LATICS HELD BY DAGGERS TO DENT TOP SEVEN HOPE

OLDHAM Athletic’s hopes of securing the National League play-off places were dented as they were held to a goalless draw against Dagenham & Redbridge.

The Latics are now winless in five games and sit just outside the playoffs, while the hosts kept their first clean sheet in 20 games.

Daggers boss Ben Strevens admitted his side had their work cut out against Micky Mellon’s powerful play-off chasers.

He said: “We didn’t control the game with possession due to windy conditions.

“They’ve got strong defenders, including Shaun Hobson, who I worked with at Eastleigh and know his qualities.

“The players they have at their disposal are so tough to compete against.”

It was a cagey start as both sides worked to break each other down, with neither goalkeeper yet to make a save in the opening 15 minutes.

The first real chance of the half fell to Oldham’s Dan Gardner when he dragged his effort narrowly wide of the post.

The hosts were beginning to apply pressure down the right, with Ryan Hill and Dion Pereira combining well and creating a chance which ended with Pereira cutting inside the box and his close-range shot was blocked away by the Latics defence.

Two minutes later, Daggers hit the visitors on a counter-attack that saw Pereira fail to meet Hill’s pass into the final third and missed a glorious opportunity to open the scoring.

Oldham goalkeeper Matt

Hudson had to be alert to save an audacious shot from Hill, when he tried his luck from long-range.

Daggers’ West Ham loanee Keenan Appiah-Forson did superbly well to deny Nathan Sheron at the edge of the box, before Hill launched another shot from range that was saved comfortably by Hudson.

The visitors upped their intensity and almost took the lead when Mark Kitching’s header was saved by Daggers shot-stopper Elliot Justham. That was followed by David LongeKing’s goal-saving block to deny the Latics.

On the hour mark, Appiah-Forson produced another important challenge inside the box to keep the game level as both sides continued to search for a goal.

Dagenham’s Pereira came closest when his thunderous shot beat the keeper and bounced off the frame of the woodwork.

With just four minutes remaining, the Daggers’ created more opportunities and were wasteful in front of goal, with Harry Phipps and Hill failing to find the target in quick succession.

In injury time, the referee waved away calls for a Daggers spot-kick after Appiah-Forson was brought down by Hudson in the area. And, at the other end, Justham was called into action to produce an astounding save from close-range that prevented substitute Mike Fondop from claiming the victory.