Dover Athletic 1-2 Daggers, Pre Season Begins

Whilst the Daggers may have been back in action last weekend, this was my first game of the new season away in a pre season friendly against Dover Athletic at Crabble Athletic Ground. I have to say the day didn't disappoint, many new things we learnt and it's given me the motivation to begin Blogging again for the new season ahead!

The journey began at a prompt 8am at Fiddlers Junction before continuing on to Dagenham East Tube station where the dreaded District Line awaited us. After a brief wait we boarded our train that had to make 25 stops before we reached our destination - Victoria. Upon arrival we were greeted with droves of tourists, I just can't fathom why...? After avoiding the hundreds of different nationalities we got our tickets and jumped on the train to Kearsney, (its closer to the ground than Dover Priory.)

With just over two hours down we arrived at the rather natural Kearsney/Dover - one of the eeriest train stations you're ever likely to get off of. After heading down several roads with minimal pavements we searched for a pub to occupy ourselves for a couple of hours - no avail at first as the Cricketers was closed. Eventually though we settled at a quaint little joint called, "The Royal Oak", which was very nice and quiet.

Following a delicious pub lunch at a reasonable price, we headed back to the Crabble Athletic Ground for the game. Another walk up the extremely steep hill ensued before we headed through the age coded turnstiles and into the ground itself which was of a fairly decent standard for Blue Square South.

Main Stand

The main stand on the far side is a neat compilation of two long seated areas which stop in the middle where a higher seated stand for directors and press is located. At either end of the ground there are two terraced areas, both undercover with slanted roof's - I assume this is where the more vocal of the Dover support would be throughout the season. The ground is completed with a small family stand next to the dugouts with a brand new clubhouse adjacent.

As we found our seats on the far side we noticed a very nice feature of the ground and one that is common at lower league level - supporters have the ability to switch ends at half time dependant on what way they're attacking. Overall I was pretty impressed by the stadium and I'd probably rank it above some of the Football League ground's I've visited in the past.

Dover Athletic: Walker, Huke, Harrington, Rance, Watt, Webb, Cogan, Thompson, Magdzinski, Dixon, Smith. Subs: Wynter, Modeste, Bricknell, Willock, Simpemba, Hook, Sessignon, Pitcher, Forster, Raggett, Axford.

Dagenham & Redbridge: Lewington, Hoyte, Spillane, Wilkinson, Femi, Howell, Maher, Bingham, Woodall, Gayle, Scott. Subs: Lawrenson (Trialist), Doe, Williams, Edmans, Green, Elito, Reed, Saunders, J Green, Davie, Antwi.

The Daggers would be lining up in a familiar 4-3-3 formation which seemingly meant Woodall playing more on the wide right with Gayle in a central role to begin with whilst Josh Scott would be providing the attacking threat on the left. Abu Ogogo was nursing a knock and as a result was quite literally watching from the family stand.

The game began at quite a fast and intense pace for a pre season encounter with several high velocity challenges taking place in the opening minutes. The first chance though, came about three minutes into the match when Femi advanced forward menacingly before seeing his left footed drive just clear Walker's bar - the 'keeper probably had it covered.

We then had a lull in play as you may expect in pre season as both sides found their feet in the contest, however with 15 minutes gone it was the League Two side that opened the scoring. Dwight Gayle's neat footwork on the edge of the box drew a foul from Steven Watt - Mickey Spillane looked over the free kick and effectively passed it into the corner of the net to give the travelling Daggers something to cheer about.

Whilst the game was still very cagey it was John Still's men who continued to look more threatening when going forward, Billy Bingham rifling a shot over The White Cliffs of Dover. The home side then came close to levelling the scores; however Dixon was flagged offside just as he rounded Lewington to slot the ball into an empty net. Up the other end and Gayle continued to look lively with another deflected shot being saved comfortably by Walker.

The intensity was highlighted once more with half an hour played when Spillane made a rash challenge down the other end of the field which drew disapproving groans from the home support. Minutes later and some good inter-change between Scott & Gayle saw the former put a poor ball into the box that was just behind the expectant Woodall - its pre season after all!

Despite good Dover pressure with 35 minutes played, the Daggers defence held out, with Luke Wilkinson looking particularly calm and assured by passing the ball out from the back to Femi who went on a fantastic run down the left hand sided. His mouth open gallop was completed with a wonderful ball in which found the head of the pint sized Gayle who rose highest to head the ball seemingly into the top corner, Walker though made a fantastic diving save to deny the Daggers a second.

From the resultant corner Mickey Spillane was gifted a golden chance of the heading variety, however he contrived to nod it way over the bar. The final action of a pulsating opening half came in the form of former Dagger Shane Huke whose long range attempt went just wide of Lewington's far post as Dover threatened to get themselves back into the game.

My half time assessment - relatively pleased with the performance and particularly impressed with Femi, Wilkinson, Gayle and to an extent...Josh Scott, who appears to be back to his old self. My assessment of the chips at Crabble is...decent enough, and the price was fine as well so you've passed The Daggers Scale food test.

The Daggers Return.
(Second Half Seating Position)

The second half began with a pace equally as fast as the one at which the first half ended with Lewington forced to come out and smother the ball as a Dover attacker tried to nip in and equalise. Minutes later and we were up the other end as Brian Woodall hit the side netting from a tight angle - mainly due to good defending from Walker.

With just over 2/3 of the game played it was Dagenham and in particular Mickey Spillane again who doubled the scoring. Once again Dwight Gayle was brought down on the edge of the area and once again Mickey curled home past a helpless Dover goalkeeper and wall. Cue a flurry of changes for either side.

