The Cup exploits of our initially-scheduled opponents made for a rare empty weekend just gone, but certainly not a quiet one coming off the announcement that our American owners are putting their shares on the market with immediate effect.
A statement by the consortium's Executive Chairman and main spokesperson Peter Freund was published on the club website, explaining the decision which was initially revealed externally by news corporation the Athletic. He mentioned immense regret at failing the supporters, in not being able to deliver promotion, and feels the time is right to pass the reigns to another entity who can fare better on that front. While somewhat sudden in its timing, this news does not come as a complete surprise given how their investment has scaled back since the latter segment of last season when higher earners began being offloaded from the wage bill, allowing for a reset in the playing budget this time around. They were entirely justified doing so to their business, especially having previously funded a budget easily within the division's top seven, though performances on the pitch were never anywhere near good enough in proportion to take us there. Indeed, the season where we went from the early frontrunners - and third as far as the new year - to missing out on the play-offs altogether was by far the closest we came to success, which really speaks volumes. As for the rest... 18th, 17th, 12th, 10th - all a long way off where we should have been. Though not for the want of trying or extensive investment along the way, on the pitch where the success of a club fundamentally hinges, we have gone in complete circles to eventually end up no closer to our Football League ambition than when they first came into the club. While acknowledging this brutal if undeniable truth, the Americans cited infrastructural improvements as evidence of a positive legacy besides, as would be remiss not to mention. These have certainly given the place a more polished aesthetic which may well enhance the image through the eyes of any prospective buyers, but it's the football which anchors everything, in determining supporter satisfaction and consequently how many turn up. While ultimately just peaks and troughs in a directionless cycle, two distinct periods stand out as positive memories under them, the first being the final two months of 2018. Seven wins from eight, including consecutive against the top (and eventually promoted) two Salford City then Leyton Orient within half a week, not to forget that surreal stoppage time turnaround at Hartlepool United as well - things really couldn't have got much better. That felt like something of a honeymoon period which was always going to level out, but two years later came genuine belief that we had finally found the formula that would yield long-term success, as a stunning victory over title favourites Stockport County commenced to an electric spell atop the division while scoring goals for fun. However, this also preluded the impulsive mistake which arguably set the wheels in motion towards this very situation, as the prematurely-awarded new contract to Daryl McMahon had to be paid up early, while many of his expensive recruits still had running deals we either had to terminate at further cost or fulfil to the detriment of current resources. Who knows how different everything would have been otherwise? Maybe not at all, but either way that was a reckless call and I remember everyone thinking so even when all was still going well. Perhaps, then, the biggest flaw was naïvety. That word also comes to mind, bordering on negligence infact, when considering that there was never a trusted representative of the consortium itself, based permanently at Victoria Road to actively implement their visions on a daily basis. While there would certainly have been correspondence, I think we would have benefitted from a that hands-on, frontline authority. Whatever happened, or didn't, one thing for sure is that nobody wanted it to go this way. Now, what next? Freund has indicated he will continue funding the club, presumably not leaving us in the lurch with significant outlay like his predecessor, until a suitable replacement is found. Whether there will be further cuts to the budget throughout that time, however long it turns out to be, is as yet unknown. Certainly, we're entering an unknown period on which the future may just be shaped - possibilities and great apprehension. To summarise this chapter: these are very successful businessmen in the field of franchise sports, but in the volatile and unforgiving cauldron of English football where underperformance can jeopardise everything, merely having money was just not enough.
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This brief interlude from league action at approximately its third way checkpoint - as the FA Cup momentarily seized focus with the retrospectively ironic possibility of some desperately-needed escapism - feels like an opportune time to deconstruct our progress thus far... or rather lack thereof.
