The disappointment of only collecting a solitary point from the opening three games of the Vanarama National League season was offset by some good performances as a combination of bad luck and wastefulness denied the Daggers a position in the table to accurately match their displays. However, in the aftermath of their first positive result of the season, they head to Aldershot Town looking to register their first victory of the campaign, but will not underestimate the magnitude of the challenge.
Despite currently languishing at the very bottom of the division, Aldershot's league standing is not necessarily reflective of their true capabilities. In a period of transition which has seen many of their players depart over the summer, they are taking a while to find their feet and, much like Dagenham, have struggled for goals. Despite being free-scoring last season, the Shots are yet to find the net this campaign but a win tonight could kick-start another sustained push for promotion, they will be hoping. The reality is that it's unlikely for them to emulate their consecutive play-off finishes, but even then to be 24th at this stage is harsh on them considering that they've had one of the toughest starts at this level. However, hearing their supporters on social media, their side looks almost unrecognisable from last season and have been bitterly disappointing so far. Just like us, they'll be seeing tonight's game as an opportunity to change their fortunes. It will be a difficult experience for our young Daggers side at the EBB Stadium, which is always a hard place to go. very rarely do Aldershot lose at home, let alone get outclassed. With two teams who've struggled to create many chances so far, a scrappy and even encounter is expected in Surrey but hopefully we can edge it. One thing which hopefully tips the odds in our favour is the two recent signings we've recently made, Tomi Adeloye and Alexander McQueen. Both changed the game on Saturday against Maidenhead. Adeloye used his strength to give us an attacking edge while McQueen ran with the ball really well. Against a Shots defence without the departed trio of Will Evans, Callum Reynolds and Cheye Alexander, they will cause problems. That's not even factoring in the blistering pace of Chike Kandi and Lamar Reynolds. People talk about us being weak, but our side really isn't that bad. Peter Taylor will face a dilemma whether to start Adeloye, McQueen or both for the game, especially after an underwhelming first-half performance from Reynolds at the weekend. Therefore it's quite conceivable that the Daggers will start with the following XI: Justham, Gordon, Davey, Wright, Hoyte, McQueen, Robinson, Donovan, Kandi, Romain, Adeloye It will be a hard game but the team will have confidence after earning their first point on Saturday. With the backing of the supporters, hopefully we can bag a deserved three points and continue to impress, as we have continued to do over the last few games. COYD
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January 2024
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