looked largely full and we presumed it would be where the majority of the noise would originate from. Soon after a gaze around our surroundings, the teams emerged to subdued applause and were announced as follows...

Exeter City: Krysiak, Woodman, Bennett, Baldwin, Coles, Amankwaah, Davies, Doherty, D'Ath, Gosling, O'Flynn. Subs: Evans, Moore-Taylor, Keohane, Dawson, Molesley, Bauza (Not to be confused with the Mario character), Chamberlain.

Dagenham & Redbridge: Seabright, Femi, Doe, Wilkinson, Ogogo, Elito, Howell, Maher, Saunders, Silva, Reed. Subs: Miles, Hoyte, Fortune, Shariff, Bingham, Strevens, Dennis.

Daggers boss Wayne Burnett rung the changes following Monday's home defeat to Bristol Rovers, replacing four of the side that started the shambolic defeat. Goalkeeper Jordan Seabright was handed his full debut in place of Jonathan Miles, whilst Abu Ogogo reverted to right back which meant Gavin Hoyte dropped out for Kevin Maher in midfield. Midfielder Matt Saunders returned to the side in place of Mo Shariff with the younger Jake Reed being preferred up front over Ben Strevens. 

After a minutes silence for an Exeter volunteer who had sadly passed away during the week, the referee completed the toss and both sides opted to remain in their original ends. This meant Daggers would be facing the away terrace in the first half and the Grecians, "The Big Bank." As soon as the referee blew his whistle to start the game, we were back at a standstill. Journeyman midfielder Kevin Amankwaah picked up an injury inside 3 minutes and was forced off to be replaced by Aaron Dawson. 

When play restarted it was Daggers who began on the front foot, forcing two corners in the following five minutes. From the second of those corners came the first goal of the afternoon. Matt Saunders' cross towards the front post was glanced home by the on-rushing Scott Doe to send the visitors into a surprise 1-0 lead with just five minutes on the clock. A sense of disbelief swept round the terrace as the players celebrated joyously in the corner of the pitch.

Daggers Players Celebrate
From @Post_Daggers

With Daggers leading the match, the focus was now on the managers - both of whom are renowned for their style. Early on in the style stakes and there was no doubt that Daggers supremo Wayne Burnett had the edge in the contest. With Paul Tisdale opting for the red chino look; it was Burnett who was sporting the jumper and blazer combo that receives the plaudits from, The Daggers Scale. 

The vibrant manner of the game continued soon after, with Daggers playing at a good tempo against the Grecians. It was the hosts who came the closest minutes after the goal, but debutant Seabright was at his best to deny D'Ath getting to the ball first. Soon after and Daggers nearly doubled their lead through Luke Wilkinson, but the centre half could only manage to direct his header over the bar. 

The match soon quietened down with few opportunities for either forward line to showcase their abilities. Daggers were looking most threatening down the wings - something I haven't said much this season. Femi & Medy were combining well and with just over 20 minutes gone it nearly provided a goal. The latter of the pair crossed from the left and but for an excellent intervention from a City defender, Toni Silva would have been left to head into an empty net. 

Supporters Grew Restless

With the defence sharper than ever and the midfield looking calm on the ball, the visitors remained in control. Exeter rarely threatened, resorting to hopeful punts from the midfield, which were gathered easily by Jordan Seabright. The wings continued to provide the ammunition for Daggers, with Toni Silva being influentia. The on loan Portuguese winger escaped his man before cutting the ball back for Luke Howell who was eventually crowded out on the edge of the box. 

Paul Tisdale was then forced into another change with Guillem Bauza being replaced by 19 year old Jake Gosling. The youngster injected some much needed energy into the home side which allowed the hosts to gather more possession as Daggers tried to close out the half. Despite the increased possession for the hosts, it was Daggers who came close once more on 38 minutes. Good play between Jake Reed and Matt Saunders saw the latter fire his close range shot into the path of an Exeter defender who cleared the danger to ensure the scoreline remained at 1-0.

Just as the fourth official signalled for injury time, Daggers won a free kick inches outside the box. Matt Saunders and Medy Elito (Yes, that's what I was thinking), stood tenuously over the ball. Saunders, who is the set piece expert, curled the ball over the wall, only for Artur Krysiak to pull out a magnificent save to deny the midfielder. From the long punt up field the Grecians nearly equalised, but Seabright was there once again to prevent D'Ath's cross reaching its intended target.

