National League: Dagenham & Red 1 Barnet 0 – match report

Dagenham & Redbridge opened their account for the season by turning the National League table on its head and upsetting leaders Barnet at Victoria Road.

The basement boys took the points thanks to a late own goal from Nicke Kabamba, inflicting a first defeat of the campaign on the Bees.

Daggers boss Ben Strevens made two changes to his starting line-up from the 1-0 defeat at Maidenhead, which left them at the foot of the table, as fit-again Ryan Hill returned to make his debut alongside Omar Mussa.

Opposite number Dean Brennan, meanwhile, named an unchanged side from Barnet’s 2-0 win over Woking, which left them top of the table on goal difference.

Myles Weston had a chance for the hosts as they made a quick start, but fired over the crossbar from inside the box after just two minutes.

And Hill went close on 12 minutes after a run into the box before firing over, before Harry Pritchard went through at the other end and fired at Elliot Justham.

Finley Potter was too high with a chance from a corner on 35 minutes, while Zak Brunt’s deep cross just evaded Danny Collinge soon after.

Nik Tavares was shown a yellow card seven minutes before the break, with Hill having his name taken moments later and Charley Kendall joining them in the referee’s notebook on the stroke of half-time.

And Daggers saw Harry Phipps send a free header at the far post over the bar from Hessenthaler’s free-kick three minutes into the second half, before Mussa and Strevens were shown yellow cards in quick succession.

Weston fired wide and Hill also dragged an effort past the post, before Mussa found Weston to shoot straight at Laurie Walker on the hour.

And Johnson had an attempt from range, to no avail, on 71 minutes as it remained deadlocked, with Brunt curling a shot wide from the edge of the box at the other end.

Hill was replaced by Sydney Ibie in the first change for Daggers, with Mussa applauded off when making way for Josh Rees 13 minutes from time.

And Ibie produced a good run on 84 minutes, but shot straight at Walker, before the deadlock was broken as Tavares delivered a dangerous cross into the box and saw it turned into the net by Nicke Kabamba.

Barnet’s Reece Hall-Johnson hit the post from distance in stoppage time, but Daggers held on.

Dagenham & Redbridge: Justham, Johnson, Tavares, Hessenthaler, Vincent, Hill (Ibie 72), Weston, Phipps, Kendall, Ling, Mussa (Rees 77). Unused subs: Strizovic, Blair, Terry.

Barnet: Walker, Hall-Johnson, Coker, Collinge, Kabamba, Kanu (Senior 82), Pritchard, Hartigan, Oluwo, Potter (Barratt 63), Brunt (Gorman 77). Unused subs: Okimo, Wynter.

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