For the Daggers from what I remember; Dom Green, Jake Reed, Rob Edmans, Will Antwi, Scott Doe, Danny J Green & Medy Elito were all introduced. Directly afterwards Dover began to attack with Sessegnon drawing a save from Lewington before Lewy was then forced to come out of his area and head the ball out and away from danger.

Since his introduction Jake Reed was proving to be a thorn in the Dover defence, beating the offside trap in the 63rd minute before his lob just hit the roof of the net rather than going underneath the crossbar. Minutes later and Reed broke through again - this time though his shot was palmed away as the score remained at 2-0. Trialist goalkeeper Berkley Lawrenson was then brought on for Chris Lewington.

As the game began to die out, Dover were handed a lifeline when Ricky Modeste was shoved down inside the box by a Daggers defender. Willock stepped up to slot the spot kick past a helpless Lawrenson who had otherwise been untroubled in his brief spell, collecting several crosses.

That was the end of the contest and the Daggers had run out 2-1 winners over the Blue Square South side. In truth though it's not about the result, it's more about seeing how individuals and the team perform - not to mention the fitness aspect.

A couple that impressed me were Luke Wilkinson who looks as though he's really matured in his time at Dartford. He was calm on the ball and looked to constantly play out of the back rather than hoof clear, his aerial presence should be noted as well. Femi looked extremely threatening going down the left hand side and his defending was adequate enough as well.

With the midfield three you know what you're getting and up front Gayle put in a good performance to justify why we're all raving about him. Josh Scott also looks to be back to his old self with a decent performance, his fitness has rather obviously vastly improved since we last saw him - see what a pre season can do for you!

In the substitute aspect, Green & Elito both looked lively whilst Jake Reed provided a potent threat going forward when introduced, however I expect him to go out on loan in the next campaign due to our influx of forwards.

There we go then, the first game of a long and arduous season has been completed and I hope you've enjoyed reading! One last little note to the Dover fans who I encountered that were all very friendly - I wish the best of luck to you in the next season!

Next up could be an Olympic Blog, Braintree match report, Grays Match Report or Brighton Match Report - I'm undecided!

A little picture gallery....

 

2011/2012 Top Twelve Performances.

After a long break due to studying and other projects I'm back to give my annual top twelve performances of the year from the 2011/2012 season. Whilst the Daggers enjoyed a largely torrid year, there were some very good displays in the season that deserve to be noted - if you disagree with any of my choices feel free to drop a comment below.

1. Bradford City 0-1 Dagenham & Redbridge, 20th August 2011.
This was one of the games that I missed off of my list from last season, however from the Daggers Player commentary and reviews from people that were present at Valley Parade - I'm assured that it was one of our most complete performances of the season. Jon Nurse prodded home the winner 27 minutes in following a scramble in the box. It should have been more but Gavin Tomlin & Damien Scannell both spurned golden chances when in good positions, it moved the away side up to 5th position in the league.

2. Dagenham & Redbridge 3-0 Barnet, 26th December 2011.

Just over four months after my first pick comes the victory over Barnet on Boxing Day where Brian Woodall & a Cristian Montano double sealed the points in a dominant performance for the home side. A bumper crowd was present as the Daggers won their first game since the 1st of October in a result that lifted us out of the then bottom three on goal difference - Woodall's diving header being the pick of a very good bunch.

3. Dagenham & Redbridge 2-1 Gillingham, 30th December 2011.
John Still's men ended the year in style by picking up another three points on a cold Friday night against Gillingham - a game which saw Billy Bingham score his first senior goal, albeit deflected. There was a superb atmosphere in the ground as 1200 Gills fans packed into the then Marcus James Stand to witness their side take the lead through Danny Kedwell who took advantage of a Chris Lewington error. Bingham's screamer got the home side back into the game before Woodall netted his second in as many games to clinch the victory with just 25 minutes left thanks to a superb curling effort.

4. Southend United 1-1 Dagenham & Redbridge, 2nd January 2012.
765 Daggers supporters made the trip to the seaside in the first fixture of 2012 as the Daggers put in what would probably be their best performance of the year. A high on confidence Brian Woodall partnered Montano up front whilst the experienced Kevin Maher would continue to marshal the midfield. Despite good early pressure from the away side it was the real travellers that took the lead as Michael Timlin powered home an exquisite volley just before the break.

The Daggers continued to dominant long into the second half despite the presence of the bumbling Geohaghan, but try as they might the away side just couldn't breakthrough as a Billy Bingham strike went just over. With just three minutes left to play though, talisman Bingham arced a ball through beautifully for Woodall who advanced forward before powering the ball home into the far corner past Daniels to send the 765 in the away end into absolute delirium - to this day I think that it's the most I've celebrated a goal, mainly due to how much it was deserved. That was also Woodall’s third goal over the Christmas period and one of his best performances to date.

5. Dagenham & Redbridge 3-2 Rotherham United, 28th January 2012.

Whilst this may not have been a vintage performance, it was an excellent result that propelled the home side back out of the relegation places. Danny Harrison who has a knack of scoring against us opened the lead, but that was cancelled out by Jon Nurse on 50 minutes. As the game began to become end to end, Abu Ogogo's shot deflected off of Mark Bradley to give the Daggers the lead for the first time in the match, just a minute later though and Revell netted to make it 2-2.

With 78 minutes gone in the encounter, the game was won as Scott Doe nipped in at the first post to glance a header into the top corner akin to the one he scored at the Don Valley back in September. Not only was this a morale boosting victory comparable in more than one way to the Play Off Final, it was also the start off the trademark Doe front post goal which would be prominent throughout the rest of the campaign.

