Restored to optimum potency by some key players' timely return from various absences, Daryl McMahon's Daggers have negotiated the past few weeks in near perfect fashion - with the notable exception of a horrendously abject opening twenty minutes in Torquay that was then commendably mitigated by a strong fightback thereafter - to reignite a previously faltering promotion push which will now need to be consolidated as a critical phase of the season looms.
While claiming maximum points over an admittedly palatable festive schedule constituted a fundamental necessity, an authentic barometer of our quality will come via the daunting upcoming fixtures against title contending trio Chesterfield, Stockport County and FC Halifax Town, the current top three whom we face on consecutive Saturdays in a remarkably difficult upcoming run further exacerbated by the mammoth midweek trip to Weymouth embedded within. By mid-February, when we've now also got an FA Trophy fifth round tie to contest, our promotion credentials can be better assessed. The magnitude of the task is best illustrated by the fact that the aforementioned trio have each only lost once in ten however, being the league's top scorers, we're sufficiently equipped to pose a challenge especially while incentivised by potentially reducing the deficit that currently exists between us and them. Weymouth, meanwhile, is a must-win but we have to be vigilant to the new manager bounce that David Oldfield will seek to catalyse after his departed predecessor presided over a dreadful run of seven consecutive defeats. Though the cumulative seven points we accrued in the reverse fixtures was a reasonable return, we'll probably need to surpass it in order to advance up the table. A large contingent of our fanbase would understandably be content with us remaining sixth in just over a fortnight's time, however it's a massive opportunity to fire some direct missiles at the teams ahead of us and one we must approach with a level of confidence proportionate to how good we can be. After all, our attack can go toe-to-toe with anybody at this level and our league-high 45 goals have come from a multitude of areas - there's no one solitary supplier although it might be said that Josh Walker is the player to which most attention should be paid. However, despite half of our clean sheets coming in the past month, we remain very unconvincing defensively and that's a source of trepidation as we prepare to face prolific strikers Paddy Madden, Billy Waters and Kabongo Tshimanga - with 42 goals between them - in the next three weekends. It's certainly a vital period in which our strengths and weaknesses are equally likely to come to the fore. Let's hope the former supersedes the latter, beginning with a massive clash with Stockport County live on BT Sport tomorrow evening. The emphatic statement we made against them on opening day was one that had far-reaching consequences for both sides, kick-starting our outstanding run but spelling the beginning of the end for their manager Simon Rusk, whose eventual axing for Dave Challinor triggered a rapid upturn of form that has elevated them to third in the division. They'll be looking to enact some sort of revenge. It's not inaccurate to say that both teams are the best either would have played for quite some time, so above all else the scene is set for a thrilling game underpinned by a lot of importance. There will be talent littered all over the pitch, likely decided by the finest of margins so every aspect of our preparation will be crucial. We'll probably have to make usage our squad depth, a rare luxury we are now afforded, in the next few weeks but certainly Daryl McMahon won't be looking any further than the initial task at hand. The 'one game at a time' mantra is firmly woven into clichéd footballing vocabulary and is especially important for us now. Stakes are high - can we suppress others' dangers while also showcasing our own?
0 Comments
|
WRITERArchives
January 2024
|