For it has been simply disastrous, illustrated by our positioning within the dreaded bottom four alongside the National League North's promoted duo AFC Fylde and Kidderminster Harriers, plus perennial strugglers Maidenhead United, around whom our company is neither put of place nor misaligned with all performance metrics. Quite simply, we are where we deserve to be, having played enough games for the table to hold credibility. Case in point, that the bottom four this time last year contained three of the sides who eventually went down in Maidstone United, Scunthorpe United and Torquay United, while the other, Yeovil Town, were just outside. Gateshead, in 22nd, were the anomaly we must seek to emulate although I'm not convinced whether there are the necessarily the requisite tools to do so. Whether a survival battle does ensue, one must wait and see, but it's certainly not fear-mongering to suggest the possibility on all evidence so far. Primarily the 'Goals Scored' column, which is of staggeringly stark contrast to previous years when our potency at finding the net would frequency mask the deficiencies at the other end. They are now been somewhat resolved, with our tally of 20 conceded actually lower than league leaders Chesterfield, although still more than we can muster in response thus a recipe for us narrowly losing games by fine margins. However, when these repeat so regularly, they polarise in the grander scheme, hence how things are. The obvious rebuttal and source of encouragement against all this is the fact there have been strong spells among virtually every performance - we did a real job on Barnet, had Chesterfield worried for 70 minutes, plus merited a point against both Bromley and Hartlepool to reference just those inside the top seven, while controlling many other games, but if anything this only amplifies the concern further because we surely reach higher gears than already, so there is little alluding to a change in fortunes. Unless we somehow conjure up three points via a sudden moment of magic or luck, as happened in the latter category at home to Barnet, which proved the springboard for two further victories. Minus that solitary week, though, the form is deplorable with none besides. Chuck in the hand grenade of last Saturday's humiliating cup exit to Bracknell Town and any remaining leeway towards Ben Strevens has surely expired. For all his affirmations about building a team on foundations of workmanlike graft, whom we can be proud of, at the minute feelings could not be more drastically opposed. Everybody wants him to succeed here, possibly more than any predecessor in the dugout, because his genuine desperation to do so is clear to see. He's not a blagger attempting to pull the wool over people's eyes, rather a decent guy who truly deserves the backing, having inherited a difficult challenge. That being said, the judgement was always going to come when he built his own side. It is plainly not living up to expectations, and downgraded ones at that, in proportion with a budget that has evidently been cut but not to the extent which justifies our current placement. Certain factors have undeniably conspired against him - from unfortunate unavailabilities like Josh Hare and Tom Eastman within the opening fortnight, Myles Weston while on international duty for Antigua, now seemingly Ryan Hill too - to ones completely out of the ordinary, in essence Inih Effiong. However, most teams go through these spells with few, if any, ever able to name their strongest theoretical eleven. It has not been ideal for us, but also isn't an excuse for how poor we've been. So arrives a huge few days whereby Woking then Boreham Wood visit Victoria Road. We simply cannot afford to drop more points than we take from this double-header otherwise questions really will have to be asked. The placebo of pre-season football arrives invitingly to reel you in from the drought of summer. While pleasurable to watch your team again, the yearning for something more, something real, very quickly supersedes. The cravings it seems to satisfy only grow stronger, yet the wait is so nearly over... For, next time we step onto a pitch will be the authentic occasion that everything has been building towards. These friendlies have served to prepare us well through very valuable tests against a variety of sides - ranging from West Ham to Romford with most being a decent barometer of our credentials - in which we've looked largely impressive although this time of year can of course be deceptive. Case in point, us beating Crystal Palace five days before a 2015/16 season whereby we tumbled unceremoniously out of League Two's backdoor without winning a single home game until March. However, patterns of play are a window into events on the training pitch and trends can foreshadow what to expect. Certainly both are worth paying attention to more than the superficial result on the surface, and probably the most important has been our deployment of a 5-3-2 formation throughout as it indicates with near certainty that Strevens will be configuring us that way going forwards. This would rightfully concern the fanbase given his predecessor's flawed attempts at playing that way, which forced square pegs in round holes, however this time is likely to be with more balance in the side. Logically, that comes first and foremost by using players suited to the position. Lewis Page and Josh Hare, our likely starters on either side, possess great positional sense plus a strong engine which can carry them across the flanks, while Ryan