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.
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May 2024
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