Zebroski cracker shows he belongs
JUSTIN Edinburgh couldn’t mark his Essex homecoming with Newport County’s first away league win since returning to the Football League but saw Chris Zebroski hit a goal fit for of any level in the draw with Dagenham & Redbridge.
Zebroski finished expertly on 25 minutes but the Exiles were left to rue several spurned chances as Daggers skipper Abu Ogogo converted Justin Hoyte’s cross before the hour.
The hosts could have won it but Andrew Hughes cleared substitute Afolabi Obafemi’s effort, leaving Edinburgh, whose side visit Premier League West Brom in the Capital One Cup in the week, feeling content.
“I do feel as if we’d got that second goal then we could have put the game to bed but unfortunately it didn’t come,” he said.
“We started the second-half well but we eventually we lost a foothold in it and we became a bit deeper and stretched and Dagenham deserved their equaliser.
“We’re buoyed by our start to the season and this was a good point. For the way we started and dominated we were worthy of an extra goal but it’s a precarious scoreline 1-0.We’re learning that you have to be a bit more clinical at this level.”
Edinburgh returned to the county of his birth as Dagenham and Newport squared off in the pair’s first official fixture. The visitors began better with Christian Jolley and Zebroski orchestrating the opener after 25 minutes.
Jolley dispossessed Josh Scott, found Adam Chapman whose threaded pass picked out Zebroski and the formerWycombe striker beat two defenders before finding the corner.
Dagenham introduced new signing Zavon Hines and Billy Bingham at halftime and as Newport continued to miss opportunities, the alterations paid dividends as Ogogo turned in Hoyte’s cross.
A whirlwind finale saw Lee Minshull twice miss from close range either side of Hughes’ clearance.
“I think we were fortunate,” said Dagenham boss Wayne Burnett.“They scored and rightly scored and they had a lot of opportunities to score and they could have been two or three goals up and I’ve got no complaints about that.
“They were cleverer than us, stronger than us, they outmuscled us so I’ve got no complaints with that. They have a good team, Justin has got them working well.
“They get a lot of people behind the ball but they get a lot of people forward.
“Momentum is a fantastic thing and I think they’ve carried it on from last season and they’ve a tough team.” To comment on this match go to http://boards.footymad.net/