Hill and Sam Ling could easily fulfil the role too. It will be an enormous difference to forcing natural wingers like Myles Weston, Mauro Vilhete, etc, there in lopsided fashion - these players fit the system better rather than being shoehorned into it. Pertaining to personnel, there was major worry about our midfield after the entire department Strevens initially inherited was torn apart: Dean Rance leaving virtually straight away, Matt Robinson's long association coming to an end, Mo Sagaf begrudgingly moving on and Omar Mussa (though still under contract) exiled from the club without any realistic chance of representing it again. Therefore, an enormous rebuild was required there this summer and it's testament to the recruitment that we might actually have a better, more cohesive unit on paper at least. Jake Hessenthaler, Conor Lawless, Frank Vincent and Josh Rees are our new options, comprising a nice blend of robustness, technical craft, passing range and attacking awareness. Playing against quality operators in that field like Tomáš Souček, Darren Pratley and George Moncur of late has been a decent measure, with our lads holding their own. Lawless is a potential young gem among experience, who can absolutely reach the skill and physical stature required despite looking somewhat lightweight. A few Gillingham players found out that's certainly not the case when he flew into crunching tackles. I'm confident we'll have nobody shirking or shying away from those with Hessenthaler in there. Fondly regarded by former clubs including the most recent one Crawley, the general consensus is that he could still play League Two. Frank Vincent, too, is highly thought of by Notts County where you don't spent two years (albeit loaned out for a bit) unless a very talented footballer. Rees is a bit different having slightly regressed by all accounts, with his game time declining at Boreham Wood, but he brings a goal threat there which we haven't had for a while. Another problem we've attempted to address is a defence that was horrifically porous in shipping over seventy goals. Lewis Page and Tom Eastman are Football League calibre additions there without doubt, which changes things monumentally. The latter is the mould of centre half we have long been crying out for, Colchester's record four time 'Player of the Year' moving across Essex (location in reality the only reason we got him) with the potential to transform us having spent his entire career at a higher level, which definitely shows. Likewise Page, although he is much less of a safer bet given recurring injuries have plagued him for ages, but it's a risk worth taking based off the ability showcased during the friendlies. Quite simply a cut above, the left-sided technician reads the game seamlessly through superb positioning, can drive purposefully down the line and deliver perfect crosses - all with the technique of a footballer far beyond this level so *if*, and a big if, we can keep him fit then there is major cause for excitement. The backline also has the continual safety net of knowing that the excellent Elliot Justham, now deservedly our captain on top, is behind it. While the ex West Ham and Charlton player's class was expected, that of Sydney Ibie or more specifically its stark progression took many by surprise. He seems to have undergone a year plus of evolution in the summer so any thoughts that he might go on loan like Blair did, or even just be an impact sub at times, have been replaced with the overriding one that he deserves to start. A throwback to the unpolished diamonds we used to unearth deep among the non-league wilderness, the Dutchman could cause big problems via his unique combination of pacy trickery allied with a target man frame. Here are three variations of how we might start off, all under the assumption we will line up with a back five of Page, Ling, Eastman, Phipps and Hare, while Hessenthaler and Vincent play in midfield, behind our main attacking force Effiong. The first selection has Ibie supporting him, Rees as an advanced number ten but may he displaced by Lawless who could sit further back besides Hessenthaler. Alternatively, all four midfielders could play in separate banks of two, namely Rees and Vincent ahead of the deeper duo, then Effiong alone up front. It almost feels disrespectful not incorporating Weston somehow so of course he may have a place. Notwithstanding the big hopes around him, likewise for our loan capture Charley Kendall, it is slightly concerning that our only guaranteed marksman is Inih Effiong. Even if he manages to replicate his career-high 23 goals, it won't match the cumulative impact of Walker, McCallum and Morias whom we had this time last year. There is therefore an element of ambiguity about our overall attack whereas it used to be a sure-fire inclusion within the most prolific. Perhaps our new trio will be lethal in their own way, but there are certainly cautious question marks, so we can only hope that the ingredients come together like they have the capacity to. Therein lies the truth of not just our strikeforce but the entire side - it's an unknown quantity. Quite how we will do is subject to contrasting opinion. In a drastic alteration from previous seasons where we were widely tipped for the play-offs to no avail, the external viewpoint this time around seems to be that we will likely be anywhere between mid-table and just above the relegation zone following our biggest summer turnover of players in years. Understandable looking solely at the players we've lost, but it fails