ACE DAGGERS BREAK DOWN EASTLEIGH
Ronnie rues sub slip-up
THE self-appointed ‘best manager in the National League’ saw his unbeaten start undone by the actual best manager in the National League.
Ronnie Moore’s Eastleigh honeymoon is now over – the new boss with the cheeky twitter bio suffered his first defeat since taking over on August 19.
John Still doesn’t need to make such bold claims. There’s little doubt the job he has done at a club riddled with off-field issues means his standing in the game goes without saying.
Dagenham weren’t fantastic but are still very much in touch in a league that is becoming very difficult to call.
They won it when wideman Corey Whitely profited with the Spitfires down to ten men while they were trying to make a second-half substitution.
Still said: “I thought the way we won the game was cold and calculated – it’s the attitude you need to have to win games like this.
“I think we deserved it. Eastleigh are going to be there or thereabouts, there’s no doubt about that so if we got the chance today we had to take it. It’s a great three points, which keeps us in touch at the top.”
Dagenham could have gone in front 13 minutes in, first Jordan Maguire-Drew skimmed the bar with a crosscum-shot and Eastleigh didn’t heed the warning – Oliver Hawkins’ knock down in the box found Luke Howells, whose stylish shot forced a fantastic save from Ryan Clarke.
Soon after it was Eastleigh’s turn to hit the woodwork. Jason Taylor put a good ball in centrally and Ryan Bird crashed a header off the crossbar.
Elliot Justham was sharp off his line to deny the electric Mikael Mandron, before the one they’re all talking about, Luke Coulson, demonstrated a great touch and shot to keeper the Daggers’ keeper busy.
Mandron had to score in the early exchanges of the second half, but let Still’s side off the hook five yards out. Adam Dawson, from much further out, then rippled the outside of Justham’s net.
Eastleigh were dominant but were down to ten men for a few minutes as yet another defender picked up an injury. As they were trying to replace Adam Dugdale, Whitely sensed his moment.
Matt Robinson smelt the anxiety of makeshift centre-half pairing Jason Taylor, the midfielder, and right-back Joe Partington. He played through a fantastic pass and Whitely skipped clear, tucking the ball under the on-rushing Clarke to open the scoring with 17 minutes to go.
Taylor was hating it at centre-half, he slipped in a vital area and with his keeper exposed it gave Whitely the chance to put it to bed, but he could only hit the angle of post and crossbar. Moore said: “That was cruel – I don’t think we deserved that. “They got the goal when we were trying to make a sub. Why haven’t we kicked the ball out? We have tried to pay on with ten men and they punished us. It was crazy.”