Published:
5:00 PM August 23, 2022
Dagenham & Redbridge boss Daryl McMahon admits his side have got a lot of growing to do, as they prepare to head to Yeovil Town on Saturday.
Daggers ran out 3-0 winners at Huish Park last season and claimed their first win in four outings this term when beating Maidenhead United at the weekend.
Paul McCallum’s first-half goal – his third in four games – earned the points against Alan Devonshire’s Magpies at Victoria Road, after which McMahon said: “We’ve got loads to go, in terms of growing and moving on as a team.
“We said before the game today, from the end of last season to now, we’ve got a new back three, two regulars from our back three have gone, we’ve got a new midfielder as well in terms of Tavares.
“So we’re still a team that’s got a lot of growth in it and a lot of room to improve everywhere. And we’re looking forward to doing that.”
Daggers had goalkeeper Elliot Justham to thank for key saves to deny Adrian Clifton and, in stoppage time, Cole Kpekawa as they recorded their first clean sheet of the campaign.
Dagenham & Redbridge goalkeeper Elliot Justham
– Credit: Gavin Ellis/TGS Photo
And McMahon paid tribute to his custodian, adding: “It’s everything he brings. He really cares about the club first and foremost, he has been here a long time, he’s got that passion for the club, which oozes out of him.
“He’s a brilliant professional. I’ve been three years probably now and he hasn’t missed a training session or game.
“He looks after himself really well, is an outstanding goalkeeper and shot-stopper and what has really kicked on as well is his distribution for us as well to get us playing from the back is top drawer.
“We’re lucky to have him here.”
McMahon was forced into making a couple of changes against Maidenhead, with Sam Ling and Elliott Johnson making way at the start and towards the end of the second half.
But he is hoping both will be available for consideration for the trip to Somerset, saying: “Sam was struggling in the sense of he had been ill, he came in training Thursday, Friday and trained really well, he was fine, but I don’t know if it was a mixture of the heat today, he just felt shattered at half-time.
“He looked a little bit punch drunk, like a boxer on the ropes, he was struggling a little bit, but he gave us everything he had to be fair to him and I’m sure he’ll be ok for next Saturday.
“Johnno had a bit of cramp so we didn’t want to take any risk with him and needed to get him off the pitch.”
https://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/dagenham-and-redbridge-boss-daryl-mcmahon-on-growth-9223632
