Dagenham & Redbridge look to build on brilliant weekend

Dagenham & Redbridge boss Ben Strevens was happy to put a smile on the faces of supporters with back-to-back wins over the Bank Holiday weekend.

After beating National League leaders Barnet at Victoria Road on Saturday, Daggers ran out 2-0 winners at Wealdstone on Monday.

And Strevens wants to maintain that momentum as they prepare to host AFC Fylde this weekend.

“We know they were frustrated with the opening results, because we were,” Strevens told the club website.

“It’s our job to give them more to smile about and the last couple of performances they’ve seen the discipline, togetherness, people pressing when the time is right, to go together and backing each other up.

“It’s brilliant. The same when we went to Barnet [end of last season], it’s a London derby and their support means everything to us. That’s the reason we do it.

“Lots of positives but let’s not get carried away with it, be ready for another tough challenge next Saturday.”

Ryan Hill claimed his first goal for the club to put them ahead at Wealdstone, with Omar Mussa sealing the points with a late second.
And Strevens was pleased to see both get their rewards after starting both matches.

“Good things happened today,” he added. “Hilly getting his first goal for the club, Mussa being out and coming back and scoring that goal.

“I know the goalie made a bit of a mistake on it, but the way Mussa can hit the ball and get it to wobble about a bit, in fairness to the goalkeeper, maybe that happened.

“Really good moment for him and collectively, the defence was amazing but I can see how much of a big miss Tavs [Nik Tavares] was [last season]. He’s had another really good performance alongside Phippsy [Harry Phipps] and the whole back four and Els [Justham] in goal.”

Having taken just one point from their first four matches, while seeing their small squad hit by injuries, Strevens is now hoping they can build on their derby successes, having shown that unity.

“It’s always tough when you’ve got boys out injured and you’ve got a small group but it also brings a bit of togetherness as well,” he said.

“We had a tough start to the season and last weekend [Inih Effiong collapsing at Maidenhead] and the reset from that moment to be where we are this weekend.

“Even Westy [Myles Weston], we started him wide, he goes up front and ends up playing left-back.

“Els [Johnson] was doing brilliant at left-back and had a problem with his ankle and Scotty said to me on the bench ‘Westy will be absolutely fine there’. And he was. He was brilliant still at left-back.

“That was the moment Reesy [Josh Rees] come on and made a real good impact, big Syd [Ibie] come on and was excellent as well.

“The collective effort of the group, staff and players, has been what I’ve always wanted.

“And the scenes we see at the end on Saturday and there, I wanted the boys to enjoy that moment, because they worked really hard for it.”