to acknowledge that we've still got the best keeper in the league (or at least on the podium), have recruited a more balanced midfield with more varied attributes and significantly bettered our defence. The attack is irrefutably weaker, but a reduction in goals at both ends will still serve us much better. We'll lose games, maybe quite a few, but never while passively rolling over in the disgraceful manner we saw last season. This will be a gritty, earthier Dagenham that do not make it easy for anyone. I'd have us in that bracket between 10th and 14th simply because we are further back in our evolution than competitors who have made further strides through their recruitment, so we might have to settle for making the gap narrower without bridging it quite yet. Then again, the lack of concrete expectation may enable us to surprise under the radar - exactly how Strevens' Eastleigh did. First and foremost, before thinking long-term, is reverting to our lapsed identity of workmanlike grafters who can defy expectation. Do that, then everything else can steadily take shape from those stable foundations. Now, let the games begin...With the tentative preliminaries of pre-season commencing this week, thus has the excitable countdown to the all-important date of August the 5th when Ben Strevens' tenure gets properly underway in terms of his own stylistic imprint. We can now visualise through a clearer lens how that might look; his prospective side is finally taking shape, albeit a few more bodies are needed through the door before we can consider ourselves ready to compete. Under what expectations is the pertinent question after an obvious budget reduction. Whether engineered by us, via circumstance or a mixture of both factors, the biggest earners have departed since Daryl McMahon did plus another couple are transfer listed towards the same end. Though not necessarily a bad thing nor reflective of any waning interest from the overseas owners, rather a welcome change in direction the fanbase can unanimously get behind. We've long had a squad comprising 'individuals' (that being operative word) who were often among the most talented for their previous clubs but never gelled in unison here besides intermittent spells, yet now seem to be reverting to our recognisable identity of hard-workers bound by unbreakable team spirit. In the modern National League ecosystem, you still need a somewhat healthy budget and we certainly will, just reduced and managed more diligently one would hope. Certainly it will be akin to what the likes of Barnet have managed to achieve a top seven finish on. They're actually a useful reference point having undergone a serious transformation during just a single summer, with a good manager in Dean Brennan at the helm, as we will be seeking to emulate. There had been some frustration over the speed, or more specifically lack thereof, we have been doing so. The partially enforced yet wholly welcome rebuild that dawned upon last season's conclusion, duly exacerbated by the subsequent departures of many prominent first teamers, was materialising slowly by way of discernible progress - certainly given the magnitude required - until suddenly accelerating into life over recent days during which two monumental additions have been announced: Tom Eastman and Frank Vincent. Both bring considerable pedigree verified by the shining endorsements from their previous employers. At 31, Eastman has vast experience under his belt but still plenty more years in the tank too. That signing could have a revolutionary impact on our most problematic area in the centre of defence, adding EFL-nurtured knowhow that will not only be valuable in itself but also could be imparted upon the very impressive if occasionally rash Harry Phipps, for whom such a mentor could be huge in development. A potentially great partnership right there.
With Vincent, it's more about replacing what we lost in midfield, and an arrival of his calibre is pleasantly surprising. Being surplus to requirements at Notts County is no shame but the fact he was still part of a winning culture there for a considerable period counts for a lot, so it seems very astute business. Like Eastman, all former clubs' fanbases could not be more complimentary, describing a player with good spatial awareness and invention. Alongside fellow new boy Josh Rees, that area of the pitch is manifesting nicely now, though we still need a couple more. Specialised defenders Nik Tavares, David Longe-King and Sam Ling all filled in there last campaign - the latter two under Strevens - but square pegs in round holes again is presumably not his intention so there should be more additions soon. Elsewhere, too, for the attacking options are shallow in depth. Out wide, we have Ryan Hill then Sydney Ibie and Myles Weston, both of whom will need their minutes managed due to being on opposite ends along the experience spectrum. We were certainly over-reliant on the latter throughout the past two years, especially deploying him at wing-back where defensive duties were additionally required, so need to treat him carefully to maximise efficiency. Weston embodies professionalism, and is probably in better condition than some a decade younger, but it catches up eventually. As such, more creative options are needed to lighten the burden, plus probably another goalscorer otherwise we are solely reliant on Inih Effiong replicating his career-best numbers. How or indeed whether any of that happens remains to be seen but one thing for sure is that the wheels are firmly in motion.
