VNL#30 - Daggers 1 Torquay United 0
In the aftermath of Tuesday's narrow reverse against fellow high-flyers Hartlepool, Daryl McMahon made the astoundingly bold claim that this Dagenham side have reached the stage where they are close to becoming one of the best teams in the division. While that is doubtful to the extreme, there's no disputing that we have been improving at a rapid rate, both in performances and now results too. This was quite different yet it nonetheless continued that trend. Against a Torquay outfit that were admittedly quite poor themselves, we produced a flat display that can only be described as average at the very best. Despite this, though, we managed to claim all three points and a clean sheet, which rendered all of that completely meaningless. It makes a pleasurable change from us controlling games yet ultimately getting beaten, which is a far more regular occurrence. As a spectacle, it was drab and uninspiring. The game was littered with unprompted errors and periods of mind-numbing monotony. I would take that every single week, though, so long as it produced the same outcome. Ugly wins are regarded as the most enjoyable ones according to many, and the ability to scrape results like that is certainly a desirable attribute to have. It wasn't a wholly bad display, though, as we showed glimpses of quality and looked the more dangerous of the two sides. The difference-maker was, not for the first time, Balanta. He was brilliant throughout and capped an impressive showing with the decisive winning goal - although nobody within the fanbase could possibly provide any opinion on the key moment itself given that this coincided with the live stream going inactive. Whether it was an audacious overhead kick or an impossible-to-miss tap in, it's impact was massive regardless. At the other end, Kenny Clark made a very good impression too. He was faultless with the exception of one instance, albeit a pretty monumental one, where he handballed in the box. Thankfully, we benefited from poor refereeing there, although it evened itself out when a foul on McCallum in the box was inexplicably ignored by the official. Luckily, we got the job done regardless, and a very impressive job it was too with the Gulls sitting 3rd in the division. With our scheduled fixture against Dover cancelled due to the erasure of their records this season, we now have an additional few days to prepare for the next. Hartlepool away will provide a really tricky test but we'll go into it with confidence following the events of today.
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VNL#29 - Daggers 0 Hartlepool United 1
We may have been able to conjure up a second-half turnaround to claw back points against King's Lynn, or even relatively decent opposition like Wrexham and Boreham Wood, but these are genuine title candidates. Unbeaten in nine, high-flying and an impressive group of players...it was always going to be a step too far. This mountain was simply too steep to climb. The game followed the typical Dagenham trend this season. We started brightly, had countless presentable opportunities which were all wasted, then we promptly conceded with one of the first chances we afforded them on the evening. Typically, it was an absolute gift, a scarcely-believable free header from point-blank range. As decent as our performance was across the first-half, you deserve to lose when you play like that. We seem to do it every week. To their credit, Hartlepool's management of the game was superb, a perfect template of how to get over the line. A ridiculous individual display from Elliot Justham was the only thing that denied them a far more convincing victory, which probably wouldn't have been justified on the balance of play. Overall, though, I can't begrudge them the three points, even though we were good enough to get something ourselves. Frustratingly, it could've been so different. If Wilson had buried the straightforward chance that came his way after just a couple of minutes. If Balanta's glancing header had crept into the corner rather than narrowly wide. If Sagaf's goalbound shot wasn't blocked. If our main driving force from midfield, Rance, wasn't forced off at the interval through interval. Perhaps most importantly, if someone had decided that leaving their top scorer alone right infront of goal probably wasn't the greatest idea. Our form at Victoria Road just hasn't been good enough for ages. Quite why that is remains baffling as the absence of supporters would presumably nullify any advantage/disadvantage that would've otherwise been present with the venue. Ultimately, that's going to end up costing us come the end of a season that has quickly become a non-event for us. Once again, it's looking like we're going to fall short of our ambitions. One defeat against an admittedly decent outfit shouldn't distract from what has been a generally decent period, though. Performances and results have both been improving steadily, a trend that hopefully resumes again from Saturday, when we host fellow promotion hopefuls Torquay United. That game is then followed by the reverse meeting with Hartlepool. It doesn't get any easier. VNL#28 - Altrincham 0 Daggers 1
That is not a game we would have emerged victorious from a matter of months, if not mere weeks, ago. Winning away at a robust Altrincham side is certainly symptomatic of the steady improvements we've been making of late, even if the performance itself left quite a lot to be desired in some aspects. So often, Daggers have been left proud of the display but the result hasn't matched. This was the exact opposite. The victory takes precedence over the quality (or, more applicably here, lack thereof) shown during the game. That we were scrappy and wasteful in possession won't lessen the delight at all, if anything it only makes the outcome seem that bit more sweeter. We didn't dominate the game or exert a level of control over it like we have recently. In fact, I don't think we managed a shot on target either side of Will Wright's magnificent free-kick. Another moment of magic, much like Gordon's exceptional solo effort in midweek, but this time we dug deep to ensure the devastating finale didn't repeat itself. Our management of the game, and relatively seamless negotiation of the latter stages of it, was one of the most impressive takeaways from this outing. Instead of taking needless potshots like we did against Weymouth, we kept possession brilliantly and gave them few opportunities to counter-attack. It was intelligent, sophisticated play. Lessons had been learned. The matchwinner will absorb the vast majority of the plaudits and rightfully so - it was a beautiful set-piece - but there are several others worthy of praise. In particular, Kenny Clark's solid, no-nonsense display deserves mention. He marshalled the defence well and was calmness personified whenever he needed to deal with any danger. At the other end of the pitch, Sagaf produced probably his best display for us, while Balanta was silky and Weston demolished his full-back every single time. New signing Khan didn't have quite the impact it was hoped, but there's no way he should have started after barely kicking a ball for months. Vilhete would have been a far better option, as demonstrated by his very impressive cameo late on. It's not