Match Report

With an hour gone, this looked as though it was heading the same way as too many other games this season, with Sutton coming out on the wrong end of the scoreline after an evenly fought game. Minutes after David Ajiboye had seen a cross flash across the face of the Dagenham six-yard box with no one on hand to convert it, Dagenham countered on the left and when that cross came in Mitch Brundle forced the ball in, and it seemed as though the fine margins that have been mentioned so often this season were again going to go against Sutton. Midway through the half, though, Craig Eastmond scrambled the ball home following a free kick, Tommy Wright followed up within three minutes with a typically crisp finish (above), and U’s were in front and able, for the second time in ten days, to come away with an excellent away victory.

With Ben Goodliffe and Rob Milsom both still sidelined the only change for U’s saw Tommy Wright starting alongside Omar Bugiel up front, with Kyel Reid dropping to the bench, and it was Wright who came closest to giving U’s the lead when he was put in on the right by Kenny Davis and drove in a low shot which was tipped round the post by Elliott Justham. In an even half, Joan Luque had already sent a low shot just wide of Nik Tzanev’s left hand post, and on the half hour U’s keeper made a smart save from Joe Quigley’s downward header after a slick move had ended with Chike Kandi crossing from the right, but there was little indication that Dagenham could repeat the previous home game’s demolition of Aldershot with new signings Sam Deering and Ben House, both instrumental in that result, missing.

Sutton finished the half strongly, and Wright forced another save from Justham with a header, and early in the second half Ajiboye produced the run and cross that could have produced an opener but flashed across goal unhindered. If U’s were getting on top, though, they were soon rocked back as Dagenham attacked quickly down the left, referee Daniel Middleton playing an advantage as Quigley was fouled after laying a pass off to Luque, and Luque’s low ball in from the wing was met by the onrushing Brundle, who scrambled his shot under Tzanev in to the net.

It looked as though it was going to be a familiar story for U’s, and midway through the second half the management made a change, introducing Craig Dundas for Omar Bugiel. With Tzanev about to take a free kick, Dundas made his way in to the penalty area and was among those putting the home defence under pressure, but it was Louis John who climbed highest to head the ball down, and Craig Eastmond who stabbed a shot in to the net, possibly with the aid of a deflection.

The speed with which Eastmond retrieved the ball suggested that U’s sensed a momentum shift, and within three minutes Davis had exchanged passes with Harry Beautyman and again played Wright in, this time on the left, and the striker whipped his shot across Justham who this time was helpless.

Eastmnd had to play the last twenty minutes at centre back with Jamie Collins unable to continue, but with Louis John outstanding alongside him they were able to restrict Dagenham to very limited openings. John produced one outstanding tackle to halt Kansi’s run, and a fine header clear when Quigley was waiting to meet an Alex McQueen cross at the far post. Although Dagenham brought on Reece Grant and James Dobson, the scorers in the meeting at Sutton in September, they were unable to enjoy the same success, Dobson booked within five minutes for a foul and Grant having a goal ruled out for offside when, on the one occasion that John did misplace a header, it was under pressure from Quigley who was in an offside position.

Indeed it was at the other end where the scoreline looked most likely to change, with Wright turning Kenny Clark inside out before flashing a shot across goal, and hooking the ball just wide as he tried to take advantage of hesitation between Clark and Justham, and the ovation Wright received from the Sutton supporters when he came off three minutes from time was a testament to a typically energetic performance that deservedly ended on the winning side.

Dagenham: E Justham, A Eleftheriou(sub J Dobson 72), T Stevenson, M Robinson, W Wright, K Clark, A McQueen, M Brundle, C Kandi(sub R Grant 72), S Quigley, J Luque. Subs n/u W Wood, H Seaden. Booked: Dobson, Quigley.

Referee: Daniel Middleton