VNL#24 - Solihull Moors 0 Daggers 1
Relief is as prevalent an emotion as delight after that one. Quite a scruffy victory in many ways but the three points is all that matters and it's exactly what we deserve after many of our recent dominant performances recently have gone scandalously unrewarded, primarily due to our own failures in front of goal. That lack of a cutting edge was certainly present in Solihull as McCallum in particular missed a couple of big opportunities, but thankfully he made amends with the kind of predatory finish we all know he's capable of. He needed that moment as much as the club did, and it'll provide a much-needed confidence boost for a striker who has been a shadow of the version of himself that has existed at many sides other than ourselves. Defensively we were just as impressive, albeit against a tame and passive Solihull outfit that were decent in possession but seemed unable to convert that into anything significant, much like ourselves for the vast majority of the season. It was a makeshift back three but one that looked decidedly more assured without Reynolds. Will Wright showed enough to indicate that he should already be higher than the ex-Barnet captain in the pecking order. Clark was solid too while Johnson continues to produce his best performances in a Dagenham shirt. It was also our first sighting of Tom Smith following his recent loan move from Bath. He did okay, especially considering he hadn't played a competitive fixture for nearly six weeks and had transitioned from part-time to full-time football since then. There were glimpses of quality and I expect that to grow with each game. He linked up quite well with Balanta, who was his silky self in possession but perhaps a tad rusty with his shooting. I was concerned about a front-two of McCallum and Balanta, specifically due to the lack of aggressive pressing, but they brought a level of intelligence that none of our other strikers can match. It's the strike pairing everyone was excited to see ahead of the season and I hope they can finally forge a partnership that justifies the fanfare. Weston is just as important, but last night we saw what happens when a team goes all out to nullify him.
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May 2024
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