Daggers certainly not blunted

The Premier League may kick off this Saturday, but for mine and the other 71  league teams it all started last weekend.  My team Dagenham and Redbridge have already scored 6 goals, conceded 9 and missed 2 penalties, all this whilst Louis van Gaal was still deciding who would be his club captain and what number Tyler Blackett was going to wear.

Daggers began their campaign with a home game against old rivals Morecambe (Eric as I like to call them).  As I walked to the ground I was feeling quite optimistic about the game and the season in general mainly due to the fact that manager Wayne Burnett was building a new look side and had been very busy over the summer and had brought in no less than 12 shiny new additions during the close season and I was excited to see what they would bring to the team.

The first half of this game may have ended 0-0 but there were positive signs and the new look daggers had finished the half in control without really creating too much, as for Eric they really hadn't had a sniff of a chance.  It looked as though there would only be one winner in this game, but how wrong I was.

Morecambe came out on the front foot in the second half as the daggers began slowly, within 4 minutes of the restart the Daggers had given away a trade mark soft free kick on the edge of their box.  Former Rotherham player Kevin Ellison walked up and curled into the bottom corner and put the visitors ahead.  Ellison always gets a lot of banter off the Daggers fans due to the fact that it was his deflection as a Rotherham player that ended up winning the Daggers the league one play off in 2010.  After scoring Ellison pulled out his left shin pad and waved it at us all.  Fair play to him though he takes and gives the banter in jest and it is always good to see him at Victoria Road, although I wish he wouldn't score everytime he bloody comes here.

Things then got worse as 5 minutes later Eric were given a penalty, I still don't know why they were given a pen as other than the ref and a few desperate Morecambe fans nobody in the ground saw the foul.  Maybe Referee Mr Miller had been distracted, just made a mistake or maybe he had Morecambe in his accumulator, anyway it was given and Eric went 2-0 up.  The Daggers continued to press and ultimately they conceded a breakaway goal in the last minute and Morecambe somehow walked away with 3 points and a flattering 3-0 win.  Not a great start.


On to Tuesday night and an early chance for the Daggers to bounce back, although it wouldn't be easy as the home program so cheerily pointed out that Dagenham and Redbridge were the only club taking part in this years League Cup who had never made it through to the second round, this was going to be made even harder as our opposition for this tie were newly promoted Championship team Brentford.

 It looked as if the writing was on the wall as the Bees went into a 2-0 lead in less than 10 minutes, then on 17 minutes Daggers scored their first goal of the season, new boy George Porter sliding in to convert from another new boy Ashley Hemmings fantastic cross. soon after the heavens opened and there were memories of last seasons crazy game with Scunthorpe that ended 3-3 after the daggers had been 3-0 down.  Then on 32 minutes Brentford regained their 2 goal advantage when a mix up between new goalkeeper Liam O'Brien and experienced and reliable centre back Scott Doe ended with the latter putting through his own night, the goal was credited to a Brentford player but it was Doey's OG all day long.  The final goal of the half was for the Daggers and it was for another new signing Ashley Chambers who had pounced on a Brentford mistake went one on one with the keeper before nicely chipping over him to bring us back to within a goal.

It took only 10 minutes of the second half before it was all level and yet another new signing Andre Boucaurd hit a 30 yarder which the Bees goalkeeper Richard Lee couldn't hold and all of a sudden the home fans dared to believe it might be our night.  That was until the 83rd minute when former Luton striker Andre Gray put the Bees ahead for the fourth time on the night, but the daggers did not give up and were rewarded in the 90th minute when Ashley Hemmings got free down the left hand side and thumped over a cross come shot that lobbed the keeper and nestled in the far right corner of the net, unbelievable it was now 4-4 and a game that looked like it was over after ten minutes was now going to extra time.

Both teams came out in extra time looking for the win none of them were happy just to go to penalties.  Brentford took the lead yet again halfway through the first half of extra time but the lead only lasted 3 minutes as sub and yet another new signing 38 year old Jamie Cureton ceased on yet another mistake to score his first goal for the Daggers and bring it level again at 5 a piece.  Then in the second period of extra time a quick throw from Jack Connors found Ashley Hemmings again free on the left hand side this time the winger cut inside and shot passed Richard Lee to give Dagenham the lead for the very first time in the game, Victoria Road went mental.  The Daggers had only to hold on for 7 minutes to progress to the second round of the league cup for the very first time.  It is hardly a surprise that they didn't though as in the 116th minute just as they did against Eric on Saturday they gave away a silly free kick on the edge of the area.  The ball was floated into the crowded box our goalkeeper came flying out and missed it and there was former Daggers player Harlee Dean to guide the ball into an unguarded net.  Full time 6 flipping 6.  Penalties.

Although we won the toss and the penalties were taken at the home end Brentford showed great composure and scored all four of their penalties unfortunately for the Daggers they could only score two.  An amazing game an amazing night and an amazing score line but ultimately after 2 games Dagenham and Redbridge sit bottom of League 2 and out of the league cup at the first hurdle for yet another season.  The Daggers travel to Burton on Saturday and hopefully the fighting spirit and Tuesday nights experience will spur them on to get a positive result there.

As for me I am off to the Boleyn ground Saturday to see the Iron's take on the Spurs, after witnessing a defeat and a draw surely I am due to see a victory, although I would settle for another 6-6er.