MATCH REPORT FROM DAGENHAM & RED

DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE 3 SOUTHPORT 1

BY RON ELLIS

As one of just three part-time teams in the Nationwide Conference Southport knew they were facing a tough season and so it proved when they lost their opening game at Dagenham last Saturday by 3-1 although, in reality, the scoreline did flatter the victors.

The Daggers took the lead against the run of play in the 31^st minute when Craig McKail-Smith, who had already headed a Paul Bruce corner onto the crossbar, went one better with a dramatic bicycle kick after the visitors’ defence failed to clear another Bruce corner.

The Sandgrounders were quick to reply, Terry Fearns’ cross being headed past the keeper by the lively Steve Daly straight from the restart, and they more than held their own for the rest of the first half. Indeed, they might well have gone ahead if only they had taken some of the several chances they created, Sid Pickford and Daly being the main culprits.

However, failure at set pieces let them down again six minutes into the second half when Jake Lewberl headed Paul Bruce’s corner through a crowd of players into the net and, after that, the home side took charge of the game.

The third goal came right at the death when McKail-Smith put in a centre from Paul Benson after Andy Roberts had made a good save to keep out a fierce volley from the industrious Sid Pickford.

Liam Watson was not downhearted at the defeat. ‘I thought we controlled the first half’, he told me. ‘We were the better team but we didn’t put our chances away and that was our downfall. And, once again, we were done by set pieces. After the second goal, they ran the game simply by keeping possession and the third goal was just a bonus for them atr the end when Sid might easily have had an equaliser just before had their keeper not pulled off a wonder save.’

Watson said he was talking to the Dagenham manager, John Sill, after the game. The two men had both worked under John Beck at Preston North End and had met up again when Watson’s Runcorn played Bristol Rovers when Sill was in charge of the West Country club.

‘John told me he was confident we would survive in the Conference as many teams would be unable to cope with our three man attack. They would find us too powerful and hard to handle. We agreed that my team’s weakness was defending set pieces and John pointed out how his team brought all ten outfield players back to defend corners, saying it was something he picked up from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger during a training session at Barnet. Having twenty-one men crammed into the area gives little chance for attackers to find a clear opening on goal whilst putting two mobile players on the edge of the D opens up the opportunity for a quick breakaway for the defending team. It seemed to make sense and I’m certainly going to give it a try.’

Watson did not feel that any of his players merited criticism after the defeat. ‘We are on a learning curve and I picked up a lot of good points from the performance. We play football on the ground, which gives us an edge over many teams. We’ll be glad to have Kevin Leadbetter back from injury to play upfront. The fitness of the team hasn’t been a problem. Robinson has put on some weight but it is all muscle. His body-fat ratio has not changed. Morley lost 8lb after the pre-season work-out.’

What about targets?

‘As an absolute minimum I would be looking to pick up three wins and two draws in every ten games. That would give us 44 points with two games to go which should be enough to ensure safety but my aim is to go for a win in every game. That is my style.’

Asked about rumours of a £25,000 bid from Mark Wright’s Peterborough for Terry Fearns, Watson said no official approach had been made. ‘I think its’s a red herring but if they do come for him, I certainly wouldn’t stand in the lad’s way.’

In the meantime, Watson said he intended signing Lancaster City centre half, Paul Sparrow, in the next few days, as cover for the badly-missed Neil Fitzhenry.

Last night, The Yellows played their first home game against York City and they are at Haig Avenue again this Saturday when title favourites Stevenage Borough, the team who sent Southport out of The Conference, are the visitors in an attractive fixture.

Southport suggested they will be equipped to adapt to life in the Conference, after leaving Victoria Road beaten but not disgraced.
The Nationwide North champions recorded a display of encouragement and will argue that the scoreline didn’t reflect their performance, despite falling victim to a Dagenham side inspired by two-goal Craig Mackail-Smith.
Mackail-Smith gave the hosts the lead on the half hour, but after instantly regaining parity through Steve Daly, Southport bossed proceedings in the period prior to the interval and were unlucky not to have entered the dressing room with a lead.
The Sandgrounders’ defiance, however, did relent and they finally succumbed to a Jake Leberl strike and Mackail-Smith’s stoppage time effort, meaning their twelve year record of failing to lose on the opening day comes to and end at the ground where it began.Although Port manager Liam Watson will certainly be able to pluck plenty of plusses from his side’s efforts, the forthcoming season will doubtless expose certain weaknesses. And today, it was his side’s aerial fallibility at set-pieces that contributed considerably to their downfall.
The Daggers’ first two goals emanated from Southport’s inability repel inswinging corners, while the hosts could have found themselves in front earlier after threatening on three occasions from dead-ball centers.
After an intense opening, ‘Port debutant Dominic Krief scraped a Glenn Southam effort off the line, before Chris Moore grazed the upright after meeting Southam’s delivery with a glancing header.
The visitors were given a further warning when Moore headed over, before Dagenham took the lead on 31 minutes.
After Dickinson had smartly tipped over a 25-yard stinger from playmaker Leberl, Mackail-Smith converted the resulting corner, lethally volleying home from close range.
But Southport responded with immediate effect and were level before the home celebrations had concluded. Terry Fearns, more accustomed to converting chances, was the instigator, swinging in a precise left-wing centre, allowing Daly to rocket a header past goalkeeper Roberts.
In fact, the Sandgrounders had been the first issue a shot a goal, with Jerome Fitzgerald curling over from a long-range free-kick after 10 minutes, while skipper Steve Pickford missed a glorious opportunity to hand the visitors an early initiative. After good approach play from Fearns, the onrushing Pickford blazed wide from inside the area with only goalkeeper Roberts to beat.
Manager Liam Watson had promised a surprising opening-day line-up and the full-time Londoners certainly struggled to get to grips with Southport’s three-pronged strike force of Daly, Fearns and Neil Robinson.
And once Daly had drawn his side level, it was the Sandgrounders who forced the play prior to the break. Constructing some neat approach work, Fearns went close before the ‘Port hitman centered a teasing cross to strike-partner Daly, who fired wide when he should have tested ‘keeper Roberts.
Half-time came as the Conference new-comers appeared in the ascendancy, but they reappeared after the interval considerably diminished, lacking a powerful midfield presence.
The Daggers regained their lead after just five minutes and it was again their aerial incapability that proved fatal. Goalkeeper Dickinson was forced to foil from Anwar Uddin after he rose unchallenged, only for Jake Leberl to convert from the rebound.
Southport were over-run in the centre and as the hosts flooded the visitors’ half, Steve Dickinson was alert to produce a fine save from a Paul Bruce volley on the hour. The Sandgrounders continued to struggle from set plays, with the hosts failing to convert several opportunities to extend their lead.
Dangerman Chris Moore had a shot blocked by Earl Davis, before forcing Dickinson into a scrambling save, while Southam flashed wide from outside the area.
But as the Sandgrounders searched in vain for an equaliser, they were made to rue their failure to convert two notable opportunities inside the concluding fifteen minutes. Neil Robinson’s downward header looped agonisingly over Roberts’ goal, before Steve Pickford’s blistering 20-yarder forced a wonderful stop from the former Wales international goalkeeper.
In stoppage time, Dagenham illustrated the ruthlessness required at this level and wrapped things off with ease. Mackail-Smith was played in by Benson, before comfortably rolling home.