Published:
5:03 PM April 18, 2022
Dagenham & Redbridge made it three wins in a row at lowly Aldershot to keep their National League play-off push on track.
Daryl McMahon named an unchanged 16-man squad following the 7-3 win over Barnet on Good Friday and Paul McCallum nodded Will Wright’s cross into the path of Matt Robinson in the first minute, but the midfielder could not make a full connection with his shot.
Daggers went close on seven minutes, though, as Myles Weston picked out McCallum, whose header hit the side netting.
Kodi Lyons-Foster was booked for a foul on Elliot Justham on 12 minutes, with Junior Morias getting on the end of McCallum’s flick to fire at Ethan Ross at the other end on 18 minutes.
And having stung the Bees with a 12-minute hat-trick three days earlier, Morias made the breakthrough again before the half-hour mark, taking a pass from Mauro Vilhete and lifting it over Ross to make it five in three games and 11 for the season.
The visitors almost doubled their lead moments later as Morias turned teed up Robinson but saw his lofted return pass over the home defence evade the gathering blue shirts.
Lyons-Foster sent a free header straight at Justham on 33 minutes, with Vilhete doubling Daggers’ advantage soon after from 12 yards following Weston’s cross.
Brandon Comley made a timely challenge to deny Tommy Willard a clear run on goal, before Wright saw a free-kick skim the top of the net and Robinson had a shot blocked on the line after Vilhete did superbly to take a pass from Morias and play it across goal.
The second half got off to a lively start, with McCallum sending a left-footed shot sailing wide on 48 minutes and Weston’s effort cleared for a Shots counter, thwarted by a brilliant challenge by Manny Onariase.
Willard then fired high over the bar for the home side on 55 minutes, having been found by Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong, and Jayden Harris was also off-target as the hosts enjoyed a spell of possession before the hour mark.
Harris was booked for catching McCallum midway through the half, with McMahon making a double change as Josh Walker and Dean Rance replaced Morias and Mo Sagaf.
Weston made way for Sam Ling soon after in the third change for Daggers, with Jordan Ngalo booked for dragging down Vilhete as he looked to break on a counter.
Rance had his name taken after conceding a free-kick in a dangerous position, but Mikael Ndjoli fired into the stands.
And after Walker beat his man and surged into the box, only to see Ross make a good save, Harris fired a 20-yard shot straight at Justham.
The win leaves Daggers two points behind seventh-placed Notts County, with five games left to play.
Dagenham & Redbridge: Justham, Wright, Onariase, Reynolds, Weston (Ling 72), Sagaf (Rance 68), Comley, Robinson, Vilhete, Morias (Walker 68), McCallum. Unused subs: Johnson, Hare.
Attendance: 1,528 (including 192 Daggers fans).
https://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/aldershot-town-dagenham-and-redbridge-match-report-8904680
