Crowborough Athletic 1 v 1 Lancing

Tuesday 11th March 2014
Sussex County League Division One
Alderbrook Recreation Ground, Crowborough
Admission and programme: £6.00
Attendance: 61
Match Rating: 3

For this week's midweek action, I returned to the Alderbrook for the first time in a couple of months, to watch a young team that has been going great guns in recent weeks and surpassing all expectations so far.

Crowborough came into this game unbeaten since the turn of the year, winning seven games in a row before drawing away at second placed Littlehampton on Saturday, and an away draw against runaway leaders East Preston immediately before the seven game winning streak. They went into this game in third place, although they have played more than games than all teams around them - two more than Littlehampton, who they trail by a point, and two more than fourth placed East Grinstead Town, who they lead by three points. Lancing have suddenly been plunged into a relegation battle within the last weeks, having been docked six points and so came into this game fourth bottom, just one place and two points clear of the relegation zone, although they have played four more games than third bottom Arundel and five more games than second bottom Hailsham, who they lead by four points. When the two teams met at Culver Road in late August, Crowborough came away with a comprehensive 1-6 win.

On a very chilly evening, this would very much be a game of two halves, probably dictated by the strong, gusty wind. Crowborough completely dominated the first half, and had a goal disallowed on 11 minutes when Wayne Clarke's jinking, tricky run ended with a low shot on goal, which was parried by the keeper and the rebound was tapped home by an offside Michael Death. However, Crowborough did take the lead on 23 minutes when Jason Barton headed a free kick into the path of Michael Ademiluyi, who lashed home a fabulous first time shot on the turn across the keeper and into the net. Three minutes later and the home side hit the bar, as they did again in first half stoppage time with a header. So the home side took a lead into the interval, but it really should have been a more commanding lead given their domination of the first half.

Within two minutes of the restart, it was Lancing's turn to hit the woodwork, this time a header hitting the inside of the post and bouncing into the keeper's hands. It was a sign of things to come, as they were the team who had most of the possession and looked through more dangerous now. On 64 minutes they scored an equaliser, when Dom Shepherd's corner floated over the keeper and into the net. Although Crowborough had the odd presentable chance interest second half, Lancing always looked the more likely to score, and in the end, the home side would surely be happy to take a point from this game in the end, but may rue their inability to not have converted their first half dominance into a more convincing half time scoreline.

KSC Lokeren 0 v 0 Waasland - Beveren

Saturday 8th March 2014
Belgian Pro League
Daknamstadion, Daknam
Admission: 19 euro
Team Sheet: Free
Attendance: 8,159
Match Rating: 3

Taking advantage of another £10 return coach ticket from London to Ghent, this time I decided to head to a stadium which promised similar to what I experience a fortnight ago at Kortrijk - a small town club probably punching above its weight with a compact stadium close to capacity with passionate fans. Further attractive features of this match would be that that it would be a local derby - the two clubs separated by just 15 miles - and also that back in July, I watched the club formed, AFC Wimbledon style, by supporters dismayed that their club Beveren merged with a relatively minor club.

Lokeren is about a 20 minute train north-east from Ghent, with the Daknamstadion about a 15 minute walk north from the town's train station. Having collected the ticket I purchased on the Internet next to the main entrance - no tickets were available on the day for this match - the entrance itself was colourful and attractive enough, however once inside, the atmosphere was rather downbeat. Whereas at Kortrijk there was a really buzzing feel, here there is just a club shop, sterile bar and refreshment vans available, and so it made sense to proceed straight to the stand. This stand, along one length, had terracing along the bottom and seating - where I was positioned - along the top, with good unobstructed views throughout. On the opposite side, there is a taller stand, although it only covers about a third of the length, with the remaining area out of bounds. Behind one of the goal is a stand with terracing along the bottom and seating along the top, with the visitors packed into one corner of the stand. Behind the remaining goal is just advertising hoardings. No programmes were produced, however a double sided team sheet was given out upon entering the stands.

