Fixture Details:
Barnet vs Dagenham and Redbridge
Tuesday, 24th February 2020
19:45
The Hive London
Vanarama National League
The Bees
Manager: Darren Currie
Form: WWWLW
League Position: 12th (49 points)
Top Scorer: Simeon Akinola (16 goals)
The Bees returned to winning ways on Saturday afternoon as they defeated Chorley 1-0 at Victory Park. Paul McCallum’s second-minute opener was enough to secure three valuable points on the road and move within two points of the play-off places. It means that Currie’s side have only been defeated once in their last 13 matches in all competitions and they’ll be full of confidence as they welcome the Daggers to The Hive London.
Currie’s side showed a different side to their game on Saturday as they rolled their sleeves up to grind out an important three points against a determined Chorley side. However, in this formidable run, the Bees have shown they can score goals for fun, as well as being defensively stable at the back. The impact of McCallum has been influential to Currie’s side and the number 15 has scored two goals in as many matches since pulling on a Bees shirt.
The last time the Bees suffered defeat on home turf was way back in November when Stockport scored late to snatch all three points against Currie’s side. Since then the Bees have remained unbeaten on home soil and picked up some memorable results along the way, none more so than the 3-0 victory over National League leaders Barrow in the FA Trophy.
The Daggers
Manager: Daryl McMahon
Form: DLWDDW
League Position: 19th (41 points)
Top Scorer: Angelo Balanta (8 league goals)
Despite the Daggers precarious league position, their form has drastically improved since the arrival of Daryl McMahon as Head Coach. They have only lost once in their last five matches across league and FA Trophy action, they’ll provide a real test for Darren Currie’s side. The Daggers haven’t tasted defeat in the league since losing out to Bromley at the back end of December 2019.
When the sides last met the Daggers were on the fringes of the play-off places, but their form throughout November saw them slide down the table and towards their relegation places. The additions of Gabriel Zakuani and Alex Reid in January, have certainly bolstered the Daggers with Football League experience, they’ll now hope to continue their decent form to move further up the table.
Last season saw the Daggers finish up 18th in the Vanarama National League with 56 points, four points behind the Bees. They struggled for consistency throughout that campaign, following a very tough start to the season. It has been a largely similar story this time around and the struggle to go on a run of consistent results have left them languishing towards the bottom end of mid-table. There are certainly no relegation fears for McMahon’s side and they’ll be determined to take points off the Bees when the sides meet this evening.
The Gaffer: Daryl McMahon
McMahon was appointed manager of the Daggers in January this year and has enjoyed a largely successful opening period to his time with the East-Londoners, guiding them away from trouble and helping his side find form. McMahon previously managed Macclesfield Town before resigning to make the move South to Dagenham. The 36-year-old has also previously managed fellow National League side Ebbsfleet United and believes he is the man that can take the Daggers back to the Football League.
One to Watch: Alex Reid
Reid joined the Daggers in January on loan from League Two basement side Stevenage. The 6″4 striker has only made 11 appearances for the Boro since signing in 2018, scoring two goals in the process. Since joining McMahon’s side in January, the striker has netted on two occasions in his three appearances thus far for the Daggers.
Reid brings a wealth of experience to his new side, having previously featured in the National League for the likes of AFC Fylde Wrexham and Solihull Moors. These loan moves have been valuable for Reid but it has affected his chances of gaining momentum, he’ll be hoping to once again prove his worth during this loan spell before joining back up with Stevenage again in the summer. The tall, athletic striker has netted 18 goals in 82 appearances so far in his career and the Bees will have to be on their guard following a strong start to life with the Daggers.
Last time we met: Dagenham and Redbridge 1-1 Barnet (October 2019)
When the sides last met in October, it was the top end of the table clash with both lingering on the fringes of the play-off picture. Angelo Balanta’s 40th-minute opener put the Daggers ahead after they enjoyed large spells of the half, but the Bees hit back immediately as three minutes later Josh Walker netted the equaliser.
Both sides had their chances in the second half but both sides had to settle for a point following a relatively cagey affair. It was a much-deserved point for Darren Currie’s side and the traveling Bee Army were left delighted with the determination in the performance against a side who at the time had one of the best home records in the league.
Where to follow the action:
If you aren’t coming down to The Hive London to back the Bees, then there will be full match commentary on iBarnet from 19:40. There will also be live minute-by-minute updates over on our Twitter account.
You’ll also find behind the scenes matchday content over on Instagram and all the post-match reaction will be available across our social media channels.