the first time a recent recruit has been thrown straight in rather than be gradually integrated into the set-up. Overall, though, an overwhelmingly positive day, albeit that would certainly not be the case if it had ended goalless. The goal is what turns an otherwise drab performance into a gritty one. It's now five unbeaten for McMahon's men, and 11 points from the last fifteen available which is a very respectable return, which could have been even better if it wasn't for the late surrender against Weymouth. Onwards and upwards, but a harder sequence of fixtures await now, which really will put our new-found form to the test. Exactly one year ago, we were in the midst of an eerie phase in history that will be forever etched into the minds of those that lived through it. The weekend of the 14th March in particular marked the calm before a storm that would wreak havoc on so much more than just the football calendar, as the definition of life itself became hugely distorted, the very concept of it lost amidst a widespread crisis of staggering proportions. The Daggers were due to venture into Surrey for the second Saturday in succession, a journey that many supporters had commenced before the game was hastily postponed at half eleven. Our owner Peter Freund had earlier labelled anybody planning on attending the fixture as 'absolutely mad' and vehemently condemned the National League, which opted not to align with every other English footballing division and impose a suspension, citing it's desire to 'keep the season going in the face of unprecedented adversity'. That stance was a very temporary one as the magnitude of this particular challenge became insurmountable, to such an extent that the same issue would still be cancelling fixtures an entire year later. Indeed, there was a depressing yet rather apt symmetry in the fact that our initially-scheduled game at Stockport this weekend was scuppered by a positive test result within our camp. It's the third time an internal Coronavirus issue has impacted our schedule, with the added frustration of us finally finding a bit of rhythm on the pitch recently. That calamitous trip to Woking remains the last time many supporters left their houses to watch Dagenham play away from home, a luxury that probably won't become feasible again until next season. This means the last 'normal matchday' was four days before that fateful weekend began, a fairly nondescript midweek match against AFC Fylde at Victoria Road. Tuesday 10th March 2020. The vast majority of a lowly crowd, that barely eclipsed the four-digit mark, trudged dejectedly out of the Victoria Road exits having watched their side succumb to a crushing 94th minute defeat. However, as is retrospectively known after a life-changing period in history, that night was to be one of the last to fall into the realms of normality. It seemed nothing but a relatively insignificant National League contest between two sides who'd both endured extremely underwhelming campaigns. The absence of the usual pre-match handshakes was the only symbol of what would rapidly descend into a monumental pandemic, and ultimately foreshadow the surreal devastation that would follow as the entire landscape of society changed drastically beyond recognition. Football paled into insignificance, undergoing a period of sustained hibernation. The version of it that returned seven months later was sanitised, sterile and bore little resemblance to the sport savoured by millions on a weekly basis. Buffering streams replaced the feeling of emerging through a clunky turnstile, and the ground lay lonely on what, to the regular supporter, felt like matchday in official name only. There were two exceptions. Twice in the past year a relaxation of rules has allowed for a return of fans to stadiums, albeit both were depressingly brief and marred somewhat by the knowledge that they would be false dawns. The Concord Rangers friendly in September came on the same day that it was announced that the planned return of spectators was halted. Three months later, 773 Daggers fans were permitted for the home clash against Altrincham but they all knew that the imminent Tier 3 announcement would make it another one-off. Quite when, or even if, the matchday experience will revert to pre-pandemic levels remains to be seen. It's likely Victoria Road, and indeed every other ground within the country, will always retain some hallmarks of this period. The continual digitalisation of society and gradual eradication of paper will likely persist, while the fairly costly streaming services will certainly be maintained in some form.
Either way, Saturdays becoming synonymous with attending football again is something that cannot happen soon enough. VNL#26 - Daggers 2 Maidenhead United 1
Performance-wise, the version of Dagenham we've seen in the past five games is exactly what I wanted us to be when the season initially kicked off in October. We've looked reasonably capable at both ends of the pitch while also playing with a distinct shape, identity and formation. Tonight wasn't the best display in that spell but in many ways it was symptomatic of the progress we've made. We attacked with vigour and intensity with a fluid front three consisting of Balanta, Saunders and McCallum, a trio containing several essential attributes that all complimented one another. The latter of those made the decisive contribution with a quick-fire double of close-range tap in's. As much as they were both routine conversions, that McCallum was in the perfect position time and time again was a very encouraging sight considering he has struggled in that department all season. It's a third goal in as many games for the man on whom many of our hopes rely, and hopefully this decent streak continues. However, though he will claim the majority of the plaudits, and rightfully so as the matchwinner, this victory was the epitome of a team effort. Weston was electric, as always, and he left several in his wake even when they attempted to double up on him. At the other end, Johnson and Clark were absolutely immense. Balanta was his customary creative self. Saunders was a bundle of relentless energy. Rance worked tirelessly all night. It was about so much more than just the two goals. Of course, it wasn't always perfect. The ending was far nervier than it ought to be and that links to the recurring problem of us being unable to finish a team off. We had enough chances to put the contest beyond doubt yet instead left ourselves susceptible to a similar sort of comeback we ourselves executed against Boreham Wood. Maidenhead deserved their goal and in truth were unfortunate in many ways, but I thought we invited unnecessary pressure by sitting back, pressure that would not have existed if we had been a tad more clinical. Predominantly, though, it was a commanding and assured performance. Minus the period of ucnertainty triggered by their goal, we looked untroubled and managed the game superbly. Though the injury to Matt Robinson affected us negatively, an inevitable outcome given his importance to the team, we remained largely in control and ultimately got over the line, albeit in far more unconvincing circumstances in the end. |
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January 2024
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