6. Morecambe 1-2 Dagenham & Redbridge, 28th February 2012.
This is the second game on our list where I wasn't present due to it being a Tuesday night match, once again though it was an excellent performance and a deserved Daggers victory. A total of 66 ardent Daggers made the trip up to the North West to witness Medy Elito launch the away side into a stunning lead inside the first 15 minutes as he curled an effort around Barry Roche. Within another 15 minutes though and the Shrimps were level as Kevin Ellison fired his own curler around stand in 'keeper Jonathan Bond.

The Daggers didn't give up though and with Medy Elito playing in a more central role we always looked like the bigger threat and it showed on 76 minutes as Josh Scott thundered in a magnificent near post header to wrap up the first three points for a whole month. That was also Scott's fifth goal against Morecambe since he joined Dagenham and what an important one it may well have turned out to be.

7. Barnet 2-2 Dagenham & Redbridge, 20th March 2012.

It's well documented that in this fixture the away side rarely comes away with a win, however the Daggers nearly upset that record in a dominant display at Underhill on a frosty Tuesday night. Mickey Spillane opened the scoring on 25 minutes when he looped in a fine header and it should have been doubled two minutes later but somehow John Akinde contrived to hit first the bar and then the post as the scoreline remained 1-1. As is the way in football, Izale McLeod then went up the other end and showed Akinde how to do it by chipping the ball delightfully over Lewington to send hushed tones around the Daggers section of terracing.

Following a sustained period of Daggers pressure throughout the first & second half where Josh Parker was a focal point, it was the away side who netted once again as Scott Doe thundered home a header at the back post this time to send the 351 travelling faithful into raptures. As the Daggers looked to find a deserved third, Ben May picked up the ball and launched a speculative 50 yard lob that found Chris Lewington wandering as it hit the back of the net. No one could quite believe what they had just seen, not least Lewington who wanted the ground to swallow him whole – 2 points dropped rather than one gained in many cases.

8. Dagenham & Redbridge 2-1 Accrington Stanley, 24th March 2012.
This was the result that really underlined our survival bid, which really gave us a fighting chance of retaining our league status - having been giving the newly named TB Stand we were also able to create some worthwhile noise for a change as well. Following a slow opening half an hour it was Accy that opened the scoring on 43 minutes when Bobby Grant fired into the far corner with a shot which gave Lewington no chance.

As echoes of our defeat in Lancashire earlier in the season began to come back to me and our Football League life appeared to be slipping away, Mickey Spillane crossed the ball to the back post where Woodall powered home the header to make the scoreline 1-1 with just five minutes to play - credit should also go to McCrory here who supplied Spillane with the original ball.

As the game ebbed into injury time Nsiala got a very late early bath as Stuart Attwell sent him off for violent conduct. From Medy Elito’s resulting free kick Scott Doe was on hand to head home at the back post - cue wild celebrations that nearly saw me nearly fall down the stand itself. Emotion was running high and not least with Scott Doe who looked overjoyed at netting the winner that saw the Daggers move out of the relegation zone for the umpteenth time. (Video owned by BBC.)

9. Port Vale 0-1 Dagenham & Redbridge, 31st March 2012.
I attended the game at Vale Park and from what I remember I was very disappointed with the team John Still fielded originally as it looked too defensive - this is probably a reason why he's a manager and I'm not. A tight first half saw minimal chances with Medy Elito clipping the post just about 5 minutes before the break, as we advanced into the second 45 someone would appear to turn up the heat in deepest darkest Burlsem.

With 65 minutes played Damien McCrory’s free kick found Mickey Spillane who was on hand to head the ball home between the hands of Tomlinson and give the Daggers an unexpected lead (from my point of view at least.) Just as it looked like we had the game sewn up, substitute Charlie Wassmer gave away a penalty which certainly increased the tension. As Marc Richards stepped up to take the penalty, we all prayed to the gods....and it seemed like they heeded us as Chris Lewington dived the right way to keep out the spot kick to ensure a vital Daggers victory.

This would have to go down in my top three matches of the season personally; an overall great day and a result that I feel personified the survival push. Not just that but the above picture is one of my all time favourites connected to Dagenham & Redbridge.

10. Gillingham 1-2 Dagenham & Redbridge, 9th April 2012.
A windy and wet football match on an open terrace is the way we all like to spend our Easter isn't it? Well 313 Daggers agree with me (and a few more who were stranded on trains) as we witnessed another fantastic performance that allowed the Daggers to get fear of vertigo we climbed so high in the table!

It was another match the Daggers dominated and took the lead in as Woodall scrambled home the opener before Rowan Vine curled in an equaliser not long into the second half. With 20 minutes to go and John Still not heeding my warning of leaving Dom Green on the bench, said player went on a mazy run before finishing it off with a spectacular shot that crept under Gazzaniga - another reason why I'm not a manager then. Back to back away victories combined with other results meant the Daggers were virtually safe from relegation.

11. Dagenham & Redbridge 1-1 Crawley Town, 21st April 2012.
The Daggers finally made sure they were mathematically safe thanks to a convincing draw with promotion chasing Crawley Town – unfortunately though no fat boy Evans. A slow first half saw Charlie Wassmer do the twist by netting the opening goal, coming back to haunt the home side following his loan spell at Victoria Road a month previous. Just before the close of the first half Bingham rifled in a spectacular equaliser from outside of the box that was later voted the goal of the season.

