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Dagenham & Redbridge 2 Morecambe 0 |
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Written by Administrator
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Saturday, 23 February 2008 |
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| Dagenham & Redbridge
2
Gain 33 Strevens 90 | Football League 2
Victoria Road Saturday 23rd February 2008 |
| The Daggers secured their 3rd win in a row for the first time in the football league as they beat fellow former Conference side, Morecambe.
Dagenham went into the game naming the same side that had performed so admirably at Grimsby, again adopting 3-5-2. Changes did occur on the bench as there was no place for Ryan Hall or Jon Boardman, replaced by Sam Sloma and Sam Saunders. Jim Bentley didn't figure for the Shrimps due to a calf injury.
Early on the game was very scrappy, the windy conditions and a bobbly pitch not suited to good football. We also had an over fussy official in Mr Penton who found it hard to let the game flow. Dagenham took the lead in the 20th minute but it is difficult to say it was a moment of quality! Peter Gain found himself in acres of space attacking the Shrimps goal 30 yards out. As he advanced he tried his luck with a swerving effort which proved to difficult for Jalal to deal with. He should have saved comfortably but allowed the effort to go through his legs after parrying and into the net. Glen Southam saw an effort drift wide, as did Jon Nurse but it was Morecambe who should have drawn level as both Thompson and Adams missed when well placed. As the Half time whistle blew, Carl Baker and a Morecambe director took issue to the antics of Roberts in the Daggers goal, actions that only drew a fiery response from the veteran Welshmen!
Morecambe improved straight away as the Daggers, knowing the importance of the 3 points, sat off their opponents. Baker and Twiss missed from the edge of the area but the back 3, superbly marshalled by Mark Arber, seemed equal to the task. The team increased in confidence however, forcing the away side into a series of last-ditch clearances. Peter Gain thought he had added a second goal with a well struck volley that Jalal kept out one-handed at a comfortable height.Then Jalal flapped at a Southam corner but was relieved to hear the referees whistle as the ball hit the back of the net.
The fraying nerves of the home crowd were not helped when the officials deemed there to be 4 minutes of added time but it was deep into these that Ben Strevens made the game safe, beating Jalal to an awful Artell back-pass and turning into the empty net. A hard-fought victory and just what the doctor ordered.
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