GOODSHIP KEEPS YEOVIL ON COURSE
YEOVIL TOWN took a big step towards League Two survival as they battled to victory over basement side Dagenham & Redbridge.
A second-half goal from Brandon Goodship lifted the Glovers three points clear of the relegation zone and left the Daggers eight points from safety at the bottom.
Goodship, on loan from Premier League side Bournemouth, scored his first Yeovil goal to settle an attritional game that carried huge importance for both teams.
The visitors also had to overcome a sickness bug which swept through their squad and saw Francois Zoko and Liam Walsh ruled out of the game.
Manager Darren Way said: “I told the players that it would be a battle out there and they dealt with everything that Dagenham could throw at us. I was proud of the players and the way they performed.
“Brandon took his goal really well and it was a reward for the hard work he does for us in that wide position, which is not where he is used to playing.
“We had illness in the squad. Some weren’t able to play and had to drop out and there were one or two who battled through it.
“I didn’t want to make too much of it because I didn’t want any negative thoughts coming into the game, but we’ve managed to achieve a fantastic result despite everything else that was going on.”
Dagenham have still not won a league game at home this season, with their last success at Victoria Road coming back in April. After they slipped closer to relegation back to the National League, boss John Still admitted they were paying the price for a lack of goal threat.
He said: “When I came here the home record was pointed out to me and we’ve got to look at the chances we are supplying to our strikers. “You can have the best strikers in the world but you have got to give them that supply and it just isn’t happening.
“We never really tested their goalkeeper and we are unable to create chances on a consistent basis which is really frustrating.
“The fans can see what is happening but all we can do is keep working hard and keep trying to improve the squad.
“To do that the finances have to be right and we also have to be able to find the right players. Clubs don’t want to let goalscorers go but we’ll keep looking.”
Goodship forced a good early save from home goalkeeper Liam O’Brien as Yeovil started brightly.
But Dagenham ended the first half on top as Oliver Hawkins saw his shot saved by Artur Krysiak before Joss Labadie sent a powerful effort just over the crossbar.
The Glovers went ahead on 50 minutes when Tahvon Campbell set up Goodship to send a low shot past O’Brien from 12 yards.
Dagenham sent on strikers Jamie Cureton and Christian Doidge as they searched for an equaliser.
But the home side failed to seriously trouble Krysiak, and Yeovil held on for a crucial victory in their quest for survival.