The second half never really got going in truth and the best chance fell to John Akinde, who as you can guess made a complete hash of it, slamming it over the bar from close range. The TB Stand remained full for long after the final whistle as the home side assured themselves of league football once again next season - a fine effort from all involved in our "mini 10 game season" from which we hadn’t lost a single so far.

12. Dagenham & Redbridge 4-0 Bristol Rovers, 5th May 2012.
For once the Daggers went into the final game of the season not needing a result meaning that everyone was calm and there was no pressure on the players. Rovers started the better when Harrold struck the bar, but from then on in it was all Dagenham, specifically Brian Woodall who opened the scoring with a well executed volley where he had to adjust his body to connect with it correctly.

 Into the second half and Woodall doubled his tally by firing between debutant Gough's legs impressively; not long after and DJ Green got in on the act, some neat footwork in the box being rounded off with a composed finished to make it 3-0. The day and in fact the match ball though belonged to Woodall who finished the game off by firing a low drive into the far corner of the net to cement his Daggers Scale award as the most improved player of the season. (Video property of the BBC.)

That concludes my review of my top twelve games of the season and I hope as usual you’ve enjoyed reading. I may return with another couple of Blogs before the pre season starts, but until then, have a good Summer internet folk!

The Daggers Player Review - Part Two

This Blog is the second half of the player review, concluding the final twenty players to don the famous shirt of Dagenham this season. I hope you enjoy my account of this bunch, if you disagree with some of my decisions, feel free to leave a comment below where you can discuss with fellow supporters. The first player up is Billy Bingham...

Billy Bingham – I think the best way to describe Billy’s season is fantastic in a disappointing way. When he has played, his performances in the midfield have been top notch and he’s assured himself as one of the starters next season in my eyes, however injuries have blighted a campaign that he may have targeted as his breakthrough, having only been able to play in 32 matches. Regardless of this he’s worked his way in and performed excellently, asserting himself as a fans favourite with a keen eye for goal when 30 yards out.

Peter Gain – Peter Gain’s season has been a story of injury, much like that of Billy Bingham. He has somehow managed to muster 24 appearances this season, but ultimately his proneness to injuries and the depth in midfield has seen him released, much to my disappointment. When he has played he’s been that player we all know and love, gritty determination and never shy of a challenge or confrontation. Gainy is a top quality player and a top personality as well, wherever he may be next season (which may yet still be at Victoria Road), I wish him the best of luck.

Luke Howell – At first Luke Howell wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, however just as we were getting to like the dynamic midfielder he picked up an injury at Hereford which kept him out for around 6 months, ruining his season like a host of other players. Since his comeback though he’s been sensational and one of our best players, an all action midfielder who gets around the park he’s exactly what our side was crying out for towards the later end of the season and his reappearance really helped in our fight against relegation. I reckon he’ll be a starter next season.

Danny J Green – This season was touted by many as DJ’s breakthrough, but ultimately that didn’t happen. A string of below average performances at the start of the campaign saw DJ out of the side for a while where he ultimately “enjoyed” a few loan spells before coming back for the last game of the season. Just as everyone thought his Daggers career may have been over he put in a fantastic 45 minute performance which once again showed everyone why he was once rated so highly. I’m not waxing lyrical about him this time, but he’s definitely one to watch out for.

http://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/

Medy Elito – Medy has been a crowd divider throughout his time at Victoria Road and that appeared once more this season when several believed he wasn’t cut out for the job. However with a string of impressive performances towards the end of the season, the lightweight former Colchester man has proved his worth, popping up with several valuable goals and runs down the wing that have tormented defences. I hope he can continue to exploit pitch dimensions up and down the land next season and improve on his good end of season form. One of his best performances came against Morecambe where he played in a more central role and I’m sure that a certain member of our fan base will be willing for that to be his position next season as well.

Gavin Tomlin – I’m afraid that it’s just not going to work for Gavin at Dagenham & Redbridge. The pre season king has once again failed to cut it for the Daggers with several below par performances, even if he has contributed a number of assists. His time was up after “that” magnificent run against Bath in the FA Cup where he finished it off with an absolutely appalling shot that really told everyone he wouldn’t have a future here.

Damien Scannell – Damien was a frequently disappointing player as I felt he had what it took to be a good player for us, however his poor fitness shone through and he decided to take a supposed nice pay check at Eastleigh in favour of fighting for his place with us. I imagine he’ll be remembered not too fondly by Daggers fans, my lasting memory of him though will be his fantastic goal against Swindon in League One last season.

Ben Reeves – Beavis (and or) Butthead looked like a very promising player in his time on loan here from Southampton, but once again he didn’t really fit the team and as a result only played five games making a very minimal contribution due to not having enough of the ball.

Dominic Green – Dom was re-signed at the beginning of September and has shown what he is capable of, but only in small glimpses. Like many others, his season has been injury interrupted; hopefully he’ll play a more key role in the next campaign when his fitness should be 100%.

Josh Parker – One of the best loan players this season for me, Josh made a telling contribution following his loan move from Oldham in the later end of the season. Despite picking up an injury (where have I heard that one before), his pace and trickery endeared him to the Daggers fans, with a particular first half performance at Underhill sticking out in my memory. A very good player who I wish the very best to in the future, hopefully he doesn’t miss any more coaches on a match day though.

Jon Nurse – I will forever by indebted to Jon Nurse, but this season has been quite poor from the Daggers’ Wembley hero. A string of below average performances have seen him go under the spotlight more the once, this may have been due to the heavy workload he sustained, not being given a rest through the majority of the season. Jon is a fantastic guy and he always plays with a smile on his face but I have to admit I wasn’t at all surprised when I saw he had been released. This season I just feel that he lacked a telling contribution and his deliveries when playing wide were very poor; I wish him the best of luck in the future whether it be away from Victoria Road or not.