Significant anticipation dissipating into destructive nothingness - that was the essence of Dagenham & Redbridge's 2022/23 season, with the cumulative collateral damage along a frustratingly regressive trajectory leaving them at proverbial square one in their continually unsuccessful quest to attain a coveted play-off place that still feels an immeasurable distance away.
When just only minute yet vital improvements were required from an eighth-placed finish preceding it, which was still a merely lesser degree of the same failure especially given their prior-established capability to compete among the very best on their day (notably through dismantling Wrexham in a belated final day surge) but nonetheless had supporters gripped amid a distinct trend of progress that represented an upwards platform on which they could catalyse success next time around. The American consortium's spearhead Peter Freund transmitted that very sentiment to supporters thereafter; next year, it was again forecast, would bring a fulfilment of the undeniable potential. Continuity was again perceived as the overarching aspect behind that manifesting having proved immensely fruitful the previous summer when minimal additions to a settled core, indeed the fewest in the division, enabled an explosive ascent while fellow competitors were incrementally gelling. That was repeated but football is not an exact science with guaranteed formula to yield an outcome so now it incurred the adverse effect of leaving the squad too stagnant: the 5-3-2 shape, previously well executed, now comprised square pegs in round holes at the consequence of gaping holes to their detriment, and firepower at the other end was not a sufficient remedy. Recruitment, if minimal, had to be specifically tailored but instead missed the mark significantly. Joey Jones then Brandon Comley had both played the driving midfielder role well at times and theoretically Omar Mussa, snared from the clutches of rivals Southend United for whom he was near-guaranteed to sign from Weymouth after a stellar campaign beforehand, seemed an ideal candidate to seize the baton however proved a bitterly underwhelming failure. Moreover, the departure of serial play-off achiever albeit error prone Callum Reynolds left a stylistic void in defence, with replacement David Longe-King plus Manny Onariase both just as prone to concentration lapses yet not possessing the same ability to enforce a tempo with intelligent passes through the lines. Worsening matters was the initial insistence upon deploying natural full backs Elliott Johnson and Josh Hare further inside as wide centre halves, envisaging the latter performing the role of the departed Will Wright. He went on to have a solid campaign, especially when eventually moved, but really struggled beforehand. That the wing-backs represented square pegs in round holes for their non-aptitude to that tailored duty, too, further contributed to the team chronically lacking coherence all throughout the pitch which ultimately left the attacking department badly detached without stable foundations around it. Even more damning is the fact that within just six weeks, the club would be requiring emergency loans to fill not even the squad outskirts but actual lineup altogether. A mess is what it was. Nonetheless, there were still rare yet significantly compelling occasions whereby the Daggers temporarily showcased their undeniable capability, none more so than ending Notts County's 25-game unbeaten streak by becoming the first and only side to win there all season thus handing Wrexham the unrelinquished initiative in the most spectacular title race ever. That was a freak result defying all logic to extraordinary proportions but actually far from a one-off in that only one club accumulated more points against the eventual top seven of those who finished outside it - also contributing to that statistic: a league double over Barnet, four points accumulated against Bromley plus Boreham Wood, and an incredible triumph at Chesterfield just three days after sinking to their lowest ebb through 5-1 mauling at part-time newcomers Dorking Wanderers.
Therein lay the overarching problem. Such a stark transformation, amid a fittingly erratic Autumnal period in which they had a seven-game streak featuring 38 goals, underlined a sheer unpredictability that persisted throughout the campaign. Seemingly allergic to any momentum, they would follow up an uplifting result by a comparatively unrecognisable dismantling against opposition from the bottom third, hence Yeovil doing the double while their fellow relegation fodder Scunthorpe and Torquay, among others, all recorded three point hauls at our expense. When the extremities level out, what's left is mid-table mediocrity.
