MIKE MAKES BOSS BEN WAIT FOR A FIRST WIN

BEN Strevens was unable to get his Dagenham & Redbridge reign off to a winning start as Mike Fondop found a late leveller for Oldham Athletic.

The Daggers appeared to be on course for all three points when Jay Bird broke the deadlock at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.

But Fondop climbed off the bench and grabbed an equaliser with just six minutes remaining, leaving Strevens frustrated.

“There are positives to take and things to work on. We were so close to getting the three points and we worked really hard, so it is a bit gutting,” the Daggers boss told The NLP.

“That work-rate and endeavour to try and hold on to something got us a little bit deep in the second half. It invited them on and they put more attacking players onto the pitch to try and get that goal.

“It feels like two points dropped because we were pretty comfortable and I was so disappointed when the goal went in.”

Dagenham looked to catch Oldham out early on, with Bird and Manny Onariase heading agonisingly wide from teasing George Saunders deliveries.

Oldham, though, also looked to get the upper hand, with Devarn Green being denied by a superb Elliot Johnson block. The Daggers continued to create the better openings.

Following some incisive running from Inih Effiong, Bird fired narrowly over the top from long range.

But the frontman eventually grabbed the opening goal of the Strevens era eight minutes before the interval. Found by Mo Sagaf and evading the Oldham central defenders with a neat turn, Bird calmly slotted into the bottom corner.

Dagenham looked to double their advantage but Effiong’s tame effort was comfortably saved by Mathew Hudson.

Oldham started to ask more questions of the Daggers’ defenders after the break with Mark Shelton and John Rooney thwarted by blocks.

But Dagenham felt aggrieved when Oldham were not reduced to 10 men just before the hour mark, when referee Gary Parsons chose to caution Joe Yarney after bringing down Effiong, who was through on goal.

That proved to be a pivotal moment as, after Liam Hogan saw his close range header kept out, Oldham eventually got back on level terms. Having climbed off the bench, Fondop rose highest to nod a Rooney corner into the back of the net.

Joe Nuttall passed up a golden opportunity to grab the winner, when he fired inches wide in the dying moments, but Oldham chief David Unsworth was pleased nevertheless.

“A point was the least we deserved because it was a game I felt we dominated,” he said. “We had 10 shots blocked, which shows our level of dominance and Dagenham’s defending was outstanding.”