Jake Reed – This was a lad who promised so much following a friendly against Stevenage in pre season, but ultimately due to injuries and other circumstances has failed to deliver in his first league season. It’s only early days though and the energetic forward will surely become a fans favourite in years to come, I think a loan spell may well be in order for him next season.

John Akinde – “Akinde Magic”, returned to Victoria Road in March for a second loan spell from Crawley; however he wasn’t nearly as effective this time around. A poor loan period saw him create very few chances as well as failing to convert any chances laid on for him by teammates.

Sam Williams – Sam was a player that excited me in his brief few months of the campaign before he got injured; a summer signing from Yeovil, he proved to be very adept in the air and as a result scored three in twelve games. Just as it looked like he was going to go on a streak, he got himself injured against Crewe, an injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season. A good hold up man and someone who I believe is capable of scoring 10+ a season, hopefully he’ll return even better for next season.

Josh Scott - This season has finally seen Josh return to playing following nearly 18 months out for various reasons. His presence has been missed, however we’re yet to see the best of him with fitness clearly lacking. Hopefully with a full pre season under his belt Josh will be able to be the player that we all know he’s capable of being next season.

Rob Edmans – The £6,000 signing from Chelmsford missed the first six months of the season through a broken leg, when he did play though he looked like a constant threat. Brief cameo’s at Millwall & Wimbledon have gone a short way to justifying why the lanky striker was signed for a fee by John Still. Hopefully he’s given a go next season amongst the abundance of strikers we currently have on the books.

Troy Hewitt – QPR loanee Troy was brought in to play alongside Sam Williams, unfortunately the day after he was signed, his new partner Sam got an injury that ruled him out for the season. Hewitt is a very quick player but wasn’t really able to find his feet here in seven games, he did however look very promising against Crawley which is my lasting memory.

Cristian Montano – Yet another West Ham loan player, Montano proved a hit with Daggers fans scoring goals against Southend & relegation rivals Barnet in his stint here. Unfortunately though that love wore away following what some perceived as lack of effort, his performances dually dropped off and as a result he was called back to West Ham. I personally thought he played best with Josh Scott, unfortunately though that only happened once.

Adam Cunnington - Cunnington was signed in November from Kettering and given an immediate debut in challenging circumstances away at Accrington. In truth we are yet to see the best from Adam; however we've seen glimpses with displays at Oxford in particular standing out. One thing that has disappointed me is that he hasn't yet been given the chance to start at Victoria Road, something which I feel would have been very beneficial to him.

Brian Woodall – Brian is quite possibly the next gem that has been found by John Still. A signing from Gresley, he was thrust into the side from the start following a glut of injuries. After a slow beginning he found his feet in the FA Cup against Bath and since then he hasn’t really looked back. He always gives 110% and has a knack of scoring vital goals at the right times in games, next season could really be something special for Woodall; one thing is for certain though and that’s that he’ll have the fans backing 100%.

That concludes the player review for this season; I hope you’ve enjoyed it. We still have more to come over the close season though, starting with a match report from Wembley on the League Two Play Off Final this coming Sunday. We will then indulge you with my top 10/12 games of the season before rounding it all off with a look back at my pre season predictions for League Two.

Our special interview will now be conducted towards the start of next season following a brief discussion so that’s something for you all to look forward to in the future.

The Daggers Player Review - Part One.

In two Blogs we'll take a look at every single player that has donned the Daggers shirt this season and evaluate their contribution and what next season holds for them. As we have an abundance of players on the books that have played this season we'll split the review up into two separate Blogs.

Chris Lewington – It’s pretty simple really, this man has had a superb first season in The Football League. Despite the fact he may have had a few lapses which have cost us points, he has done more than his fair share to win them back. It’s not just his shot saving abilities that have endeared him to Victoria Road though, it’s the way he’s stepped into the void left by long standing ‘keeper Tony Roberts; something that I imagine is extremely hard to do. He’s a player that really excites me for next season where we’ll hopefully see him develop even more.

Dave Hogan – This season has really seen the emergence of Dave with his cameo in the 0-5 home defeat to Cheltenham being his highlight. He tries his best and is the last gasp option on the bench, that’s basically it.

Jonathan Bond – Bond came in for a brief five game stint midway through the season when Lewington was banned and for the large part played a very important role. Like Lewington he had good shot stopping abilities with a particular save at Morecambe standing out in many people’s memories, a good ‘keeper who should make the grade at Watford if he continued to progress and gain experience out on loan.

James Shea – Originally signed on loan for the entire season, Shea played just four games before he was recalled by parent club Arsenal because of lack of first team action. Unfortunately for him the form of Chris Lewington meant that he was reduced to cup appearances, he will however be remembered for the penalty save against Orient which sent us through in the JPT after an enthralling contest.

Mark Arber – The Daggers captain has had something of a two sided season. Throughout the first few months he carried an injury but continued to play, something that can be viewed as quite brave and quite naive as it did hinder the team. He came back from that sensationally though and has been like a rock in the second half of the campaign, his performances obviously improving significantly and once again justifying why he’s still a superb central defender. The flak he’s had from some fans this season is barbaric and I for one hope he continues on next season either as a squad player or a starter.

Damien McCrory – It’s been something of an indifferent season for Damien who hasn’t really performed to the best of his abilities throughout. Despite his attacking prowess down the wings when bombing forward, the defensive side of his game leaves a lot to be desired at times which has angered some fans.