Warning signs towards that exact eventuality were glaring ominously from the very outset, with the tone of Dagenham's season firmly established after just a dozen minutes, at which point they trailed recently promoted Gateshead by two goals having been repeatedly sliced open particularly via the gaping region between the left centre-half and wing back. A subsequent fightback saw Paul McCallum redeem a penalty miss to halve the deficit before Junior Morias restored parity altogether deep into stoppage time, for an unforeseeably positive result under the circumstances albeit one that commenced the trend of being reactive over proactive. Conceding twice in quick succession again the very next week, around the half-hour mark this time away to Woking, intensified the viewpoint that they would not always be able to get away with giving themselves a mountain to climb. Still they made the same mistakes. Especially on the road, as discontent within the travelling contingents quickly reached a temperature akin to the August backdrop, when the subsequent two away games brought a last-gasp concession at Eastleigh before second-bottom Yeovil encountered feeble resistance in grabbing their first win - a scrappy victory over Maidenhead inbetween had constructed the superficial illusion of progress, the first of many false dawns preceding a reversion to type, evidenced by what happened at Huish Park thereafter. Another such example came as Bromley were dismantled 4-1 through a genuinely compelling performance centring around the ongoing brilliance of brace-bagging Morias, but then came a deeply damaging thump back down to earth. Such was the sheer class of subsequent visitors Notts County that they may have put five past any opponent on the day, however couldn't have hoped for one more generous and the boos conveyed the fury towards this. An enforced postponement of the next game due to Queen Elizabeth II's nationally-mourned passing provided some savoured respite before Dagenham were thrust back into a fiery cauldron in the form of Wrexham away under the floodlights at the Racecourse, where the odds were so overwhelmingly stacked against them - a makeshift back three containing calamitous wreck Yoan Zouma and a young Millwall loanee Karlan Grant, all while backed by the lowest proportion of away fans to a National League game all season - that the eventual 4-1 deficit felt like a lucky escape somewhat. Against lesser calibre opponents thereafter, merely relying upon their strikeforce sufficed and the side began a decent streak on home soil by comfortably easing past Altrincham then edging Barnet in a nine-goal thriller whereby Josh Walker completed a stunning hat-trick in the dying seconds. Finally a corner appeared to have been turned, only for a fateful afternoon at Dorking to emphatically disprove that notion... An indefensible 5-1 trouncing proved untenable the position of manager Daryl McMahon towards whom toxicity among supporters escalated to embittered depths; a soul-destroyingly dark day after which the most undesirable prospect was a midweek trip to Chesterfield that surely guaranteed another, probably worse mauling. Yet, at rock bottom, the only direction is up and Daggers reaffirmed their status as the division if not country's most erratically bipolar team by winning there 3-2 for the ideal morale-booster ahead of an Essex derby against Southend that conceivably could have descended to any place. Thankfully, the team settled into a more sustainable rhythm, drawing 1-1 in that as well as the next game at York City. A trip to Halifax's Shay Stadium, where they had lost an incredible eight straight times, proved a predictable anomaly to what was otherwise a solid end to the month with four points from home games against Boreham Wood (1-1) and Wealdstone (4-1). There was also straightforward passage to the FA Cup first round via a 7-0 demolition at plucky underdogs Beckenham Town, setting up a tie at Maidenhead United that was won by Walker's sole strike to begin November, which preceded league successes over Solihull Moors and Scunthorpe United. Both encompassed different skillsets - the first an explosive dismantling, the second requiring more perseverant grit - and each of those would be needed in equal measure to get past League Two Gillingham in the cup. Everything was going perfectly as Walker's late goal had them on course for a coveted third round place until Gills' last throw of the dice in the last moment came up with an equaliser. The frustration that enveloped Victoria Road after control had been relinquished to the jeopardy of a replay, would remain when Torquay United visited a week later, them withstanding a sustained barrage to claim a smash-and-grab 1-0.
