January
3rd Ryman Prem.
Final
Score Daggers 0 Enfield 2
In conditions
that were so bad at the start of the game, the referee having to take the
players off after 1 minute and 20 seconds due to horizontal hailstones,
both teams managed to play reasonable football. When the teams came
out after this initial unscheduled stoppage the pitch was waterlogged in
the middle of the field, but soon the surface drained reasonably well and
both teams accommodated themselves to it.
Even exchanges for
the first 30 minutes, then an Enfield player made a good darting run at
goal and was brought down by Culverhouse. The resulting penalty was
well struck to the left of Gothard, who once again managed to push the
ball out for a corner. Seven minutes later Gothard came to the edge
of the box to collect a ball which really should have been left to
Culverhouse, the result was that Enfield latched onto the mix-up and made
the score 1-0. In stoppage time for the first half Enfield could
have made it 2-0, as 3 yards out from goal they had a free header from a
free kick and should have done better.
The second
half started well for the home team with a couple of chances falling to
Cobb and a half chance to Wallace. The Daggers having a lot of the
possession for the first 25 minutes, but as they were attacking, the back
was being left a little open with Tolo Mas being left alone in that
position. Enfield were unlucky in the 72nd minute when after a
defensive error the ball was pulled back only for the forward running
player to miss an open goal. Even though Enfield did not have the
majority of the play, they did look dangerous on the break, Dagenham's
problem at the moment is that they have the possession and shots on target
but they are not decisive enough, my son pointed out to me, that we
have not scored a league goal in over 6 hours of football that goes back
to November 29th....surely that is not good enough
The loudest cheer of
the game was when it was announced at half time that Emley, who were
playing West Ham in the FA Cup 3rd Rd., had equalised, Enfield and Daggers
supporters unite for a few seconds!
Gothard,
Culverhouse, Pratt, Howard, Conner, Mas, Parratt, Cobb, Shipp,
Double(Stimpson), Wallace
Saturday
10 January 1998 FA Trophy 1st Round
Daggers
1 Billericay 0
A bright sunny day
welcomed us to Victoria Road today and the visitors started the game in
the a similar fashion. Dagenham were not allowed to settle in the
first half an hour and Billericay did push forward on numerous occasions.
After 26 minutes Billericay's number 10 picked up the ball on the edge of
the area and struck the ball into the side netting, he should have done
better. This seemed to increase the urgency in the Daggers game,
Paul Cobb picked up the ball 10 yards in the oppositions half, he
held it up well, turned and passed the ball into Pratt's path who took the
ball to the bye-line and then strangely took a shot instead of crossing
it. The play once again switched to the other end and Gothard made a
superb save in the 45th minute, pushing the ball away, Billericay followed
up with another shot that was cleared off the line.
Early exchanges in the second half showed that the Daggers still had a
bit of life in them and put Billericay under a little bit of pressure,
although not having a clear shot on goal until the 60th minute when Pratt
shot from outside the area causing the 'keeper to stretch and save.
The visitors still were able to attack, and a diabolical mistake by Sam
Bass, who had come on for Stimson, let Chris Payne in, moving to within 8
yards of the Daggers goal but then for some reason decided to move
sideways across the goal area, which gave the home side a chance to
reform. (when I say reform what I actually mean is panic and get back in
numbers) Chris Payne did make the best run of the match a few
minutes later, he picked the ball up 15 yards in our half and took the
ball past 4 or 5 players before having his shot saved by Gothard.
Jamie Wallace managed to get himself sent off as he got involved in an
off-the-ball incident, which the referee didn't see but unfortunately the
linesman did. As is quite common in these situations, Dagenham
lifted their game and on the 80th minute Paul Cobb picked up a perfect
ball that basically split the defence and was able to take it wide and put
a cross in for Pratt, only to see the ball come off a Billericay defender
into the net., If it hadn't have been an own goal I feel that Pratt would
have scored it anyway.
Gothard, Culverhouse, Pratt, Howard, Mas, Cole, Parratt,
Cobb, Stimson(Bass), Bird, Wallace.