Femi – I cannot tell you how much of a shame it’s been that Femi has been injured for large swathes of this season as it had the components to be a really defining year for the youngster. The games he has played he’s looked very impressive and played with a maturity beyond his years, a hard going competitive youngster, I think he’ll make the left back spot his own in the next campaign providing he has no more injury setbacks.

Mathieu Baudry – This man needs no introduction, quite simply the best loan signing we have ever made.  The on loan Bournemouth defender has made eleven appearances and if truth be told has looked far better than his counterparts in the majority of this. His calm play it out from the back style combined with hard hitting tackles has made him a favourite in his short time at Victoria Road; the only disappointing aspect is that he couldn’t bag a goal to be remembered by! With Bournemouth having released him I hold the very slight optimism that we may be able to bag him on a permanent deal.

Exodus Geohaghan – He made two appearances against Port Vale & Southend United and he’ll be remembered for either being a donkey or nearly gifting a last gasp winner to Southend at Roots Hall in the first game of 2012. The less said about the lanky centre half the better.

Scott Doe – This campaign hasn’t been one of Doey’s best I’m sure he’ll agree, but he has been important nonetheless. He has shown gradual improvement and good manoeuvrability when being forced to play at right back towards the end of the season, something which is highly valued by John Still. Not only has the defensive side of his game been pretty impressive, he’s also chipped in with six goals, the majority coming via his now infamous front post run.

Richard Rose – It’s very hard to judge Richard Rose as he’s hardly had a run of games this year. The game he has played he’s looked like a pretty solid player apart from the roasting Ryan Hall gave him at Roots Hall. His lack of pace doesn’t really favour him but he makes up for that with good tackling and popping up with the odd 95^th minute goal to nick a win against Crewe.

Phil Walsh – I really do love Phil Walsh as a person, but as a footballer I don’t quite think he’s up to the standard required. He tries his hardest and at Bristol Rovers this season I began to think it may work, but with his contract running out and overall poor form I think it may be the end of the Daggers’ favourite character.

Charlie Wassmer – Another loan defender who’s sole contribution in a Daggers shirt was giving away a penalty at Port Vale. He did look very composed though when forced to see out those final twenty minutes, furthermore he looked even better when Crawley visited us in late April.

Abu Ogogo – Abu is renowned around Victoria Road for being Mr Consistent but this season he’s added another string to his bow by becoming Mr Versatile. In the first months of the season he excelled in his familiar right back role but in 2012 he was switched to centre midfield to combat injuries to other players and for the large part he hasn’t looked back. His energy and willingness have seen him become a fantastic player in another position despite some early nerves; a fantastic season for Abu and for many people, the Daggers’ player of the season.

Mickey Spillane – Where do you start with Mickey? One of John Still’s best signings, since joining from Brentford in November Mickey has played 33 times and made a telling contribution in each of the matches. Whether he is scoring with a pin point header, stringing passes together in a midfield role or putting in crunching tackles at centre half he’s been vital and is well worthy of being included in a player of the season vote. A sensational season from the 23 year old and I don’t really have a bad word to say about Mickey.

Ahmed Abdulla – Ahmed has been a bit part player towards the end of the season who hasn’t really had the chance to make an impact. I don’t feel he was suited to our style and as a result I never really took to the former Hammers midfielder; despite this it was a shrewd move by Stilly to bring Ahmed in for midfield cover.

Ollie Lee – Following his loan stint here towards the back end of last season we took him back for the first couple of months where he once again proved that we were just not suited to eachother. Despite trying his best to play the ball on the floor and scoring a superb free kick against Morecambe, he will ultimately be remembered for his scuffle with fans favourite Jon Nurse after the 3-1 defeat at Crawley Town in October.

Eoin Wearen – Yet another West Ham youngster who was limited to just four appearances, two of which came in the FA Cup against Millwall. I quite liked the look of him from the minutes of action we saw from the lad but he’s another who wasn’t here long enough to make an impact or for me to give a real assessment.

Matt Saunders – Matt was brought in following another midfield crisis in 2012, making his debut on Valentine’s Day against Oxford United. In the five games he did play before his season was corrupted by injury he looked like a dynamic midfielder which excited me, the high point being his match winning free kick against Bradford City, with the low coming when he injured himself in the celebrations. A player I’m looking forward to seeing more of next season.

Kevin Maher – Kevin was signed towards the end of the summer and within hours he found himself ruled out thanks to a broken metatarsal. After eventually making his debut and establishing himself in the side during the Christmas period, the Daggers went on a run of seven games unbeaten which is surely no coincidence. The aging midfielder gave a confidence to play the ball on the floor which helped dramatically, whether he’ll be here next season though remains to be seen.

This is the first half of the review completed, the second part will come either later in the week or over the weekend depending on how much spare time I have to contend with.

Daggers 4-0 Bristol Rovers, Woodall or Messi?

Dagenham & Redbridge completed the season in style thanks to a 4-0 rout of woeful Bristol Rovers at Victoria Road in a match that saw Brian Woodall score his first ever Football League Hat Trick; I'm sure brighter things beckon for him in the future.

Before the match I was predicting a draw even though final day form indicated that it clearly wouldn't be. Whilst we have been members of The Football League, we have alternated year on year between defeat and victory on the final day, currently the score stood at 2-2 with victories over Mansfield & Darlington and defeats against Shrewsbury & Peterborough. There was more at stake though with the Barking & Dagenham Post Prediction League Trophy destined to head towards the home of either myself or arch nemesis Lee Wilson.

