The sharp recoil of Christmas crackers, the glowing grins of children struggling to contain their excitement, blankets of snow enveloping the calm skies, the indulging aroma of meat and potatoes wafting through every house, festive songs on a seemingly-endless loop, remnants of wrapping paper resembling debris after an earthquake, following the tearing open of Christmas presents and the annual visit of Father Christmas.
Then you have Boxing Day football, as intricately intertwined within archetypal seasonal celebrations as all of the above. Fierce local derbies demonstrating everything other than goodwill and generosity, watched by supporters who always have that extra slice of anticipation, such have been the celebrations of the previous 24 hours. At least, that's always what happens with the Daggers. And then we lose. Bragging rights are gone, and Christmas is ruined. Here we go again, another year having passed since we entered those games against the O's last season, full of confidence given our superiority, only to destroy all hope with two of the tamest displays you are ever likely to see from Dagenham. Our luck on Boxing Day may be bad but our fate against Leyton Orient has been worse, with seven years having passed since Romain Vincelot scored two headers to earn our first victory in League One. That was ages ago, but it feels even longer. It doesn't take a genius to work out that it's been downhill ever since, and a fixture that was once quite a good derby for League 1 standards now takes place in the Vanarama National League. Both clubs have neared the brink of extinction then were saved by new owners, for whom we are both immensely grateful. Yet the will to win is still as strong as ever - it's a game nobody wants to lose. The form table promises an absolutely tremendous encounter, destined to be a tight battle, hopefully exhibiting the fierce passion everybody wants to see. They sit atop the tree at Christmas, with a four point lead at the summit and a sense of invincibility amongst their supporters. Macauley Bonne, the division's top scorer, carries their main threat and it's a testament to his talents that Premier League clubs are supposedly interested. Then there's future star Josh Koroma, a nippy and marauding winger who loves nothing more than a one-on-one with a defender. His tally of seven goals is respectable but, of course, he's overshadowed by Macauley Bonne. Anchoring the side is Jobi McAnuff, who may be in the twilight of his career but exhibits all of the qualities of a model professional and shows no signs of deteriorating in ability. Our last two goals conceded have both come from corners, an area we seemed to be superb at defending up until recently, and that will be music to the ears of McAnuff, who can deliver a fantastic cross. Let's not give him the chance to, though. Extra spice will be added to the clash with the inclusion of two ex-Daggers amongst Orient's lineup. Joe Widdowson will likely receive a hostile reception but Sam Ling, a good servant to the club and someone who our fans loved, deserves a better one. He was one of the sacrifices for the survival of the club when financial instability dawned upon us, but before then was arguably the best right-back in the league prior to then. Coming up against that talent and an astute manager in Justin Edinburgh won't faze us. Daggers are the only team in the division in better form than Orient over the last ten games and come into the clash after beating Salford City away. The highs don't come much higher than that, but it wasn't a one-off because two other high-flyers in Fylde and Harrogate have succumbed to the Daggers revolution recently. We fear nobody, approach every game with no fear, and have the belief to beat any side. Orient at home is an easier game than the one we played just three days ago so we've got every chance of getting something. Wilko and Balanta are bang in form and will certainly cause problems, and we've got solidity in every position. There's not a single player I look at and think 'Orient will exploit him, he's weak'. That's a testament to the squad and to Peter Taylor too. It's a game both will look forward to, both be determined to win, and both will try their hardest to do so. Orient have sold out their allocation (fair play) which means there will be a bumper attendance of around 3000 at Victoria Road. What a game we have in store, the two most in-form sides going head-to-head. Another test of the extent we have progressed and a big one at that, but we've passed every one with flying colours so far. Absolutely buzzing for this one, the spoils will be more than just any old win. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everybody, Up the Dags. You've brought a smile back to all of our faces over the last few months and no doubt will continue to do some. Keep doing us proud. Keep battling. Keep embodying the Daggers spirit.
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January 2024
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