Dagenham & Redbridge boss frustrated and embarrassed by loss

Dagenham & Redbridge boss Ben Strevens admitted he was ‘frustrated and embarrassed’ at the end of their derby defeat against Southend United.

Harry Cardwell slid home a low cross from Jack Bridge to put the visitors in front on 19 minutes and only Tom Eastman’s goalline clearance denied them a second.

Daggers struggled to create clear chances of their own and saw Oli Coker secure a 2-0 win for their Essex rivals late on.

And Strevens told the club website: “Southend thoroughly deserved to win.

“They started very brightly and we couldn’t get a foothold in the game.

“Lots to think about. There was anger at half-time, but by the end of the game I was just really frustrated and embarrassed.

“It was far away from exactly what I wanted.”

Lewis Page and Josh Rees were booked inside the first five minutes in a feisty start, with Page going off injured before the half-hour mark.

And Strevens was left asking if they had done enough in the days leading up to the game, adding: “I wasn’t happy at half-time with certain things. We wanted to start on the front foot, it was the opposite really. They pinned us back.

“But did I get the preparation right in the week, did they have everything they needed leading into the game?

“We feel like we did but that’s where you have to look at yourself first.

“I’m talking about looking at myself as a manager and the coaching staff at how we can help the players more because that’s our job.”

Having seen a crowd of 3,233 turn up at Victoria Road – boosted by 1,198 away fans – Strevens made his apologies to the home supporters.

And he says his side have to be much better for the midweek visit of Gateshead.

“I certainly don’t ever want that feeling again come the end of the game,” he said.

“I really thank anyone that stayed to the end and even if they stayed to have a go I completely agree with them.

“Seeing their fans happier at the end and ours walking out unhappy is the absolute opposite of what I wanted to feel. I wanted it to be us with the good feeling altogether on the first home game of the season.

“It hurts more because it’s against Southend, but regardless who it would’ve been against I would’ve had the same emotions, the same feelings about it.

“It’s about making sure when we’re back here on Tuesday against a tough opponent in Gateshead – I thought they were the best team we came up against in the second half of last season – we’ve got to be much better with and without the ball.

“Nothing that we wanted to do happened, so we’ve got to take that on board and try and put it right.”