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Written by Administrator
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Saturday, 16 December 2006 |
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| Dagenham & Redbridge
2
Benson 65 Mackail-Smith 71 | FA Trophy
Victoria Road Saturday 16th December 2006
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Dagenham progressed through to the second round of the FA Trophy with what was in the end a comfortable 2-0 victory over Crawley.
John Still resisted the temptation to give any of the fringe squad players a game with the impending departure of Mackail-Smith and Blackett and named his strongest possible side with Cliff Akurang coming in for the suspended Sam Saunders and the reutrn form injury of Sam Sloma and Scott Griffiths. Jake Leberl moved back to centre back while Tim Cole dropped to the bench.
The early exchanges were fairly dour as both teams took more than a while to find their feet, indeed looking at the clcok 20 minutes had passed before Glenn Southam was given a sigther at goal but his effort from the right hand side of the box whilstled over. At the other end popular ex-Dagenham, Exeter, Notts County, Tamworth, Barnet, Peterborough, Southend, Cambridge, QPR, Stoke, Man City, Cardiff, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace player Tony Scully actually made a decent run before scuffing his shot into the hands of Tony Roberts.
Dagenham frustratingly continued to play the ball in the air to often and often turned down the easy ball in favour of trying the 'magic ball' which failed 9 times out of 10. However when they kept it simple the one piece of controversy of the first half happened. Akurang received the ball on the half-way line and flicked the ball through to Benson who had beaten the offside trap but got in a almighty tangle with Bostwick who felled him. Some will say there was still a long way to go and the referee was right in issuing only a yellow card but it could easily have been a red card as Benson had a clear path through to goal (look at Henchoz red card for Blackburn last week!)
Just before the break crawley thought they were in front as Ryan Peters got through the defence and hit a thunderbolt seemingly towards the top corner the ball only hit the side netting though following a slight touch by Robbo.
The second half also started slowly but with both teams not really wanting a replay the action improved around the hour mark, Blackburn hit a decent shot from Twenty yards which Robbo saved well before Benson at the other end hit a great volley on the turn that the crawley keeper Hamer who didn't look like he could kick, catch or punch showed what he was in the goal for with a wonderful tip over the bar.
Unfortunately for Hamer the next time he came to kick the ball under no pressure at all he setup Dagenhams opener by scuffing the ball straight to Benson who kicked the ball first time from 30 yards straight back into the net. The cricket celebration was duly noted and forwarded on to Duncan Fletcher who could well be looking for players with this character.
Having got the goal Dagenham seemed to play a bit more and the second goal was from the top drawer and in particular from Big Cliff who really impressed by twisting the crawley defenders this way and that and sent an inch perfact cross that Mackail-Smith couldn't miss to make it 2-0.
More goals should have arrived with Hamer again showing his shot stopping at point blank range from Benson and a Rainford header being scrambled away.
An important victory for the Daggers after a coupe of diappointing results and it gets the confidence up well for the Boxing Day match against Grays
Upminster Daggers Man of the Match - Cliff Akurang
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