Dag & Red4

Margate1

(Nationwide Conference)ON A COLD December's afternoon, the Daggers stepped up their challenge at the top of the Conference table with an emphatic victory over fellow promotion rivals Margate.

The Daggers lined up without the suspended Steve Heffer; Steve McGavin took his place in midfield while Danny Hayzelden replaced Jason Broom on the left wing and Lee Goodwin returned from suspension.

All the goals and much of the action took place in the second period and the first half was a pretty tame affair.

The visitors could have scored in the opening minutes and Lee Goodwin had to block bravely from the dangerous Leon Braithwaite after a long ball that had caught out the home defence.

Margate's best chance came later in the half when a slip from Hayzelden let in Nick Roddis on the right but the midfielder flashed a 10-yard shot across the face of Tony Roberts' goals for a goal kick.

For the Daggers, Steve McGavin had a great opportunity on the half hour mark, but he skied over from the edge of the area while Mark Stein just failed to convert a Paul Terry through-ball after a good passing movement in Dagenham's midfield.

Two goals in the opening seven minutes of the second half paved the foundations for the home team to secure the three points.

The first came from a Steve McGavin penalty after Danny Hayzelden was dragged down in the area.

It was Mark Stein who scored Daggers' second goal 52 minutes. A long throw from Lee Goodwin caused almighty confusion in the visitors defence and after an initial claim for handball, the ball eventually broke loose in the area and Stein was the quickest to react as he clinically drove home from close range.

The visitors responded well and Tony Roberts had to make a smart save at his near post after Braithwaite tried to score from the narrowest of angles. They did pull one goal back on 62 minutes when the Daggers' defence failed to clear a Terry Mcflynn corner and Simon Beard swept home the loose ball.

But it was Ken Charlery who destroyed any hopes Margate had of securing a point when the Daggers striker capped a fine display with two goals in the last ten minutes. Firstly, the ex-Boston man headed home a Paul Terry free kick on 79 minutes and followed this moments later with a smartly taken penalty following a foul on Junior McDougald.

For Dagenham, it was three vital points to keep them hot on the heals of leaders Boston.

f=Helvetica s=6DAGGERS: Roberts, McGavin (Brennan), Vickers, Goodwin, Smith, Shipp, Janney, Terry (Rooney), Stein (McDougald), Charlery, Hayzelden.

December 21, 2001 15:33