There was not too much riding on this game, in the penultimate round of fixtures in the regular season. Lokeren were in fifth place and guaranteed a Championship play-off berth. They could still finish fourth however, trailing Zulte-Waregem by 2 points. Waasland-Beveren were in 14th place in the sixteen team league, five points clear of OH Leuven and a relegation play-off spot, but with a goal difference superior by ten, a point tonight would probably guarantee Waasland-Beveren Pro League football next season, even though their final game is against Standard Liege, already certain to finish top of the regular season league table. They came into this game in good form, losing just once in their last ten league games.

On a very mild evening, there was a passionate feel to proceedings, thanks to an almost full stadium with a noisy and colourful away following. Lokeren had the stand-out chances to open the scoring in the first half. With just four minutes on the clock, a Lokeren free-kick from just outside the penalty area was awkwardly saved by the keeper, a follow up header was blocked by a defender, before the keeper managed to palm the ball away. The, as half time approached, the ball fell to a Lokeren forward at the corner of the six yard box but off balance, he shanked his shot high and wide of the goal. The visitors had their chances too, and it was something of a surprise that the scoreline remained goalless at the break.

Into the second half and Lokeren assumed superiority, as Waasland-Beveren seemed more content now to be solid defensively. Lokeren had some wonderful chances to win the game - a shot from 25 yards out fizzed over the bar, a header from six yards following a corner was saved by the keeper, a header from a curling free kick came back off a post, and another free kick forced a fabulous save from the keeper as the ball headed for the top corner. But in truth, if they were a little more direct in the final third rather than pass the ball to death around the penalty area, Lokeren surely would have scored, and the visitors always seemed to have a goal in them, and they nearly got it in the closing moment when a header flashed just over the bar. Surely Waasland-Beveren would be delighted with a point which, despite Leuven surprisingly beating Anderlecht, all but guarantees survival, with Leuven having to make up a nine goal deficit in their final game, whilst Lokeren could still finish in fourth, as Zulte-Waregem also drew at home to Club Brugge.

Video highlights can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4VNCQqhjfo

Tonbridge Angels 2 v 4 Maidenhead United

Tuesday 4th March 2014
Conference South
Longmead Stadium, Tonbridge
Admission: £12.00
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 332
Match Rating: 4

For this evening's game, I decided to watch my second Conference South game in four days, again at the home of a team currently occupying a relegation position, but this time against a club also involved in a relegation scrap.

Longmead Stadium is a stadium I have visited many times in the past, most recently last April when neighbours Tunbridge Wells lifted the Kent Senior Trophy on neutral territory. As this evening's game was one of many that have been rearranged following postponements, the club sold the original programme produced for the game in December at the reduced price from £2.00 to £1.50, and with a four page black and white insert providing updated stats and welcome messages from the manager and chairman.

Although there is still a month and a half of the season remaining, this match had the feel of a six-pointer, with Tonbridge in 20th place out of 22 teams, a point adrift of safety and 19th place currently occupied by tonight's visitors Maidenhead United. Tonbridge do have two games in hand on Maidenhead, and games in hand against all teams immediately above them. Tonbridge were not in good form though, winning just one of their last six games, although that win came against promotion chasing Eastleigh. On Saturday, they suffered an embarassing 7-0 defeat at Boreham Wood, who going into the game were only one point ahead of Tonbridge. Maidenhead also haven't been in the best of form recently, winning once in their last five games. The two teams had not yet met this season in the league.

