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Dagenham & Redbridge 6 Chester City 2 |
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 12 February 2008 |
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| Dagenham & Redbridge
6
Strevens 13, 60 Uddin 15 Rainford 23 Nurse 83 Hall 90 | Football League 2
Victoria Road Tuesday 12th February 2008 | Roberts 51 Murphy 90 | With both these sides dreadfully out of form, many people among the Daggers lowest crowd of the season were probably expecting a dull, scrappy struggle from this League Two fixture. Instead they were treated to one of the most entertaining games seen at Victoria Road for many a year, and it was only a shame that some of the entertainment became lost in the fog!!
John Still sprang yet more surprises in his team selection. Mark Arber, returning to the Club for another loan spell, came into the heart of defence at the expense of Jon Boardman who went from starter to not in the squad. Dave Rainford and Glen Southam returned to the centre of the park at the expense of Taiwo and Gain, the later not even making the bench, Sam Sloma replaced Ryan Hall on the left and International star Jon Nurse came back in to partner Ben Strevens at the expense of Shabazz Baidoo.
The start of the game was indeed a scrappy one, but it burst into life on 13 minutes. Foster's long throw was not cleared and Ben Strevens did really well to turn and volley home from 10 yards. The uplift in the team and crowd could be seen, and minutes later the home side were awarded a free kick on the right hand side, about 30 yards from goal. Sloma swung in a pacey delivery and Anwar Uddin made clean contact with a glancing header to put the Daggers two up. Chester tried to get back into the game through Mark Hughes (not the real one!!) and Murphy, while at the other end Danny Foster hit high and wide from distance. But just before the half hour mark the Daggers struck again. Strevens, Southam, Saunders and Foster all linked well on the right, and the move ended with Foster crossing and Dave Rainford bursting into the box to head home. The Daggers forced a couple more corners before the break, from which the visiting keeper looked very uncomfortable while Mark Arber's presence at the back was helping the Daggers rear-guard. Then right on half time the Daggers attacked again and as the ball was crossed and a goal looked certain, referee and general smug clown Gavin Ward blew his whistle.
The main worry for the Daggers faithful at half time appeared to be the thickening fog, especially when news came through that games had been called off at nearby Grays and Gillingham due to the conditions. However, 6 minutes into the second half they had worries of a different nature when Murphy broke down the City right. He had time to pick a low cross to Kevin Roberts who was able to take a touch before firing past Tony Roberts.
For a while the Daggers were all at sea as Chester looked to find a way back into the game. However, as the fog lifted so did the Daggers chances of climbing out of the bottom. Jon Nurse won a flick on at the edge of the Chester box, and from 12 yards Strevens turned and volleyed into the top corner to restore the three goal advantage. The Daggers were now starting to play with more confidence and they kept coming forward. Strevens narrowly failed to convert a Griffiths cross, and Southam and Saunders both tried to create chances coming in from the right hand side. From one such attack the Daggers won a corner, and Sam Sloma's excellent delivery was headed home by Jon Nurse for his first league goal for the Club, and his first in any competition at Victoria Road. City had a couple of long range efforts which did not trouble Roberts, and then with the game in injury time Richie Partridge broke out wide for City and crossed for Murphy to head home. But if anyone thought that might take some gloss off the home team's performance, they were wrong. Glen Southam played a delightful through ball to Ryan Hall and the Palace loanee swept the ball home with his left foot, to ensure the game finished 6-2.
With other results also going how they would have liked, it was a good night for John Still's men.
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