Grimsby v Dagenham Preview

The Opposition

The merging of Dagenham FC and Redbridge Forest FC took place in 1992, and the club were relegated to the Isthmian League Premier Division from the Vauxhall Conference in 1996. The Daggers won promotion back into the Conference in 2000 and grew season on season into a strong Conference outfit finishing 3rd, 5th and 6th in their opening seasons. In 2002 they were pipped narrowly to the title and more importantly promotion by Boston United. It was later found that Boston were making irregular payments to players during the season but their promotion stood. Dagenham unsuccessfully attempted to overturn the decision on numerous occasions. Following this, the club began to decline and finished mid-table in the following 3 seasons. On 27th February 2004 they were beaten 9-0 at home by Hereford United. The 2006-7 season saw the Daggers battle it out with Oxford for promotion and Oxford raced clear before Christmas, but slowly and surely their lead was eaten away despite the loss of striker Craig-Mackail Smith to Peterborough. On 7th April Dagenham were promoted to the Football League for the first time in their history. Their first game back in the League was a 1-0 loss to Stockport County, however a win was just around the corner as Lincoln were dispatched by a single goal at Victoria Road. The club reached the quarter final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and finished the season in 20th place, ensuring League Football for another season. This season has been vastly improved and the club currently sit nicely in 5th place above Shrewsbury and Bradford with thumping wins against Gillingham, Macclesfield and of course Grimsby.

Goalkeeper Tony Roberts is the current record appearance holder for the Daggers with 316 appearances over a 9 year spell and he is capped at under-21 level by Wales. Centre back’s Magnus Okuonghae and former Peterborough defender Mark Arber have this season been solid together in a side that have a good defensive record. In midfield sit Soloman Taiwo, a goal scoring midfielder, Glen Southam, and Peter Gain. The main goal threat comes from the strikers Ben Strevens and Paul Benson. Strevens was signed from Crawley in 2006 and has since netted 24 times for Dagenham. Another option up front is Barbados striker Jon Nurse, although his goal record is not at the same level as the first choice Strevens and Benson, he is still a threat from the substitutes bench and often comes on late in games to make an impact.

Striker Paul Benson has become synonymous with the club since his signing from the Essex Intermediate League in 2005 where he was scoring goals for fun with White Ensign, with 96 goals over 2 years. Since then he has become a club hero, scoring an incredible 28 goals in the promotion season and earning the golden boot for the Conference. He won an England semi-pro cap in 2007 scoring on his England debut against Northern Ireland. This season he has shown flashes of that form of old scoring 14 goals in 26 games, a goal ratio of 0.53 which puts him up there with the best strikers in the league. Town’s centre backs will need to be at their best to keep him and his sidekick Ben Strevens quiet on Tuesday.

Recent Form

Top Scorers

Team News

Squads

Head to Head

Grimsby have never beaten Dagenham in three attempts!

P 3 W 0 D 1 L 2 F 1 A 8

Dagenham Head-to-Head (not on The Opposition Ladder)

Last Meeting

Dagenham 4 Grimsby 0 (Tue 28th Oct 2008)

A emphatic defeat best forgotten.

Report

Prediction