On a relatively mild evening, with the pitch predictably fairly heavy with sand in patches, Tonbridge made a flying start to the game. Nathaniel Pinney took control of the ball on the right and drove towards the byline, but with no team mate in the box, he just kept going and going, eventually driving powerfully across the keeper and into the net. However, it proved to be a rare highlight for the home side in the first half, as Maidenhead increasingly dominated the game and fashioned the best chances, as Tonbridge seemed to put up painfully little resistance in midfield and displayed some shambolic defending at times. On 7 minutes, a fast break by the visitors saw the ball crossed from the right wing to Harry Pritchard, completely on his own in the centre of goal, but the keeper saved the eventual shot. However, on 15 minutes, Maidenhead did get back on level terms. Tonbridge's defence was cut open by a Maidenhead attack, they couldn't clear the ball and the ball eventually fell to Danny Green 12 yards out, and he fired home across the keeper and into the net. On 34 minutes, the visitors went into the lead. Adrian Clifton drove the ball across the penalty area, finding a completely unmarked Green, who drove the ball into the net. The home side managed to create some reasonable chances before half time to get back on level terms, but in truth it was a poor performance in the first half by the home side.

However, Tonbridge showed much more urgency after the break, piling on the pressure and forcing five corners in quick succession, the final one resulting in an equalising goal on 55 minutes. A high looping corner by Nathan Green was headed goalwards and probably was over the line before a defender slice the ball high into his own net. The momentum was all with Tonbridge now, and they had a goal disallowed for offside on 59 minutes. They couldn't find the goal to give them the lead, and on 80 minutes, the visitors went back in front. Daniel Brown saw his shot deflect invitingly into the path of Green to nod the ball inside the keeper's near post to claim his hat-trick. Maidenhead sealed the three points a minute from time, when they were awarded a penalty for a push in the box. Green was the man again to find the back of the net, firing down the middle to score his fourth of the night. That was game over, and Maidenhead deserved the three points for a solid performance, whilst Tonbridge, apart from a very strong quarter of an hour at the start of the second half, just seemed too pedestrian in midfield and were opened up far too readily by an average team, and a desperate relegation struggle surely beckons for them until the end of the season.

Video highlights of this match can be viewed by clicking here

Dorchester Town 1 v 1 Staines Town

Saturday 1st March 2014
Conference South
Avenue Stadium, Dorchester
Admission: £12.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 426
Match Rating: 3

After spending much of the week considering which game to take in in the Greater London area, I eventually decided that South West Trains' excellent Winter Sale offer of a day return anywhere on their network for £10 was an offer too good to turn down so instead I set off on a long distance journey to deepest Dorset to visit a ground reportedly far grander than one usually encounters in the Conference South.

The Avenue Stadium is about a 15 minute walk southwards from Dorchester South train station, and indeed the stadium does have a look of real quality and is extremely easy on the eye, unsurprising as it was designed by the Duchy of Cornwall's architects and with Prince Charles taking a keen interest in its construction, although it is showing signs of wear and tear in places. One can enter via the main entrance to the ground or via turnstiles on the opposite side. The main all-seater stand is impressive and imposing, offering excellent elevated views of the action, whilst along the other side, the turnstile block has covered terraces on either side. Behind both goals is terracing, one end covered, the other end uncovered. Triangles and pyramids play a major part of the design of the ground, most of the roofs incorporating triangles, and in each corner there are small towers with a pyramid roof, with similar structures either side of the turnstiles, and most of these small tower buildings house toilets, snack bars, or a club shop. All in all, the stadium has a nice balanced and consistent look throughout, but with enough variety to prevent it from looking bland. The programme consisted of 56 black and white pages inside a colour cover and was rather substance over style, not that that's a bad thing for a football programme. Team sheets were also handed out in the main stand.

Having looked doomed a few weeks ago, three wins from their last four games - including a 3-2 home win against runaway leaders Bromley - have now given Dorchester a real chance of staying up. They're still in the relegation zone, second bottom, but are only two points away from safety, although they have played more games than all other teams around them. They certainly could take plenty of encouragement in increasing their good run today, Staines having lost their last three games, all away, and have picked up just six points from their last seven games. They also have the worst away record in the division, winning one, drawing three and losing the other 11 of their away league games. An excellent home record, picking up 29 points from 36 available, means that Staines are mid table, in eleventh place, ten points from both the play-offs and relegation places. When the two teams met on the opening day of the season, Staines won 1-0.

