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Ryman
Premier Division
Saturday 23rd October 1999
Daggers 2 Walton & Hersham 0
It had been a strange day, weather wise and this was to be duplicated on the field.
Four weeks since our last league game and therefore since our last win and it showed in the whole attitude of the team. Not a great performance so we all have to be thankful that our opposition was of mediocre quality because if we had been up against a better team then we would surely have lost.
There was an overall lack of commitment and the midfield missed Derek Payne in a big way. There was no vision from that area of the field and, on top of that, there was no new ideas, just run down the wing and get tackled. At the same time Walton & Hersham showed very little invention until they must of realised that they could get something from the game and started to take control during the latter part of the first half.
Luck wasn't on the Daggers' side either as during the match they hit the woodwork on four occasions (I think). It was Matt Jones who broke the deadlock and put the ball away with a great finish. I don't try to explain how goals are created or scored but feel I have to try with D&R's second. Matt Jones collected the ball about 30 yards out and just to the left of the goal. He put, what looked like a bad cross in toward the far post but the ball ended up going toward the right touchline. Paul Cobb volleyed the ball straight into the goal area where, substitute, Danny Shipp volleyed past the keeper. Very impressive indeed.
As I say not a great performance but two goals, three points and top of the league with a game in hand. The masterplan is in full swing..
Newell, Cole, Broom, Woolsey, Bodley, Terry(M.Payne), St. Hillaire(Shipp1), Cobb, McDougald, Jones, Heffer
FA
Cup 3rd Qualifying Round
Saturday 2nd October 1999
Daggers 0 Burton Albion 2
I was going to stay home and clean my car but decided that I would like to be one of the 919 that would witness an interesting afternoon's football.
The Daggers had a great start, Burton looked nervous and didn't have any chance to settle as the home side bore down from all angles. Jason looked very comfortable running up and down the left wing and, I must admit, I thought this was going to be an easy win.
It was a shame, as Jason had such a good start, that it was he who was caught flat footed when a Burton winger was able to put in a fairly innocuous cross. Well, it was innocuous until Tim Cole decided to try to head out for a corner. As the cross went in it was like a dream (nightmare), the ball was always going to hit the back of the net, there was nowhere else for it to go! It was as if you had seen it before and this was the slow motion replay.
Dagenham now lost all impetus and it was Burton who took control of the game. When Dagenham did attack they were closed down very quickly and this suggested that Nigel Clough had done his homework.
Around the hour point Burton made the whole situation more comfortable for themselves by finishing a good build up with a far post header. They found themselves with a fair amount of space and capitalised well.
Two-nil down and the Daggers decided to make a game of it. The only problem now was that Burton just closed up shop. They always had 10 men behind the ball and at times it was like watching a bunch of 6 year olds playing (this isn't meant to sound derogatory) as they chased everything and followed the ball wherever it went. They also marked incredibly tightly, so that whenever a Dagenham player was within shooting distance the shot was blocked. Burton played a 'defensive numbers game' and it was very effective.
At the end of the day Burton were the better team and deserved to go through to the next round.
All that I can do is wish them good luck against Woking.