EFFIONG AT THE DOUBLE AS DALE’S CHASE SLIPS

BEN STREVENS’ Dagenham battled to a massive three points at high-flying Rochdale that sees his Daggers continue their push away from the drop zone – and leave play-off chasing Dale to lose further ground on the top seven.

An Inih Effiong brace in the first half was enough to take the points, either side of a sublime Tyrese Sinclair strike for the hosts.

“Getting three points at Rochdale is massive”, said Strevens. “I’m delighted with the effort and the togetherness. To come here against a really big club is massive for us. Everyone stuck to the plan.

“To play two of the big boys away from home in a week and to get a draw and now win is massive. But I’m not getting carried away. We don’t get too high when we win, and don’t get too low when we lose. We go again on Tuesday.”

The visitors started on the front foot and could’ve opened the scoring inside five minutes when the ball fell to Keenan Forson in the area, but his powerful half volley was well caught by on-loan Dale stopper Tiernan Brooks.

Dagenham didn’t have to wait too long. In the ninth minute a delightful threaded ball by Sam Ling found Effiong on the right of the six-yard-box and he finished with a powerful effort into the far corner.

A below par Rochdale, were struggling to create anything against a well organised Daggers back line. That was until Ryan East’s pinpoint ball over the top sent Sinclair down the left five minutes from the interval. And the Dale winger cut inside and hit a wonderful curling effort into the top right corner from the edge of the area.

But deep into first half stoppage time, the visitors were awarded a penalty. A clumsy challenge from Kyron Gordon sent Ryan Hill tumbling in the box, and Effiong stepped up to fire home his 12th of the season.

Rochdale just couldn’t break through the stubborn Daggers after the break, with their best effort coming again from Sinclair on the hour mark when he forced Elliott Justham into an acrobatic tip over the bar from a 30yard free kick.

Dagenham did very well to slow the game down and not allow the hosts to create anything further and should’ve added a third deep into stoppage time when substitute Dion Pereira raced clear, but his effort was well parried by Brooks.

Dale boss Jimmy McNulty was frustrated.

“We were always a pass short of a good move,” he lamented. “The final shot, the final cross, it always eluded us. We struggled with the game management. When they constantly slowed the game down, we should’ve been good enough to take those quick free kicks and throw ins, and that was missing.

“And the timing of the goal killed us, just before the break. I’m told that the penalty decision was disappointing, although I haven’t seen it back myself.”