Daggers go in 1-0 ahead at half time.
From @Post_Daggers

That was the final play of the first half and meant that somehow, Daggers went in 1-0 ahead at the break. I don't say that because we didn't play well, I say it because I'm always nervous when we take the lead early on! But we were exemplary throughout the first half - no one could have any complaints with the scoreline. The defence was solid, the midfield was assured and Jake Reed was looking like Strevens in his prime up front. Everything was clicking.

And then came the real defining moment of the day, the Exeter City food. Instantly the food bar was marked down for not selling Dominoes pizza anymore, whilst they'd also ran out of hot dogs at half time. That left me with two sausage rolls, which priced at £1.50 each more than did the job. The toilets were also of a good standard, even if you had to submerge yourself 10 foot underground to find them.

Slightly later than originally forecast, the two teams emerged back onto the pitch to begin the second half. The second 45 started a lot slower than the first, with Toni Silva's booking for a poor challenge the only incident of note. Exeter were however now looking more prominent down the flanks, especially the right hand-side where Femi had to be at his best to stop the marauding Aaron Dawson.

Daggers were soon on the attack once more and Toni Silva's clever footwork bought a foul from defender Tommy Doherty. Matt Saunders lined up the free kick, but this time he fired it over the bar and onto the roof of the net. The game continued to be fought in the midfield, with neither side able to establish a firm grip in the contest. Then there was the news that dampened an otherwise good afternoon so far. My horse for the Grand National, Quel Espirit failed to make it home, let alone win. Next year I'll have to bet on Stacey Solomon.

As Exeter piled on more pressure, Wayne Burnett made his first change of the afternoon. Louis Dennis, who has made such a good impression from the bench in recent weeks, replaced the ailing Toni Silva. The Grecians now had the bit between their teeth and nearly found an equaliser when Jordan Seabright spilled a routine cross from the right. The ball fell to Bauza whose seemingly goalbound strike was blocked by forward John O'Flynn before the linesman put up his flag for offside. 

Daggers fans were left on tenterhooks.

The biggest scare of the afternoon for the visitors came with little over 20 minutes to play, with Seabright who had been at fault moments earlier, playing a pivotal role. Danny Coles met Craig Woodman's powerful whipped free kick, but somehow Seabright managed to claw the ball away from point blank range to preserve the lead. Not only was it one of the most important saves of the season, it was also one of, if not the best save I've seen since I started supporting the Daggers.

After that scare, D'Ath came close once more as the hosts finally looked like making their second half possession count. Ben Strevens then came on for Jake Reed as Daggers looked for experience up front to see out the match. Despite Scot Bennett's tame header, Exeter rarely threatened in the closing stages. That earlier 10 minute spell proving to be their most dominant of the match and even then, they never applied sustained pressure on the Daggers defence.

Jordan Seabright took everything that was thrown at him, looking like a seasoned professional in the process. Daggers retained possession towards the end with Louis Dennis looking threatening down the left. Despite skipping past two players, his cross could only find the Grecians supporters in the terrace behind the goal. Soon after the goal kick the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of 94 minutes of play, and 90 minutes of nervousness holding onto a 1-0 lead.

We had done it. We had finally won at Exeter City. We had finally put an end to a five game winless run. We had finally, more or less, secured our place in League Two for next season. Unless the seven sides below us all simultaneously pull out a miracle, we are safe. I cannot tell

Daggers Team Huddle

you what a relief that final whistle was. Despite being comfortable for the majority of the game, at 1-0 there's always that nagging concern that we might concede.

But the team were excellent. We were all of the things we weren't at home to Bristol Rovers. We had unity, we mixed up our play and most importantly we were solid at the back. Scott Doe & Luke Wilkinson were both immense, showing why we rate them so highly. They dealt with everything thrown at them. Alongside those two was Femi & Abu Ogogo who were both back to their best. Abu in particular, back in his more natural position, shone.

The midfield was more assured on Saturday. They controlled the ball well and were able to pass the ball to eachother, something that seemed impossible last Monday. The presence of Kevin Maher was evident. His experience helped calm a young side and as such his contribution was somewhat underrated. To state the obvious he's an important player when you win, but he's almost used a scapegoat when we lose. 

The rest of the team were consistent if not spectacular. Matt Saunders slotted back in well whilst Luke Howell put in another performance that should see him on his way to player of the season. Toni Silva once again looked like a creative spark, whilst even Medy showed what he was capable of.