I arrived at Victoria Road for the final time this season at around 14:20 where I proceeded through the turnstiles to have a chat with the Horan’s & Dawson. That chat predominantly featured the new sky blue away kit which looked simply amazing, a wonderful throwback which everyone is looking forward to getting next season. It was also confirmed that we would be holding a friendly against Brighton in August, something to look forward to even if it is slightly early.

As the time wore on I approached the Sieve where I chose to stand with Lee where the prediction league tenseness began to show. Following a brief standoff I bought my burger and listened to the team news which was as follows,

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

John Still opted to make a single change from the defeat last weekend by bringing Josh Parker into the midfield in a move which saw Ogogo drop back to his familiar right back formation as Scott Doe was missing. This also saw a change of formation as the home side would be sporting a more natural 4-4-2 line up which included a strong midfield of Billy Bingham and Luke Howell.

Bristol Rovers: Gough, Woodards, Bolger, Brown, Downes, Gill, Paterson, Dorman, Harrold, Carayol, Richard. Subs: Smith, Sawyer, Brown, Zebroski, Harding.

The final game of the season saw Mark McGhee give a debut to new 18 year old goalkeeper Conor Gough who was signed from Charlton Athletic in the week. Former Aberdeen manager McGhee made two other changes from the side that battered Accrington Stanley 5-1 last weekend bringing in Danny Woodards & Lee Brown in place of Gary Sawyer & Michael Smith. Former Dagger Matt Harrold was also given the chance to add to his season tally of 18 goals by starting up front.

As the crowd began to grow restless with anticipation, Billy, Josh & Chaz joined us in the Sieve just before kickoff. Much to my disappointment Pulse were not performing for the last time this season which meant the run up to the game was very dull and unspectacular. Eventually as the 600+ Rovers fans settled into their seats the music came over the tannoy and the teams were led out by match referee Mr Haywood.

Following all of the pre match rituals and the captain’s photographs which today included Abu Ogogo, the teams swapped ends and we were ready to start the contest. The Daggers would be attacking The Bury Road End whilst Rovers would be firing towards their own fans in The Traditional Builders Stand. The time just crept over 15:00 and the referee blew his whistle to signal the start for the final time this season.

The game started with an instant talking point when Bristol Rovers advanced goalwards early on. Mustapha Carayol made a superb run which was countered by Billy Bingham, however amongst a cluster of players the ball eventually broke to former Dagger Matt Harrold 20 yards out who hit a fierce volley that clipped the top of the bar as it went out of play for a goal kick. Early warning signs from the Gas who had scored 14 in their last three home matches but none away in their last four.

The game continued its attacking vibe minutes later when good interchange between Howell & Woodall saw the later have a shot towards goal blocked by a brave Rovers defender. Conor Gough was then tested for the first time in the chequered shirt of the Pirates as Oldham loan star Josh Parker fired a tame shot low towards the corner of the goal. With 7 minutes gone Carayol, who is prone to scoring sensational goals tested Lewington from 25 yards out, but Lewy was equal to the strike and saved it comfortably.

With 15 minutes gone the pace of the game began to decrease as both sides were continuing to be restricted to shots from outside of the box, Woodall being the latest candidate to fire wide of the mark from over 20 yards. Five minutes later and the Daggers were handed a chance to open the scoring from a dead ball situation following a foul on Josh Scott. It was free kick hero Mickey Spillane to take it, however Mickey couldn't get the ball over the wall meaning the danger was cleared once more.

Josh Scott was now working himself into the game well and flashed another shot onto the top of the net as the home side pressed home their dominance over the lacklustre Pirates. Aaron Downes then received the first booking of the game following a poor challenge in the middle of the park.

With thanks to Arnu for the picture.

Just as we approached the half way point in the opening 45 minutes Brian Woodall stepped up and opened the scoring for the Daggers. Josh Parker picked up the ball on the right hand side and dribbled forwards before crossing the ball towards the middle of the box where Woodall was on hand to volley home with impressive technique, leaving Gough with no chance on his debut. A thoroughly deserved lead for the home side who had dominated the opening stages.

Following the opening goal the game began to calm down a bit, only another Matt Harrold strike troubling the pretty comfortable Lewington between the sticks. With just under half an hour played the Victoria Road outfit came almightily close to doubling the scoreline. Some more good play from danger man Woodall saw the former Gresley front man slip in Josh Parker whose right footed strike went inches past the far post leaving the Sieve in a chorus of "Ooh's" and "Ahh's."

The final opportunity of the first half fell to the boot of Eliot Richards and much like his teammates he could only manage to fire a shot straight at the body of the thankful Lewington as the score remained 1-0 to the Daggers going into the half time break.

During the half time interlude I took it upon myself to flick through the programme once more whilst having a chat to those around me. We were then informed of the West Ham vs Spurs Legends game for the 78th time of the afternoon so far, did you know it will include Daggers legend Tony Roberts? As the clouds began to cover the sky once more, the teams returned from the dressing rooms and resumed their positions on the pitch for the start of the second half.

Just before we kicked off John Still opted to make an out of sort’s half time change, bringing on Danny J Green following his loan spell at Dover for the impressive Josh Parker. The second half started slowly with Spillane failing in his attempt to score with a speculative overhead kick and Ogogo testing the Rovers defence with an enticing cross towards the back post.

With just over 10 minutes played in the second half, Brian Woodall doubled his and the Daggers' tally for the afternoon with a lovely left footed finish through Gough's legs following a misjudged clearance from Aaron Downes. Yet more good play and good finishing from Woodall as Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray watched on in the Victoria Road crowd.

