Dag & Red Paul Gothard Dean Hooper Steve Heffer Mark Smith Mark Janney Paul Terry Danny Hill Danny Shipp Junior McDougald Mark Stein Matt Jones Substitutes Jason Broom Tim Cole Danny Hayzelden Steve McGavin Neville Southall

Goals McDougald Courtney Hill   Stats 8 Goal Attempts 4 4 On Target 1 4 Off Target 3 0 Hit Woodwork 0 6 Corners 3 Cards Yellow Hooper Beesley   Williamson Red None None

Stalybridge Leigh Walker Chris Perkins Ged Murphy Phil Trainer Matthew Williamson Paul Beesley Anthony Shandran Kevin Parr Sam Ayorinde Ged Courtney Steve Pickford Substitutes Steve Wood David Walsh Robert Woodhead Nathan Wharton Ian Senior

The Daggers notched up a third win in a row and moved level on points with Boston as they drew at home to Stevenage. The reds' team was a little unfamiliar, with West and Rooney injured at Northwich, Vickers and Goodwin still unfit, and with Cole off the pace at Northwich, the Daggers' back three was Heffer, Hooper and Smith. The defence held up reasonably well despite having two midfielders in it, and the midfield options were therefore restricted.

The game did not take very long to get going as the Daggers let in a poor goal within 8 minutes, probably as a result of the decimated defence. After a Daggers corner, Ayorinde was set free down the left with a long ball, and he ran and crossed with nobody going near him and he picked out Courtney who was also unmarked to head into the net.

The Daggers came back straight away though, and Shipp made a powerful run down the middle, won a challenge and passed to Jones. Jones curled the ball round the defender and into the box where Junior McDougald rose to head across the keeper and into the corner from 8 yards out. Shipp's power was also to prove valuable in defensive areas, as he ended up in the back line towards the end, making it a defender, two midfielders and a striker in there.

Ayorinde had another chance soon after as he was unmarked to poke a right wing cross wide when he could have done better, and he had another shot later on in the half, an overhead kick that was well wide and caught by Gothard. At the other end, Danny Hill was beginning his first half domination as he controlled the game. He played a superb chipped pass the Janney who crossed to the near post but it was cleared, and then beat a man in midfield before playing another superb pass to Janney. He was helping to spread the play very well as he took it from tight areas and played it acorss the pitch to open the game up. His passing to the strikers was also very good as he and McDougald used their understanding to get the ball into attacking areas.

Hill's shooting was also superb. His first shot came after Terry's volley was blocked and the ball came out to him, and he shot powerfully just wide. McDougald had a chance as a 50/50 with the keeper ended up in the air, and Stein couldn't stretch enough to direct the header on target, Janney then missing the loose ball completely. Hill was then back in action with a quick free kick across the goal that curled just wide of the post from over 20 yards. However, he saved the best til last, and his improving accuracy ended with one that was on target and also a goal.

A Terry corner was headed out to the edge of the box. Hill ran forward from his position just inside the vistor's half and as the ball bounced towards him, he cracked a first time half-volley from 30 yards that flew towards the far post, smashed into it and nestled into the back of the net. Goal of the season, nuff said.

The second half, as it had done at Northwich, degenrated into a long ball fest and so Hill's effectiveness diminished somewhat, but he still managed to find his range of passing to spread the play at times. Stalybridge came out of the blocks quite well and worked hard in midfield and looked more like a team scrapping for survival. They had played some decent football in the first half but they soon ditched this in an effort to get back into it and bomb the Daggers' inexperienced defence. The home side were struggling to pass the ball due to the work rate of the away side that constantly let them break up the play.

Indeed, they had some good chance, Ayorinde hit a long shot that went wide of the post, and ther visitors also had a volley that caused a few nervous moments but landed on top of the net as opposed to in it. However, the Daggers weathered this early storm and they came back into it after the first ten minutes. They should really have sealed it, but could not find the third goal despite some good pressure, meaning Stalybridge were in it until the end. Shipp tried a Hill-style effort that went wide, and as Broom entered the fray he hit a low drive that was gathered by the keeper quite easily. Most of the Daggers' chances came from unchallenged crosses though, as they got many good balls in only for the defence to clear easily each time. Hayzelden and Terry both played balls across the box that went untaken, and corners also posed a threat, but were well cleared.