Report: Iron 3-2 Dagenham & Redbridge

The Iron took away all three points after beating Dagenham & Redbridge 3-2 at Glanford Park on Saturday afternoon.

United returned to action on Saturday afternoon after a two-week break. New signings Aaron Chapman, Danny Elliott and Ben Richards-Everton all made their debuts, while Harvey Bunker also made his first start for the Iron. 

Dagenham got the game underway and they looked to immediately start on the front foot. They launched a ball upfield straight from kick-off but this came to nothing and it rolled out of play.

The visitors were presented with the first chance of the game when Matt Robinson found himself with space just outside the Iron penalty area. He received the ball at around 30-yards from goal and had no options so he chose to take on the strike. His long shot looked to be on target but Chapman read the danger and got across his goal to make a seemingly easy save.

In the eighth minute of the game, Dagenham took the lead. Omar Mussa whipped a vicious ball into the Iron area from a corner and Harry Phipps was the player who charged towards the ball to try and get on the end of the cross. He managed to lose his marker and this meant he would have a free header if he got to the ball. He managed to get his head on the ball at the near post and directed it towards the ground which made it difficult for Chapman. Phipps' header had a lot of power and this meant that it was able to sneak below the Iron’s number one and into the back of the net. United would have been disappointed with the defending.

The home side responded only a few minutes later. Debutant Richards-Everton equalised for the Iron after he got his head on a corner from Jacob Butterfield. Butterfield managed to find United’s centre-back and it turned out he was unmarked. Richards-Everton still had a lot to do as he was a distance from goal. However, he made a hard chance look easy and he directed his header into the far corner. The ball had little power but it managed to find its way into the top corner. All Elliot Justham could do was watch the ball nestle into the back of his net. United were level.

In the 20th minute, the home side had another huge chance. United launched a counter-attack against Dagenham and Danny Elliott was at the centre of this. He broke down the left-hand flank and he managed to get a low cross into the away side’s area. Justham got a hand to the ball but he pushed it into a dangerous area. Iron players followed up and they managed to get onto the loose ball. The shot came in and it was heading in but Dagenham defenders threw themselves in front of the ball to make sure the scores stayed level.

In the 34th minute, Mussa went close with a long range effort. He picked up the ball near the halfway line and he drove at the heart of the Iron defence before unleashing a shot from distance. His shot worried Chapman as it had a lot of power; The strike headed towards the bottom corner of the net but at the last moment it swerved away from the target, much to the relief of the United keeper. The visitors began to find their rhythm and they started to look dangerous at times.

Reagan Ogle played a precise ball through the lines to Alfie Beestin and the United midfielder turned and found Cameron Wilson on the right flank. He found himself facing Eliott Johnson and he attempted to get past the Dagenham defender but he was chopped down on the edge of the area. The Iron were awarded a freekick in a very dangerous position. Elliott stepped up to take the freekick and he opted to go for power over precision. However, his effort cleared the bar.

Towards the end of the first half, United tried to press on to try and grab a second goal and they managed to get that second goal they were searching for. A cross field pass found its way to Wilson who was inside the away side’s penalty area. His first touch was perfect as it took him inside the defender and this gave him the opportunity to take on a shot. The ball bounced up nicely for Wilson to strike and he simply curled a left-footed effort into the far corner. United had completed the first half turnaround. That goal concluded an eventful first 45 minutes.

The visitors were the ones who started the second half brightest and they created a big chance early on in the half. Sam Ling found himself in the right channel. He drove at Jake Leake and managed to cross into the area. His cross found Junior Morias inside the penalty area. The Dagenham striker brought the ball down but he had his back to goal so he had to pivot to get the shot away. He flicked the ball to his left and then swivelled and volleyed goalwards. His effort had a lot of power and this concerned Chapman. However, the Iron keeper reacted quickly and made the save.

Scunthorpe had dominated the opening stages of the second half and they pinned the away side back in their own half. They tried to create chances but there were no real clear cut opportunities for them.

In the 80th minute, the away side did create an opportunity from a freekick. The ball found its way into the area and it caused real problems for the Iron defence. There was a bit of a scramble before the ball was eventually cleared; the momentum shifted towards the visitors from this point.

Minutes later, the visitors were inches away from grabbing an equaliser. A pinpoint cross towards the near post from George Saunders found substitute Angelo Balanta. He was around eight-yards-out and unmarked. Balanta got his head to the ball and everyone thought he may the chance but his header lacked precision and it flew over the crossbar. 

In stoppage time, at the end of the second half, Liam Feeney put the ball into the net to give the Iron a two goal lead. Tom Pugh drove into the area and beat several players before he tried a low-driven shot. His shot was straight at Justham but the Dagenham keeper spilled it and Elliott was quick to pounce on the loose ball. The Iron striker couldn’t turn the ball home as Justham reacted and blocked the shot. However, the ball looped up into the air and an onrushing Feeney got his head to the ball and turned it home.

The visitors weren’t done yet as they grabbed a goal back. Dean Rance stuck a shot from the edge of the area and it went all the way through and into the back of the net. They had put themselves back in the game.

The goal wasn’t enough as the referee blew his whistle for full time almost immediately after. United took away all three points.

IRON: Chapman, Ogle, Elliott, Boyce, Beestin (79’ Feeney), Richards-Everton, Butterfield (83’ Whitehouse), Wilson (60’ Sembie-Ferris), Leake, Bunker, Pugh.

IRON SUBS NOT USED: Daniel, Smith.

DAGENHAM: Justham, Johnson (74’ Saunders), Rance, Mussa (68’ Balanta), Effiong, Sangaf (85’ Ibie), Robinson, Phipps, Ling, Longe-King, Morias.

DAGENHAM SUBS NOT USED: Onariase, Bird.

ATTENDANCE: 3,782 (77 away).