17th
January 1998 Ryman Prem. ( with thanks to Paul Kirkpatrick)
Carshalton
0 Daggers 2
A good game and
excellent all round performance. Lee Matthews purchased from
Purfleet earlier in the week started the game and he along with Warren
Oakley were the best players of the first half. Tolo Mas scored the
first goal after a goalkeeping error. In the second half we created
many chances but were unable to score until Oakley forced an error
from the Carshalton defence and curled a 25 yard shot around the keeper.
January
24th Ryman Prem.
Final
Score Daggers 1 Hitchin 0
A cold, but bright and
sunny day saw a much better all round performance from the team. On
the 12th minute Steve Conner flick on the ball for Paul Cobb to try an
overhead shot, only to see the it go wide, Cobb was able to return the
favour a little later and pulled the ball back to Conner who headed from
short range, only to hit the bar. Just before this, the referee held up
play for about 6 minutes, there had been a clash of heads in Hitchin's
goal area causing what apparently was an excess of blood on the floor
which had to be ceremoniously rinsed away with a very large bucket of
water. Warren Oakley and David Pratt worked well together down the
left, Oakley putting a short ball to Pratt who turned well and laid the
ball into Oakley's path, the far post cross was inch perfect but Hazle was
unable to convert. Conner and Cobb are also understanding each
others game, and the goal came from this combination, Conner's through
ball to Cobb on the left splitting the flat footed defence, he then turned
inside and calmly placed his shot past Andy Palfreyman in the Hitchin
goal. Warren Oakley also shot well from outside the box which the
keeper could only push out for home debutante Paul Nicholson to shoot
wide.
Second half started well with Cobb volleying from just outside the box
for the 'keeper once again to save, the resulting corner by Pratt was
collected by Nicholson who then hit the underside of the bar.
Oakley, who today had his first home league start, played with great
commitment and put a ball through to Cobb who in turn laid the ball into
Hazel's path only once again to hit it over the bar. The best move
in the second half came when Pratt made a run down the left to put a hard
shot come cross to the far post, Cobb collected and controlled, pulled the
ball back to Nicholson who then volleyed wide. Good approach work in
the 69th minute from Hithin could have made the score 1-1 but for a
miss-kick from 6 yards. If they had of scored then it would have
been slightly against the run of play. They are by far the
worst team I have seen, not only this season but also last (and that
includes Oxford whom we beat 7-0) Cobb could have got his hatrick but for
a good display by the Hitchin goalkeeper in the last 10 minutes.
Gothard, Mas, Oakley, Cole,
Conner, Creaser, Nicholson, Cobb1, Hazle, Pratt, Matthews
Saturday
31st January 1998 FA Trophy 2nd Round
Daggers
0 Hyde United 5
A good start by the home
side, getting a fair amount of possession in the midfield area, but were
unable to penetrate the well patrolled Hyde defence. The ball wasn't
running well for the Daggers and it did look like Hyde had 14 players on
the pitch ( I did count them though, just to make sure the Referee hadn't
made another mistake). There were some strange decisions, and, although
the home crowd felt that the first penalty decision was wrong, I am not so
sure, the second penalty decision seemed a little harsh to me, Hyde
converted both of them and looked to be going in at half time with a 2
goal lead, in time added on the Daggers made a couple of good attacks
which left the back a little open, letting the opposition in to make it 3
on the stroke of half time.
The second half saw us come out with a much better attitude, and you
felt, if only for a couple of minutes, that the team could pull it back,
this did leave the defence lacking and Hyde started to move the ball well
around the field, splitting the defence on a few occasions. David
Pratt seemed to want to know after the restart but the players need to
play the full 90, not just the last 45 minutes. Courtney Naylor came
on as substitute and played well in the circumstances and that can only be
good for us in the Ryman League.
I'm not one to complain about refereeing decisions, as their job is hard
enough, today he made mistakes, but what is the point of the supporters
continuing to abuse him throughout the rest of the match when they should
be trying to lift the team whose heads are dropping one by one!
Hyde played well and deserved the result....5-0...I'm, not so sure.
Gothard, Culverhouse, Pratt,
Cole, Conner, Creaser(Oakley), Parratt, Cobb, Stimson(Naylor), Double,
Howard