Richard's Brace Sinks Under-strength Daggers

Dagenham and Redbridge came into their home game against Northampton Town undefeated in 3 games.

After an epic 3-3 draw away to Oxford United in their last game The Daggers were looking to add to their 7 point tally against The Cobblers, a team they had never beaten.

The previous game against Oxford must have felt a bit like a win as the Daggers had equalised late on to take a share of the spoils.  Skipper Abu Ogogo scored the leveller with an absolutely fantastic lobbed, long ranged effort.  It was the midfielders 3rd goal in as many games.  Ashley Hemmings got his first league goal of the season and Jamie Cureton also netted.  It was the veteran strikers 3rd goal in all competitions.

Abu Ogogo scores against Oxford
He is under there somewhere.

As I walked to Victoria Road on Saturday I was feeling very confident of getting our first win against Northampton, that was until I got into the ground and heard the Daggers line up.  With 3 major first teamers missing from the team sheet the early optimistic expectations had suddenly dropped to a lower level, I was now thinking a draw would be a pretty good result, but deep down I was readying myself for a disappointing defeat.

Ashley Chambers and Scott Doe were out with injuries and everyones favourite scapegoat Jack Connors was on Irish under 21 duty.  George Porter came in for Chambers and rookie defender Ian Gayle made his first start of the season in place of  Doe at centre back, Matt Partridge kept his place at right back and in came right back Damien Batt to play at left back in place of Connors.  The Injuries and international call up also meant that The Daggers were only able to name 6 subs, the last of which was youth team player Mason Bloomfield who according to manager Wayne Burnett had been playing for the under 18's that morning.


When you take in to consideration the strength of the squad and then look at the strength of the opposition this game was always going to be tough, and so it proved.  It took 8 minutes before we went a goal a good passing move which was started off by Northampton's 18 year old starlet Ivan Toney with a clever flick that left our midfield flat footed and eventually ended in a goal by experienced striker Marc Richards.  By the 24th minute the game was all but over, Richard's heading home his second of the game when he outjumped Ian Gayle from a Joel Byrom cross.

Daggers had a few chances in the game and on another day Cureton puts one or two away but it just wasn't to be for the Daggers and in the end the best team won.  Daggers definitely missed Ashley Chambers and his positive runs, and no doubt Scott Does pace at the back may have made a difference as well, but all afternoon we were second best though and the finishing of Marc Richards, the clever and quick play of Ivan Toney and Kaid Mohammed, not to mention the experienced head at the back in the shape of 26 year old Ryan Cresswell, were the big difference.  What a signing Cresswell could prove to be for The Cobblers, he could be a big player this season and could help push Northampton further up the league.  Northampton are the best I have seen at Victoria Road so far this season and the way they play and with the players they have there is no reason why they cant be right up there at the end of the season.

As for the Daggers there were a few positives, other then not being strong enough for the second goal I thought Ian Gayle had a good game and started to become more confident as the game went on.  It was also good for Bradley Goldberg get 20- 25 minutes of football under his belt and that can only be a good thing for a young striker in his first season in league football after a very successful loan spell last year in the Conference South, on another day he too could of scored one of the half chances he had.

#What a moment for young Mason Bloomfield who came on to make his debut in senior football, the boy must have been so proud.  Congratulations Mason and good luck for the future.

Debutant Mason Bloomfield up against new Cobblers signing Ryan Cresswell.

So it may have been a disappointing result but these things happen.  The way some fans react to defeat though is just embarrassing, slagging off young players, getting on the players back if they make a mistake.

Some of these players we have at Daggers at the moment may well be some of the best we have ever had, players like Andre Boucard are far to good to be playing for a team like us yet the fans want him out of the side just because he might lose the ball once in a while.  Daggers fans be grateful for what you have got, because you will miss it when its gone.  If you think it is frustrating now you obviously never saw Dagenham in the mid 80's when our main striker George Dolarto used to regularly trip over the ball on the goal line and the only way we were saved from relegation each year was because we would bring Billy Lansdowne in on loan from Swedish side Kalmar FF every season just to keep us up.

We have the makings of a good attacking footballing side, so just enjoy it.

We will get better and keep improving and no doubt it will be a much better performance this Saturday when we entertain Cambridge in another home game.

COME ON YOU DAGGERS!!