Dagenham & Redbridge boss gets good feeling after Barnet win

A late own goal from Bees striker Nicke Kabamba allowed Daggers to claim their first win of the campaign, following three successive losses.

And success came after the shock of seeing striker Inih Effiong collapse after their 1-0 loss at Maidenhead United a week earlier.

“It’s a good feeling for me but everyone at the club has been really united in the last week,” Strevens told the club website.

“All the players and staff, everything they put into this week came out in the performance today.

“I could sense it building as the week got on.  

“I spoke to them and said the intention is all there to do what we wanted to do, but don’t be too uptight with it, you’ve got to be a bit more relaxed.

“I know the goal was what it was but I felt we were playing well.

“They’re a good side, they’ve been up at the top of the table for a reason, they’ve been playing really well, full respect for the job they’re doing.

“That’s one of the best Barnet teams in terms of watching them I’ve seen in a few years.

“They weren’t at their levels they wanted to be but maybe because of the way we played.”

Strevens handed Ryan Hill and Omar Mussa their first starts of the season and was delighted by the overall performance of his side.

“In the build-up I was thinking they’re a proper team and it’s going to be a tough day,” he added.

“The boys showed they were more than capable of competing and eventually winning the game.

“We started really well, on the front foot, with energy. And because we started quite well they changed to a 4-3-3 and probably got a grip of the game a bit more and it become very even toward the end of the first half.

“I just felt for the first time really, there was moments I was thinking something good was going to happen.

“We had lots of balls in and around their third, in their box, whether it was dropping to Westy [Myles Weston], Hilly or Charley [Kendall], Mussa or Hess [Jake Hessenthaler] – whoever it would be, I just felt something was going to happen.

“I didn’t feel that way against Southend especially, I did in the Gateshead game it was a different game.

“I just felt good things were going to happen because the intentions were right all over the pitch.”

Daggers will now look to build on their morale-boosting win when they visit Wealdstone on Bank Holiday Monday.