Match Report
National League
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C
Junior Morais (29)
Josh Walker (36)
Myles Weston (54)
Dover Athletic F.C
Alfie Pavey (50)
Dagenham round off festive period unbeaten with Dover victory
Junior Morias of Dagenham annd Junior Tiensia of Dover - Credit: Gavin Ellis/TGS Photo
Dagenham & Redbridge made it four consecutive league wins with a 3-1 victory against Dover Athletic.
The Daggers move up to fifth in the National League table, while Dover are still rooted to the bottom with no wins so far this season.
With Daryl McMahon isolating, Steve Gritt and Dave Jupp took their places in the technical area, and they didn’t have long to wait for Josh Walker and Mauro Vilhete to combine and force a save out of Andre in the Dover goal.
The rest of the opening quarter of an hour had half chances for both teams, but nothing of real note until Alfie Pavey knocked a ball down for Ben Williamson, who saw his strike saved brilliantly by Elliot Justham.
Angelo Balanta had a couple of efforts minutes later, with one landing off target, and the second resulting in the captain being closed down quickly.
Junior Morias and Josh Walker looked to combine in the 28th minute, but the final pass allowed Andre to nip in and collect.
Only a minute later it was Morias who would open the scoring. The forward collected the ball out towards the corner flag, cut inside towards the edge of the box, and leathered the ball into the far corner with an exquisite finish.
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The 33rd minute saw Justham keep the Daggers’ lead intact, palming a dangerous curling effort from Danny Collinge behind for a corner.
Another screamer, this time in the 36th minute, saw the Daggers double their advantage. Josh Walker evaded a challenge, threw in a couple of stepovers, and unleashed a bullet of a shot with his left foot into the top corner.
The rest of the first half was seen out without too much more of note, but the Daggers looked firmly in control.
Only five minutes into the second half Dover were able to pull one back, as Alfie Pavey managed to wriggle free to earn half a yard of space before glancing his headed effort beyond Justham.
Thankfully, only four minutes later, Myles Weston reinstated the home side’s lead. A customary powerful run into the box from Westy resulted in the wing-back rifling a shot into the top corner!
Just before the hour mark, Matt Robinson almost made it four, as he struck a first time effort on goal, forcing Andre into a good save.
Morias and Walker looked to combine again in the 70th minute, as the latter played his strike partnership through in behind, but the subsequent ball into the box was blocked and cleared from danger.
The 83rd minute saw penalty shouts from the visitors, but the referee was swift to wave play on.
A minute later, Walker and Morias worked the ball forward to Vilhete, but the diminutive play-maker’s disguised pass wasn’t quite what an onrushing Sam Ling was expecting.
Elliot Justham reminded everyone yet again just how good he is, with five minutes of the 90 to play, as he pulled of a brilliant save to deny Kwale Da Costa, and was even back to his feet to clear the danger before anything else could come from the pressure.
There were no other chances of note as the Daggers closed out the game.
Dagenham & Redbridge: Justham, Wright, Reynolds, Zouma, Weston, Sagaf, Robinson, Vilhete (Phipps, 87’), Balanta (Ling, 71’), Morias, Walker
Unused subs: Clark, Saunders, Akanbi
Attendance: 1631 (74 away)