JS rang the changes.

In a four minute period both sides opted to make two changes apiece. Mark McGhee twisted first as he brought on Gary Sawyer and former Fulham midfielder Wayne Brown for Jim Paterson and Lee Brown. John Still then made his final two changes; Luke Howell & Josh Scott were withdrawn for the exciting Jake Reed and Peter Gain who received a warm ripple of applause upon his return from a long standing injury.

The home side then increased their lead to three following fantastic play from substitute Danny J Green. A throw in from Abu Ogogo was knocked into the path of Green by Downes once more and this time the prodigy Green made sure he got his name on the scoresheet. A deft touch with his thigh saw him dodge three Rovers defenders before cutting back onto his favoured left foot and prodding the ball underneath Gough to make it three.

That was Green's first professional goal despite being involved heavily at the back end of last season and being a common sub option at the start of this campaign. This should enable DJ to push on when the club get back in pre season and hopefully see him challenge for a starting spot next year.

Minutes after the goal and Jake Reed was tripped up in cynical fashion which saw Cian Bolger go into the referee's notebook. Eliot Richards was then replaced by Mitch Harding as Rovers made their final change of the 2011/2012 season. The Daggers then won a free kick in a good position and somewhat surprisingly, Billy Bingham was on hand to strike the ball fiercely towards goal but Gough was equal to it and dually palmed it away.

Brian Woodall was clearly now on overdrive with confidence and he came so close to making it 4-0 after some superb play on the far side. Woodall who has become renowned for his energy and willingness to chase down a lost cause slid to keep a ball in play on the by-line and flick it past his marker, after a few trots into the box the hit man fired a curling shot that was tipped away well by Gough who was enjoying a baptism of fire on his debut.

Five minutes later and Woodall who has more energy than a Duracell battery managed to make it 4-0 and clinch his totally deserved first ever league hat trick. A touch a piece from Gain & Elito including a fantastic challenge from Jake Reed saw the ball break to Woodall on the right hand side, with the confidence flowing Brian hit the ball perfectly with his right peg and it flew into the corner of the net much to everyone's delight. If this lad's here next season I'll be surprised.

Mark McGhee was clearly unimpressed with his side and following another shocking miss from Matt Harrold the Rovers fans gave up to, with the majority providing their own entertainment by starting a conga up. This not only amused them but us as well, the whole thing drew good applause from the Sieve before it was eventually completed. Well done to those who came in fancy dress as well, a particular favourite of mine being Mr Blobby.

We then had a stoppage in play following a Jake Reed challenge on Danny Woodards. Whilst Reed looked to have won the ball he may have clipped the man as well seeing as though Woodards was down for quite a few minutes. He was eventually carried off of the pitch and Reed was cautioned for his part in the affair. I'd like to wish Woodards a speedy recovery following the news that he'll be out for the next 3 months.

As the fourth official announced three minutes the realisation that the season was coming to a close hit us all as the Daggers played champagne football along the floor. Danny J Green nearly rounded the game off but his low effort was saved well by Gough which meant the final score remained at 4-0 as the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of proceedings in the game and for the season.

That was the end of the game and the players went into the dressing room before coming back out and doing their lap of honour. After five minutes or so they came back out and received good applause from all that remained to witness the player of the season results. It was Mickey Spillane who won the award much to the surprise of most of us; I'll decide my choices in a Blog to be done later in the next fortnight.

As for the game, a resounding victory to end the season and I was especially pleased for Brian Woodall who bagged a hat trick to end his first league season as top scorer with 13 goals to his name; a tremendous achievement. Everyone played well in truth; I cannot pick a single man who played poorly, a fantastic team effort. It was a far better performance than the one that graced the rain soaked pitch at The Memorial Stadium back in November I can tell you that much!

John Still then took hold of the microphone and adressed the fans for the final time this season, congratulating us on our support and explaining how today we had seen, "the real Dagenham." To be quite honest, I think he's right and I for one am looking forward to next season which will hopefully herald better things.

As for Bristol Rovers, despite it being the final match of the season with nothing to play for they were very poor. Matt Harrold offered the only relief from the constant Daggers pressure and even then he was very hard pushed to test Lewington. A final mention must go to the 680 Gasheads who made the trip, a very well done to them; they contributed very well to the afternoon.

My only concern from the afternoon is that I wonder if it’s the last time we’ll see a number of the players in action. Brian Woodall & Abu Ogogo are bound to attract interest in the Summer and I don’t personally believe that Damien McCrory’s contract will be extended. With 36 scouts present at Victoria Road yesterday including representatives from Manchester United & Celtic, who knows what the future holds.

Following the match Lee, Billy, Josh & I headed into the heaving upstairs bar in the clubhouse to watch the cup final where Sean Murphy (no relation) was on hand to provide the half time entertainment with his head being shaved. A massive well done to him as he raised £140 for Cancer Research.

(I'm the better looking one on the right)

Then came the biggest part of the day with Lee & I jointly receiving our Prediction League trophy from Joshua Richards who ended his stint covering the Daggers with the Barking & Dagenham Post yesterday, a big thank you to him for fantastic coverage over the season.

That's about it chaps, the final match report of the season has been completed so you'll have to wait until July in pre season for the next one I'm afraid! I will have several end of the season articles coming up though including a possible interview.

I hope you've enjoyed this season and enjoyed reading these match reports and I hope that you'll join me again next season!

Remember to follow me on Twitter, @NickDRFCMurphy.