Jake Reed also deserves a lot of credit. Considering it was his first start in a number of months, he equipped himself well and almost looks like Strevs in his prime. With more game time and the right coaching, he could be a potential star. As for Jordan Seabright; what a save. That's all you can say really. You won't see many better than that this season. He played well throughout and on his full debut, did well to deal with any possible nerves he may have had.

The Big Bank were left disappointed.

As for Exeter, you can see why they have the second worst home record in the top half. They lacked any cutting edge and bar a 10 minute spell, rarely threatened. The defence was relatively sound, but without a talisman like Cureton up front you wonder if they'll be able to retain their Play Off place. They need to bounce back from three straight defeats if they're to fend off the challenge of Bradford.

After a brief detour into the local Wetherspoons at Exeter St David, we headed home - joined by a clutch of Shrewsbury Town & Welling United fans who were a fantastic laugh. With everyone in good spirits, the songs were flying and the passengers at Clapham Junction were given a standing ovation. And who knew Jermaine Grandison had such a cult following? A fantastic match, a fantastic journey and a fantastic result. The perfect away day.

Next up for us is Oxford United at home on Saturday when we can mathematically secure our safety for next season. After that comes a trip to Aldershot and a home match against York on the final day - both of whom currently reside in the relegation zone.

Remember you can follow me on Twitter, @NickMurphyDRFC.

Daggers 1-1 Exeter, Paying The Penalty

Despite a battling performance, Dagenham & Redbridge couldn't quite put Saturday's defeat against York behind them after being held 1-1 by an ardent Exeter City at Victoria Road. The main talking point however will be Mickey Spillane's penalty miss after Medy Elito put the home side 1-0 up, had that have gone in, who knows what the final score may or may not have been.

Before the match I was optimistic of a victory, although more realistically I was looking at the draw due to Exeter's impressive away form. Saying that, the Grecians had lost three on the bounce coming into this which opened the door for the Daggers should we turn in an impressive performance, (something that doesn't seem to happen very often on Tuesday nights.)

Victoria Road had sort of a subdued atmosphere, almost as though no one was looking forward to it. The mist continued to descend as the teams were announced...

Dagenham & Redbridge: Lewington, Ogogo, Doe, Wilkinson, Femi, Howell, Spillane, Saunders, Elito, Williams, Gayle. Subs: Seabright, Reed, Woodall, Green, Currie, Hoyte, Maher.

Somewhat unsurprisingly John Still named a completely unchanged side from the one that was defeated at the weekend in a performance Still called, "our worst of the season." With the Daggers only having won twice in this fixture in their fourteen prior attempts, a combination of class and maybe a bit of luck would be needed here.

Exeter City: Krysiak, Tully, Woodman, Bennett, Coles, Amankwaah, Sercombe, Oakley, Davies, Keohane, Cureton. Subs: Evans, Baldwin, Moore-Taylor, Doherty, Dawson, Gow, O'Flynn.

Paul Tisdale, who was sporting the most un-manager like outfit imaginable on the touch line, also opted not to make a single change to his side. This meant the club's top goalscorer Jamie Cureton (9) and journeyman defender Kevin Amankwaah would both be starting. Meanwhile youngster Jordan Moore-Taylor who had recently signed a new contract with the Grecians was also available on the bench.

The teams duly came out of the tunnel to moderate applause as the ground slowly began to fill up - I don't think anyone anticipates Tuesday night games anymore. The pre match rituals were then completed, a tracksuit laden Still & the claret trousers wearing Tisdale took their seats in their respective dugouts, and the game began.

Unfortunately though, the game didn't really begin with much of a flurry, Liam Sercombe having a speculative effort blocked well by the Daggers defence early on. Chris Lewington was given a scare minutes afterwards though as Matt Oakley's deflected effort crept wide of the far post for a corner. Everyone's favourite referee then needlessly booked Sam Williams for booting the ball away...with just four minutes gone.

Exeter continued to look like the more threatening side going forward as we reached 10 minutes on the clock. Jamie Cureton was the next man to try his luck, but the prolific forward's glancing strike was gathered well by Lewington to clear the danger. The game became increasingly scrappy from the 10th minute mark onwards, a trait that is creeping into more and more of the Daggers' games this season.

Following some speculative efforts from both sides, one from Cureton and one from Femi - it was the Daggers who broke the deadlock on 37 minutes. Quite how the ball went in from Medy Elito's cross-cum-shot I haven't a clue, nor does anyone else for that matter, let alone the man himself. Somehow though, just inside the box Elito raced to the by-line and hammered home his first of the season to give the home side what some may say was an undeserved lead.