On a mild, occasionally sunny afternoon, with a bobbly, cut up pitch following the recent weeks of wet weather, the first half saw plenty of intent from both sides but with precious few goalscoring chances being created. As the game entered first half stoppage time, Staines took the lead. A looping cross into the box was headed away, and after an initial shot towards goal was blocked, the ball fell to Louie Theophanous, who curled the ball from the edge of the box behind the keeper's dive and into the net.

Into the second half and Dorchester looked more meancing than they had in the first half, and on 78 minutes a high cross across goal by Nick Crittenden eluded the keeper and Staines defender Sanchez Ming pulled back Mark Jermyn and the referee awarded a penalty to Dorchester. After several minutes of arguing and gamesmanship, Crittenden powered the ball into the bottom left corner of the net despite the keeper diving the right way. Both sides had chances to win the game in the remaining quarter of an hour, the best falling to Staines in added on time, first blasting high and later wide when excellently placed. A point apiece was probably the fair result though and with both teams above them losing today, lifted Dorchester to within one point of safety.

Video match highlights can be viewed by clicking here

KV Kortrijk 1 v 2 RAEC Mons

Saturday 22nd February 2014
Belgian Pro League
Guldensporenstadion, Kortrijk
Admission: 15 euro
Programme: Free
Attendance: 6,189
Match Rating: 2.5

After booking another bargain £10 return ticket to Gent with Megabus, after the timing of this weekend's fixtures had been determined, I was left with a choice between a visit to either KV Kortrijk or Cercle Brugge. Although a visit to one of Belgium's most famous stadia, the Jan Breydelstadion that was used in Euro 2000, was tempting, the low crowds that Cercle attract in 30,000 capacity stadium swayed me instead towards a relatively small and less well-known stadium, that has been highly recommended by fellow groundhoppers.

The Guldensporenstadion is about a 15 minute walk north from Kortrijk train station. Having purchased my ticket online, for a 1 euro surcharge, collected it at a booth adjacent to the main entrance. Once inside, there is a very pleasant, spacious area for fans to mingle, with numerous chalets scattered around offering refreshments and club merchandise, and a couple of indoor bars lined to one side. Although there is a covered terrace behind one of the goals, I chose to sit on wooden bench style seating behind the other goal to be sure of good views. Both ends were close to full for this game, have steep inclines and are located close to the pitch, ensuring excellent views (although the terrace has some obstructing pillars) as well as making for an intimate and loud atmosphere. The main stand along one side is the most modern structure of the building, single tiered all-seating, with a row of rather swanky looking executive boxes and bars along the top, whilst along the other length is a more old fashioned and much smaller all-seater stand with quite a few supporting pillars. Glossy full colour programmes were given out upon entering the ground and was a very pleasant surprise, containing season's results, league table, likely line-ups, as well as various articles in Dutch and a lot of advertising. It also says everything about how ridiculously overpriced watching football even at non-league level is in England that the cost of entry to this top-flight match in Belgium was less than I paid for a step two non-league game at Dover last week.

This game, between a Flemish team and a Wallonian one, certainly looked like a nailed-on home banker, considering that Mons have had a disastrous season so far, strangely after their best ever finish last season of seventh. They are ten points adrift at the bottom this season, losing their last five league games and have only picked up three wins from their 26 games so far this season and barring a mathematical miracle, will be contesting the relegation play-off series with the second bottom team in a few weeks time. Kortrijk went into this game in eighth place in the sixteen team league, still harbouring faint hopes of reaching the top six and a Championship play-off place, seven points adrift with four games left to play. They have only picked up two points from their last four league games though, and just one win from their last twelve games, not winning at home since 2nd November. When these two teams met in Mons back in late October, Kortrijk won 0-1.

