Dagenham & Redbridge boss Daryl McMahon admitted he was disappointed with the result after seeing his side beaten by the National League’s bottom club Torquay United.
Will Goodwin bundled home the only goal of the game, after Dillon De Silva’s effort had been saved by Elliot Justham, to earn the Gulls three vital points and end a six-game unbeaten run for Daggers.
The hosts had chances to get back on terms, but hit the woodwork four times in all on the day to the frustration of McMahon.
“Disappointed obviously with the result. I thought in the first half we were 5-10 per cent off what we normally are in terms of our intensity of our play,” he told the club website.
“Disappointed with the goal, when you’re not playing well you have to make sure you defend properly and we got opened up for the goal.
“We were a little bit too open and expansive at that stage, especially near half-time. Sometimes you’ve got to realise, we’re not playing to our maximum at the moment and get to half-time at 0-0.
“In the second half, I thought we threw everything at them, and to be fair there were spells in the first half where we created lots of chances as well.
“I can’t complain about that, in terms of opportunities we had, we just didn’t take them. In the second half I felt we were the dominant team, hit the post a couple of times, but it just wouldn’t go for us today. That happens some times.”
Manny Onariase’s header hit the crossbar before Goodwin’s goal, with Josh Walker, George Saunders and Jay Bird all hitting the post as Daggers looked to respond in the second half.
“I think if we’d scored one we would’ve scored two or three,” added McMahon.
“To be fair to Torquay they defended their box really well, defending for their lives, especially in the second half.
“Every time they cleared it somebody went down with cramp. They worked hard for Gary [Johnson].
“But I felt if we’d got one, we would’ve broken their spirit and been able to get another one.
“Unfortunately for us we couldn’t get that first one but it happens in football.”
Having seen his side fall four points off the play-off places after their loss, McMahon was also left somewhat annoyed by how the officials managed the second half, with Torquay looking to protect their slender lead in any way possible.
“They probably started time wasting from half-time,” he said.
“This is not a dig at Torquay, they’ve come away from home, we’ve got a really good home record, they’re 1-0 up, they’re going to do whatever they can to win the match.
“I’ll be no different if I was playing away at somebody else. You try and get every advantage you can.
“You hope the officials see it. You tell the fourth official, speak to them to try and manage it and organise it. He booked the goalkeeper in the 92nd minute. Do it in the 60th minute and he won’t do it again and the game is sped up in play.
“They’re well within their rights to stretch the rules, we all do, but I think the officials have to be a little bit stronger on that.”
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