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MATCH REPORT: BOREHAM WOOD VS DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE
Wood were undone at Meadow Park on Easter Friday by a clinical Dagenham and Redbridge side who returned to East London with the three points and a place all but guaranteed in the end of season lottery of the playoffs.
Luke Garrard named an unchanged side for Friday’s game from the side that comfortably beat North Ferriby United last Saturday.
Dagenham came into the game full of confidence and that showed in the early stages as they kept Wood camped in their own half. Ex-Wood PASE Academy player Corey Whitely had the first chance for the visitors cutting in from the left and shooting straight at Grant Smith.
It took Wood a good 20 minutes to get themselves into the game but once they did they created chances of their own. A ball went across goal to Bruno Andrade who then found Ricky Shakes who in turn laid it into the path of Angelo Balanta but he fired over from the edge of the box.
Wood then got the opening goal of the game and what a goal it was. Morgan Ferrier spun Dagenham and ex Wood skipper Scott Doe with ease, got to the by-line and dinked a cross for Shakes who headed home.
Wood seemed to manage the game well and had a period of possession despite not creating any further meaningful chances. Dagenham then struck and equalised through Paul Benson when Whitely showed some trickery down the left and crossed for Benson who somehow managed to scramble the ball over the line.
Femi Ilesanmi was then on hand to prevent Dagenham taking the lead. Once again Whitely did the damage down the left before having a shot on target which Ilesanmi did well to block.
Whitely, who was influential for the Daggers all afternoon, tested Grant Smith again early in the second half fizzing a shot from just outside the box that the Wood stopper did well to hold on to.
Benson then took advantage of some poor Wood defending to get his and Dagenham’s second of the afternoon. Following a throw out on the left the ball was whipped into the far post that found Benson unmarked and he coolly headed past Smith.
Ilesanmi advanced down the left for Wood, he fed the ball into the feet of Ferrier who once again was able to spin Doe but his first time effort went narrowly wide of the post.
Wood continued to look to get back into the game and a nice piece of football between Ilesanmi and Balanta found Andrade who fired straight at Elliott Justham in the Daggers goal.
Matt Paine picked the ball up from the back and travelled up field, he put a crisp ball into Ferrier who first time tried a cheeky flick that worked but unfortunately Andrade wasn’t on the same wavelength and the chance went begging.
Dagenham put the game to bed on the break when Whitely at the back post created space for himself following a deep cross from Curtley Williams and headed past Smith.
Wood continued to push forward but to no avail and following results elsewhere now sit 11th before a trip to Maidstone United on Easter Monday, who themselves are on a fine fun of form.