Although weather conditions this evening were still and not too cold, the pitch has certainly taken a hit from the recent poor conditions, with plenty of bare and sandy patches, with plenty of bobbles in evidence. Surprisingly, right from the start, it was the struggling visitors who were on the front foot, as the pattern emerged of Kortrijk looking really laboured, sloppy and slow to react, with Mons looking bright and doing most of the attacking, but were let down in and around the attacking penalty area. However, on 36 minutes the visitors took a deserved lead. A free kind from deep was headed away, falling at the feet of Thomas Chatelle just outside the area. He took a few touches before curling a lovely cross into the box and Noe Dussenne reacted quicker than the defenders to head the ball past the keeper.

0-1 was how it remained at half-time, a surprising but completely deserved scoreline. As expected, the home side upped the tempo after the break and looked more threatening, and they got an equaliser on 55 minutes. A long ball from their own half was flicked on, taking two covering Mons defenders out of the equation, allowing Steyn de Smit - who had only been introduced to the action at half-time, ran onto the ball before firing low past the keeper into the corner of the net. Kortrijk were dominating proceedings now, however Mons had the best chances to score on the break, on 62 minutes seeing a header from a cross just going over the bar, and on 69 minutes, a powerful header from a defender forced a reaction save from his own keeper. With time ticking by, Kortrijk looked less and less likely to score a winner and Mons looked happy with their point as they engaged in time wasting tactics. However in the fourth minute of added on time, the ball was crossed on the run from the left by Pieterjan Monteyne, which evaded several defenders allowing Shlomi Arbeitman to head home from close range at the far post, to cue wild celebrations. It was to prove virtually the last touch of the game to secure a rather stunning victory for struggling Mons, but the result seemed to be on the cards throughout thanks to Kortrijk's lethargy. The three points will do little for Mons in terms of league position, as they are consigned to the relegation play-offs barring a mathematical miracle, but they will hope that confidence will be raised from this game to take forward. Kortrijk will surely now have to make do with a Europa play-off spot. Although this game was not the most entertaining, a visit to the Guldensporenstadion was an enjoyable experience, with a pleasant feeling amongst the plans and there is a feeling that the club is in tune with its supporters, illustrated best of all when the players later went to the bar underneath the seated stand after the game for a disco. Whilst the stadium did not make me drool, it still had a nice old-school feel to it, which made it a refreshing change from modern stadia.

Highlights of this match can be viewed here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BF8-D8_R3Y

Dover Athletic 2 v 0 Bath City

Saturday 15th February 2014
Conference South
Crabble Athletic Ground, Dover
Admission: £13.00
Programme: £2.50
Attendance: 535
Match Rating: 4

With yet more torrential rain falling in the previous couple of days - in what has been recently noted as the wettest winter in England for some 250 years, the majority of non-league games in the south-east were postponed today, with a total wipe out of fixtures in the Southern Counties East and Combined Counties leagues, and just one game, at Storrington, surviving in the entire Sussex County League. I decided to head to Dover, whose recent acquisition of a "blotter" machine ensured that this game was never really in doubt. Dover Athletic is a club I followed closely back in the nineties, although this would be my first visit to the Crabble in almost nine years.

The Crabble is located a couple of miles north-west uphill from the town centre, and had not changed since my last visit, apart from a new brick clubhouse in one corner of the ground. The ground enjoys a very nice setting, perched on one side of a valley and closely lined with trees on a hill to one side with a view across the valley to the other. The facilities are not easy on the eye, though. As one enters the ground by the half way line, the clubhouse is situated to the right and a small all-seater stand to the left. Standing is only permitted in a very small area along this length. Along the opposite side is an all-seater stand with lots of supporting pillars to obstruct one's view, and behind both goals is covered terracing, again with lots of supporting pillars. These latter three stands are metallic, grey coloured - functional, but completely devoid of any charm or character, but they do each have a small electronic scoreboard which is a very nice touch at this level. There is a noticeable slope from side to side. Although the programme was rather expensive for this level, it is professionally designed and produced with plenty of interesting content.

