GLOVERS PREVAIL WORTHY WINNERS
MATT Worthington inspired Yeovil Town to all three points as they recorded their first away victory of the National League season at Dagenham & Redbridge.
The midfielder won the Glovers a first-half penalty, which was converted by Jordan Maguire-Drew after the Daggers’ Harry Phipps was sent off.
He then sealed victory ten minutes from time with a long-range thunderbolt.
“The referee helped us with the sending off and I think it was a sending off because he was clean through on goal,” said Yeovil boss Mark Cooper.
“I think we controlled the game, after that, in the first half and we didn’t let them get near our goal.
“We played some really good football at times. We didn’t control the game as much as I’d like when we had a numerical advantage, but that will come because we’ve just started the process.”
Yeovil took the game to Dagenham early – Andrew Oluwabori trying his luck from distance, easily gathered by Elliot Justham.
The Daggers’ bid to make it three National League fixtures unbeaten suffered a major blow when, just before the half-hour mark, Phipps was given his marching orders after bringing down the marauding Worthington.
Former Dagenham winger Maguire-Drew stepped up and confidently dispatched the spot-kick to give Yeovil the upper hand.
But the hosts were undeterred by going down to 10 men and wasted a golden opportunity to restore parity shortly ahead of the break.
After dispossessing Josh Staunton, Josh Walker found himself in on goal and was frustrated by a goal-saving block before Junior Morias scuffed the rebound.
Yeovil should have doubled their advantage moments after the interval as Maguire-Drew’s searching pass found Oluwabori, but he poked the ball wide with only Justham to beat.
Morias fired high and wide as Daggers hit back, while appeals for a penalty were waved away when the ball appeared to strike Morgan Williams on the hand.
Yeovil took advantage after that let-off and put daylight between the sides thanks to a Worthington wonder-strike which left Justham rooted to the spot.
Dagenham went close through McCallum and Morias as they searched for a late goal to set up a nervy finish.
But the Glovers kept their clean sheet intact and will go into Tuesday’s clash with Wealdstone sitting five points above the drop zone.