Daggers to the heart for City in narrow Valentine’s Day defeat

City’s return to league action after a three-week break ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat against Dagenham & Redbridge at The Chigwell Construction Stadium this afternoon.

Showing no sign of rustiness City created the first opening on five minutes. A Joe Raynes long-throw caused havoc in the Dagenham box and, after Alex Fisher’s shot was blocked, Kieran Parselle directed a header narrowly over the bar. The hosts responded with Haig forcing a smart stop from Charlie Binns on eleven minutes. City’s best chance of the first half arrived on 15 minutes when Brad Ash burst clear but Howes got down well to keep out his shot. City were beginning to enjoy the better of the game, Luke Russe and Raynes both seeing shots blocked and Ash looping a header onto the roof of the net. However, it was the Daggers who broke the deadlock on 38 minutes, Lusala firing home a low cross at the back post. Raynes hooked a stoppage time Leech header off the line to ensure it did not get worse for the Romans before the interval.

Ten minutes into the second half Fisher’s snap-shot from the edge of the box was brilliantly diverted behind for a corner by Howes. City were seeing the majority of possession but struggling to fashion openings. Haigh nearly doubled Dagenham’s lead on 68 minute when his speculative shot from near the halfway line dropped narrowly wide. The same player was then twice denied by Binns. This kept alive City’s hopes of grabbing a deserved share of the points but, despite winning a number of corners and free-kicks in the game’s closing stages, they couldn’t find a way past the Daggers well-marshalled rear-guard to leave East London empty-handed.