From our tremendous play-off journey and its eventual heartbreak to this year's crippling financial turmoil, the BT Sport cameras have been there to capture some of our most integral post-relegation moments, broadcasting the highs and the lows in equal measure. Moments such as the second Maguire-Drew equalised in the semi-final against Forest Green were quickly cancelled out by those overriding it just three days later, as the players solemnly watched the home celebrations unfold around them.
That contrast not only portrays the turbulence of football especially in this division, but shows that BT Sport have witnessed some of our most important clashes over the last couple of years, which have come to define the circumstances by which they were played against a backdrop of. So, as the Daggers make their debut on the channel this weekend away to Eastleigh, there's every chance that this, too, could prove a monumental occasion under the cameras: the first victory of our new American era. It comes after a hectic week at the club, where some surreal off-pitch news has coincided with an equally-pleasing upturn in fortunes on it too. Last Friday, it was announced that an American Consortium comprising of several highly-regarded sports franchise owners in the states, plus Premier League icon Tim Howard, have acquired 58% of the club. This came as a huge relief and, finally, a reward for what everybody has had to contend with over the last few months. The resignation of Glyn Hopkin, the consequent fire-sale of valuable players and the fear of not even having a team at one stage made for a distressing year. However, thankfully, we can now all move forwards and, for us, that means we can focus on one game at a time without worrying about the future. So, with a stable infrastructure, the Daggers head to Eastleigh on Saturday for a match which promises to be difficult, but one where we can realistically get something. The main thing about this game is that we focus on ourselves, because trying to nullify the physical presence of Chesterfield on Saturday, rather than placing our attention on how we can hurt them, made things more difficult than they had to be. Recently we've proven the quality of football we're capable of playing and that's been evident in our recent results. There aren't many teams who've enjoyed a better September than the Daggers, who are unbeaten in the month and full of confidence. The defence is more secure, the attack more potent and the younger players playing with maturity way beyond their years. After the euphoria and relief of the first victory against Braintree, which itself followed a positive point against Salford, confidence is coursing through our veins. We've since beaten Barrow with a last-minute goal, before last Saturday saw a solid point earned against Chesterfield. Though the Spireites are badly out of form, if anything that made it a harder game for us because they were very one-dimensional and put many men behind the ball, which made them hard to break down. However, though we were far from perfect and failed to match our own recent expectations, we got the goal eventually and as a result, will enter this weekend's game feeling we're capable of beating them. Eastleigh will be very similar to Chesterfield in the sense that they're on a disappointing winless run. As a team, generally, they've distinctly ordinary and always seem to fluctuate between the mid-table and narrowly above the drop zone; they're always too good to go down, but rarely any better than that which means they never really threaten for anything, They're a bit of a low-key club who can lurk in the shadows of the division, despite having the resources to do much better. They've always been a side synonymous with money, but that was dealt a significant blow in the summer when chairman Stewart Donald left for Sunderland. That said, they've still got a number of players who can hurt us. Paul McCallum, their most significant threat, has five goals this season and, in terms of stature, will offer a very similar challenge to Tom Denton last weekend. Mark Yeates is another who will be integral to anything his team produces. Under Andy Hessenthaler, the Spitfires will definitely be an organised and well-drilled unit, who will be determined to earn their first victory since August. Their recent results have been two quite impressive draws against good opposition in AFC Fylde and Hartlepool United, which is even more evidence of the challenge they'll present. However, as the previous results show, they can also concede goals. They conceded 4 at Harrogate, were beaten against Maidenhead and suffered another defeat against Ebbsfleet. They're better away from home than at the Silverlake, where they've won only once all season and four times in just under a year. In terms of personnel, Taylor will probably persevere with the side, because at this stage to change a team who are getting progressively better, would surely be counterproductive. We have the luxury of squad depth, meaning there is some sort of Plan B to resort to if need be. For Eastleigh, there's been a major change with the departure of well-known goalkeeper Graham Stack, who has announced his retirement from football. As a result, just a few hours ago, Eastleigh announced the signing of replacement keeper Max Stryjek on loan from Sunderland. Hopefully the Daggers can take advantage of the new keeper's lack of familiarity with his teammates, and continue to build on the feelgood factor around the club. It's going to be a tough game, especially with the added pressure of the TV cameras for some of our younger players, but I'm sure we won't be fazed. Eastleigh are a beatable team and we should enter the game with no fear. We have a good record at the Silverlake - let's continue it tomorrow lunchtime. Up the Dags.
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January 2024
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