This game would be between two teams in good form pushing hard for a play-off places. Dover went into this game in eighth place, three points off of the play-off places, and were unbeaten in their previous four games. Bath were in fourth place, five points ahead of Dover but having played three games more. Claiming through one automatic promotion place looks a tall order for Bath, with leaders Bromley 17 points ahead having played two games less. Bath were in very good recent form though, having won their last three games. Dover have already beaten Bath twice this season, winning 0-2 away in September, and 1-0 in the FA Trophy in November.

On a bright afternoon but with a very strong gusty wind and with an understandably heavy pitch containing patches of sand, this game was very much one of two halves, the first half was an entertaining affair with plenty of chances at both ends, but Bath had the clearer chances and will have kicked themselves at not opening up a lead at half time.

Into the second half and Dover increasingly dominated proceedings, aided by the strong wind behind them, and they took the lead on 53 minutes with a fairly scrappy goal. Tom Wynter fired two powerful shots on goal in quick succession, both parried by the keeper, before Barry Cogan tapped the ball home. Within a couple of minutes, Bath almost got back on level terms when a Dover defender deflected the ball onto his own post, but that was a very rare chance for Bath in the second half. Dover doubled their lead on 64 minuted when Ricky Modeste ran onto a flick-on and lifted the ball over the onrushing keeper and into the net. It turned out that that sealed the three points, as Dover completely dominated the last 20 minutes, having several fabulous chances to extend their lead, whilst Bath looked a beaten side, blown away by a very strong second half performance by the home side. The deserved three points lifted Dover into sixth place, two points behind Bath, now occupying the final play-off positions.

Maidstone United 3 v 0 Cray Wanderers

Tuesday 11th February 2014
Isthmian League Premier Division
James Whatman Way, Maidstone
Admission: £10.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 1,292
Match Rating: 3

With the seemingly never-ending rain falling in southern England currently, with particularly heavy rain falling again this morning, it was no real surprise when my Crowborough’s home game, along with every other game in the Sussex League this evening, was called off. Fancying some football this evening, I made my way to Maidstone and a venue that would be unaffected by rainfall, thanks to the 3G surface at James Whatman Way.

If ever there was a home banker, this game would surely be it. Maidstone United went to the top of the division at the weekend, partly thanks to having played more games than most teams below them, and have taken 60 points from their 30 games played, with an unbeaten home record in the league, winning eight and drawing the rest of their 17 home games so far. It has been a disastrous season so far for Cray Wanderers, who sit rooted at the bottom of the table, with just 14 points from their 28 games, and are 12 points adrift of safety and have lost eight of their last nine league games – a win coming against Carshalton Athletic, with who Cray are currently level on points. When the two teams met back in September, Maidstone came away from Hayes Lane with a 0-5 victory.


On a cool but mercifully dry evening, the first half was open and surprisingly even, with Cray creating plenty of chances and could easily have opened the scoring. Maidstone had their chances too, and on 24 minutes they were awarded a penalty when Tom Mills was bundled over by former Charlton youngster Alex Stavrinou. However, Frannie Collin saw his shot come back off the post and was eventually cleared to safety. As the match passed the half hour mark, it was delayed for a quarter of an hour when the referee pulled up with a groin strain. An appeal over the tannoy for a qualified official was successful, with a person from the crowd taking over linesman's duties from and one of the linesman becoming the referee. When play finally resumed, both sides continued to create chances, but the game retained a surprising goalless scoreline at half time.

