When these two sides last met on a scintillating September day in Devon three months ago, it was with the Daggers sitting fifth and Torquay just a few places below in tenth. An evenly-matched deadlock, one which managed to be quite entertaining by the usual standards of a goalless draw, ensued but it was a match that gave the impression that both sides would be heavily involved in the promotion picture by the time the return fixture in January rolled around. Now that day has rolled around, and true to expectation both teams do look like they will be involved in a battle. However, it's at the wrong end of the table; in a catastrophic twist of fate since that glorious September day, Dagenham in 20th are now perilously close to the relegation zone and a similarly-freefalling Torquay outfit aren't too far behind in their equally-unceremonious decline. With just five points between them over the past six games, courtesy of Torquay's win over Woking and Dagenham's two draws against Ebbsfleet, this game is now a clash between the two sides at the basement of the form guide. Torquay are an all-or-nothing team, capable of both scoring and conceding large quantities of goals in equal measure. In the past month alone they've scored five in one game and conceded six in another, a statistic that mirrors their unpredictable league form in which they've recently followed a run of seven wins from eight with a contrasting sequence of six defeats from seven. In similar fashion, the Daggers have lost nine of their past fourteen games having prior to that gone unbeaten in eleven. However, these sides' dramatic descents down the division are far more complex than merely being explained by the unpredictability of the National League. For Torquay it's been a dreadful spate of injuries that has crippled them, and as a result they're without eight key players today including imposing defender Jean-Vyes Kiou-Niate (suspended), influential midfielder Armani Little and tricky winger Kalvin Lumbombo-Kalala (both injured). Meanwhile, the story of our decline has one man at it's epicentre, Peter Taylor, but 18 months of his largely negative football finally came to an end after last weekend's comfortable defeat at Bromley. In comes Daryl McMahon, a young, progressive, forward-thinking manager who won't be able to manage the team today but whose presence should nonetheless lift the mood around Victoria Road considerably. Hopefully, with players looking to cement themselves into the new manager's plans, we're able to produce a valiant and exciting performance today, the very blueprint on which McMahon bases his teams. While the news of the appointment will have left supporters optimistically looking long-term, it's easy to forget we're in a relegation battle in the here and now. This isn't just about impressing the new boss, it's about getting three points towards survival, which at the minute seems in the balance. Dagenham Predicted XI: Justham, Gordon, Clark, Onariase, Wright, Croll, Robinson, McQueen, Luque, House, Kandi
Torquay Predicted XI: Cavolan, Lemonheigh-Evans, Cundy, Hall, Lewis, Nemane, James, Lloyd, Whitfield, Reid
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January 2024
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