There was little time to dwell over it as the all-important return date with Gillingham loomed, now with the enticing incentive of Premier League outfit Leicester City, the hometown supported club of Matt Robinson so it felt fitting that that he scored the opener towards that dream tie but the perfect script took a sinister turn ultimately culminating in last-kick heartbreak. It took a long while to recover from, especially with a weather-enforced break until their next encounter as they commenced the pathway to success in their other active competition, the Trophy. Uxbridge were bypassed, before the club began making progress their regular campaign with two narrow triumphs against Maidstone either side of the new year. Despite losing to Woking, a Walker double at Aldershot three days later secured a top seven place for the first time all season.
Things were finally coming together in the league, if not Trophy in which they were eliminated by Maidenhead, and at 1-0 up away to Bromley they were another unanswered goal from reaching fifth, but then everything collapsed as a late equaliser preceded defeat to Yeovil Town and suddenly they had work to do ahead of a make-or-break February featuring eight games on a gruelling Saturday-Tuesday basis. Losing the irreplaceable Josh Walker to a deserved EFL move just twenty minutes into the month unfortunately foreshadowed its descent to the latter effect through a dreadful run. Heir to the vacated number seven shirt, new signing Inih Effiong, inspired a victory over Solihull however its placement within four defeats meant the play-offs were slipping beyond grasp: Wealdstone, Oldham (the worst second half imaginable), Eastleigh and Scunthorpe inflicting them. The latter sparked fresh protestation at under-pressure McMahon. So, as is customary, he then oversaw the kind of crack-papering result - Aldershot beaten 2-1 - that typically prolongs the inescapable cycle under a superficial guise of progress, or so supporters unanimously thought, hence the widespread shock when his acrimonious departure was announced on the eve of an immensely daunting trip to Notts County. Rúben Rodrigues set the rampant league leaders on course for a massacre akin to the reverse meeting but what happened next defied all logical comprehension - a stunning turnaround from the now managerless Daggers making them the first visiting victors at Notts County whose 25 game unbeaten run evaporated in fashion scarcely believable even now, let alone at the time. That it was followed up by defeat away to Maidenhead, with the heroic defence reverting to a porous shambles, however, was entirely believable. It was Dagenham personified to the utmost degree. After only doing so once beforehand, they came from behind to win on successive Saturdays when York visited Victoria Road, but Wrexham's visit three days later proved a step too far as Steve Gritt departed the dugout for popular former player Ben Strevens, whose unveiling catalysed a real feelgood factor that crescendoed upon his first game versus Oldham. A point signified a good start, developed with his first win in jubilant circumstances courtesy of an Effiong-executed robbery at the English Riviera, yet if the manager was under any illusions about the job then a deplorable abomination at the most northerly outpost of Gateshead in midweek demonstrated the unreliability he was inheriting. After a pitiful reverse to Dorking afterwards, all enthusiasm had drained, and the club were clearly going through the motions as they beat Boreham Wood on Good Friday then rolled over for Chesterfield the other side of the Easter weekend. Having let supporters down for the most part minus standalone occasions, the players still had an opportunity to not redeem or excuse, but at least restore sizeable credit when Southend away arrived. Mass hope brought a travelling contingent totalling 735, all of whom were dealt a colossal disservice tantamount to having two fingers stuck up in return, as a non-bothered display brought a two goal defeat. From then onwards, the season could not end soon enough having turned into an excruciating chore of endurance. The last midweek trip, to Altrincham, certainly befitted that description for all parties though did bring an entertaining 2-2 draw. A final home game against Halifax Town proved the exact opposite, a dull stalemate ending with Effiong missing a penalty to aptly conclude a frustrating year on home soil while denying Strevens a first victory there towards eventually turning it to a fortress. Pleasingly, there would be a nice resolution overall in the form of a curtain-closing triumph at Barnet, who rested virtually the entire team in preparation for an upcoming play-off eliminator on home soil so were still the real winners regardless of what happened on the pitch that day. Though a good performance and pleasing afternoon, what Dagenham would have given to be in that situation instead.
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January 2024
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