Stalybridge David Fish Derek Ward Andy Scott Dominic Crookes Matthew Woods Ben Futcher Kevin Parr Steve Wood Steve Bushell Ged Courtney Richard Peacock Substitutes Chris Perkins Ged Murphy Matthew McNeil Winfield Steele Jason Batty

Goals Peacock Shipp Courtney Vickers   Perkins (og) Stats 12 Goal Attempts 12 8 On Target 3 3 Off Target 8 1 Hit Woodwork 1 8 Corners 4 Cards Yellow Crookes None Red None None

Dag & Red Tony Roberts Steve Heffer Ashley Vickers Mark Rooney Mark Smith Mark Brennan Mark Janney Paul Terry Danny Shipp Junior McDougald Matt Jones Substitutes Danny Hill Danny Hayzelden Tony Lock Steve Forbes Paul Gothard

The Daggers played very badly in this game and somehow found themselves with three points in the bag at the end of it. As McDougald was welcomed back, McGavin and Stein were added to the injury list which includes Hill, Broom, Cole, Matthews, Goodwin as well as the two mentioned earlier, and to make matters worse, McDougald was re-added to the list just after half-time.

The Daggers played a lot of long ball as they found it hard to break down Stalybridge's back five, and Stalybridge had periods of pressure forcing Roberts into several saves although none of them really tested the Daggers keeper.

At the other end, the occasional times they played some football resulted in chances as the home back line struggled to cope with the ball on the floor. Brennan had a volley sail well over and McDougald had a great chance when he met a long ball and as the keeper came out, he tried the lob but put it over.

Ashley Vickers should have burried a header as he climbed above the defence to meet an inswinging corner but somehow put it over. Danny Shipp the best chance of all though.

He tried to head a right wing cross goalwards whilst unmarked at the back post but somehow headed it down to his feet. He tried to shoot but it was blocked and then finally he pounced on the rebound and somehow put it against the bar.

The first half was mostly scrappy and neither side really looked like taking the lead despite chances due to wasteful finishing, but Shipp finally capitalised on a chance just before half time.

Jones crossed and Heffer headed back across goal. Terry's header was weak and was scrambled away but Shipp shot goalwards and the ball took a deflection off a defender's hand and into the net, but the keeper was already beaten and the deflection only served to put the ball closer to the keeper.

In the second half, Stalybridge came out of the blocks quickly and scored two in quick succession. The first was an awful defensive error. Roberts came to meet a corss but in was headed away before he could get there by a Dagenham defender and Peacock had an easy task to lob the ball into the net.

The second goal came after more poor defending gave space for a home striker to shoot goalwards. Roberts made a great save to push the ball onto the post but couldn't do anything as Courtney headed the rebound in.

Roberts made another save from a long drive which he pushed away and then reacted first to pounce on the rebound. McDougald had a chance when he chased a through ball but the keeper just got to it before the Daggers' striker.

Hayzelden entered the fray in place of the injured Junior, and this coincided with the Daggers' best spell. They kept the ball more but still struggled to make the breakthrough. They mainly had to resort to long shots, Rooney trying a curler from 25 yards that was easily fielded by the home keeper Fish.

Tony Lock also came on in place of Paul Terry who looked injured throughout, and the Daggers piled men forward in search of a goal but still struggled to score. On the few occasions when the wingers atacked their full backs a chance was invariably the result, but after Stalybridge scored their second, the wingers suddenly found themselves with two man-markers each.

As the Daggers found each attack repelled, Vickers decided to try a long range shot, which the crowd and he probably expected to sail well over the top, judging by his previous shooting demonstrations. However, his 30 yard drive was deflected off a defender and sailed into the top corner giving the keeper no chance.

The Daggers pushed forward in search of the winner and this undeservedly came two minutes after Vickers' goal, Stalybridge worth at least a point. Hayzelden managed to beat his two markers and put a low and powerful cross in that smashed into the leg of Perkins and hit the back of the net.

Stalybridge tried to equalise but were twice thwarted by super saves from Roberts. Ben Futcher, probably the best home player by some margin, headed goalwards from a corner and Roberts got across and down to turn it round the post.

With minutes remaining, a low cross was diverted goalwards by an unmarked forward and Roberts somehow got across the full length of his goal and down to his right to push it away.