Into the second half and Maidstone finally took control of the game as they went on to dominate the half. They opened the scoring on 51 minutes. Kaiyne Woolery crossed the ball into the box, Collin and Zac Attwood couldn't get a shot on goal but the ball spilt across the goal to Alex Flisher who side footed into the net. The home side then had chance after chance after chance to put the game to bed, but the ball was repeatedly blazed high and/or wide of the goal when in very good positions. Cray still seemed to have a goal in them and one had the feeling that Maidstone might be made to pay for spurning so many chances. However, on 77 minutes, Maidstone created some breathing space with their second, when Collins did well to get a cross from the byline and Dan Parkinson tapped the ball home from a central position. In added on time at the end of the game, Maidstone were awarded their second penalty of the evening when Luke Rooney was brought down in the box by Jordan Bird. There then followed a somewhat unseemly debate between Rooney and Attwood about who would take the penalty. Attwood finally got his way, and he hit the penalty over the keeper's dive to his right. 3-0 was how it ended, and although it was a deserved scoreline for the homeside and in fact could have been more emphatic, Cray could take plenty of positives from this game. They have a mountain to climb to escape relegation, however with similar performances to tonight's in the games to come, they may have a chance of survival.

Dagenham and Redbridge 0 v 2 Hartlepool United

Saturday 8th February 2014
Football League Two
Victoria Road, Dagenham
Admission: £2.50
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 3,357
Match Rating: 2

A revisit to Victoria Road has been on my radar for some time now, with my only previous visit way back in 1995, when league football was something of a pipe dream for a club only formed three years previously following a merger. I decided today would be the day, taking advantage of unbelievably cheap advance purchase tickets, on the club's annual 'Daggers Against Racism' day. I will almost always choose a terrace place when given the choice at a Football League ground, as I did today for the princely sum of £2.50, although even seating cost just £9.99 today. However, tickets bought on the day were full-price - £17.00 for standing and between £18 and £21 for seating.

Victoria Road is about a ten minute walk from Dagenham East tube station, and has quite a nice mix of old and new. Those holding a terrace ticket enter in one corner and then may choose whether to stand on an uncovered terrace consisting of about a dozen steps behind a goal, or along a length where the terrace is covered by an old-fashioned structure. Along the opposite length is the main, fairly modern all-seater stand taking up about two thirds of the length with about a dozen rows, whilst in the remaining third, in a corner, is a separate all-seater stand. Behind the remaining goal is a large modern all-seater stand.

This match would be between two mid-table teams. Dagenham went into this game in ninth place, two places but eight points adrift of a play-off positions having played a game more than all four teams currently in the play-offs. A good away win at Rochdale last week arrested a slide that saw them pick up just two points from their previous four games, and a win and three draws from nine games. Hartlepool were in 15th place in the 24 team division, six points clear of the relegation positions but have played a game more. They also haven't been in the best of form either, picking up just a win and a draw from their last six games.

Heavy rain fell as the teams strode onto the pitch, although happily that gave way to sunshine within a few minutes of kick-off. Dagenham and Redbridge had much the better of the first half, creating numerous chances but they just couldn't find the back of the net, although Luke Wilkinson saw his header from a free kick hit the crossbar.

The second half started quite slowly, although on 62 minutes, Dagenham had a goal disallowed after top scorer Rhys Murphy was adjudged to have fouled a defender before going onto slot the ball past the keeper. Hartlepool then took the lead on 69 minutes, even though they had barely threatened previously. Luke Williams hit a powerful shot from about 30 yards, which took a wicked deflection and the ball looped over the keeper and into the net. The visitors had their best spell of the game after scoring as Dagenham and Redbridge seemed to run out of ideas and never really looked like scoring. Hartlepool eventually secured the points when they scored their second. The ball was curled in from the right, was knocked down at the far post and Andy Monkhouse tapped the ball home through a defender's legs. In the end, it was a deserved victory for the away side for sale very solid second half performance, whilst Dagenham will surely be disappointed with a pretty ineffectual performance in front of their biggest crowd of the season.

Video highlights can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5paNOEoj5Y