The Daggers were now buoyed by opening the scoring and might have had a second had Femi not over-cooked his touch when screeching down the left wing. Exeter were offering some opposition though and Keohane tested Lewington once again to give the 217 Grecian supporters something to cheer. 

As the half time whistle approached, the home side really should have doubled their lead after being awarded a penalty. Some excellent counter attacking saw Spillane play a delightful cross field ball to Elito who sprinted into the box before being brought down after taking the ball around Krysiak. Gavin Ward instantly pointed to the spot, however he only cautioned Krysiak, presumably because there were two defenders back covering and Medy had taken a heavy touch. 

Spot kick duties were left to Mickey Spillane who has been impressive from 12 yards so far this season, so the majority were expecting him to dispatch this one with ease. Spillane however squandered the chance by blasting the ball over the bar and into the Marcus James Stand. The referee blew his whistle and the sides went in at halftime - Exeter with considerable relief, whilst the Daggers would have been wondering what might have been. 

The teams emerged for the second half and it was immediately clear that the Grecians had a second wind, a kick up the backside if you will. A superb ball forward from Bennett found the aging Cureton in time and space. After beating his marker he lifted the ball over Lewington and it rolled into the back of the net. Cureton had made the Daggers pay for that penalty miss and now we were beginning to wonder if Exeter could inflict even more misery on the home side.

Paul Tisdale's side now had the momentum and nearly took the lead for the first time minutes later. Jimmy Keohane was given the ball inside the box and it looked as though he would make it two in two minutes for the Grecians, however a superb last gasp Abu Ogogo block denied the frontman. That sort of defending is why everyone loves Abu at right back, although Keohane must have been left asking himself why he didn't pull the trigger sooner.

The 217 away supporters were now in good voice as their team advanced forward, Keohane forcing Lewington into another decent save with 55 minutes gone. It was Cureton again who should have doubled both his and Exeter's tally for the evening with 60 minutes played. The lackadaisical Daggers defence failed to clear the ball inside the box and it fell to Cureton. You'd stake your mortgage on the striker to find the back of the net; however he could only manage to blaze the ball high over the bar.

Despite a lacklustre start to the second half the home side then came back into the game slightly; with Mickey Spillane seeing an unmarked header pushed away well by Krysiak. Minutes later Sam Williams who had been impressive with his hold up play all evening attempted a shot of his own, however his half volley was poor and dragged wide of the near post. 

John Still then tried out his new tactic in the game, whereby a midfielder (in this case Matt Saunders) is brought off for Gavin Hoyte. Hoyte then goes to right back which means Abu Ogogo reverts to his auxiliary midfield position - and I have to admit it is a move I rather like at this point in the game. 

There were then two very good shouts for penalties within a five minute period. First an Exeter corner came into the box and Femi appeared to lower his arm in order to stop the ball. Despite appeals, Mr Ward waved it away much to my relief as I believed it was almost a stonewall spot kick. Then up the other end, Dwight Gayle advanced into the box before being encroached and ultimately felled to the floor, once again though the referee was having nothing of it and waved play on. This surely begs the question that if the referee feels Gayle hasn't been fouled, then he should be booked for diving.

The final 10 minutes were very frantic, as Gayle flashed another effort wide of the post. The closest the Daggers came though was through left back Femi, who was and is still searching for his first Dagenham goal. The open mouthed cult hero cut back onto his favoured left foot before drilling a shot goalwards that hit the side netting, much to everyone's frustrations.

Exeter ended the game the stronger as Jamie Cureton had two shots blocked well by Daggers defenders as the home side looked to ride out four minutes of added on time. Despite their best efforts, neither side could find that elusive winner; making the missed penalty at the end of the first half seem even more important. In truth though the 1-1 draw was what both sides deserved from a poor night's football.

The turning point was without doubt Mickey Spillane's penalty miss, but that happens in football, everyone makes mistakes. The thing to focus on is that we took a point from the match, despite not playing our best - something that has to be a good sign (results wise.) With a big chance to make amends on Saturday against a fast improving Aldershot, I'm sure everyone will be hoping to get back to winning ways.

Seeing as though there's not really much to comment on, I'll reserve my judgement of anything specifically and wrap it up there. As previously stated Aldershot await on Saturday. Our last two home games against the Shots have an aggregate scoreline of 4-10, so we're guaranteed some goals!

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