Simon Eaves previews the weekend fixture for Dagenham…
Dagenham and Redbridge face Cheltenham Town in the Saturday League Two fixture at Victoria Road.
Major team news for the Daggers is that Abu Ogogo was able to play the closing stages of Tuesday night’s clash at Cambridge. After 10 weeks out injured, Ogogo will be looking to push for a start on Saturday; if not he will definitely be expecting more game time.
In other team news, youngster Jodi Jones, 17, will be looking to make his first-team debut after being included in the squad for the first time in the midweek clash against Cambridge. Jones is tipped to “to grasp the opportunity with both hands” according to assistant manager Warren Hackett.
Jones has played in all of the Daggers fixtures in the Essex Senior Cup. He has also managed to score to wonderful strikes against Waltham Abbey and Concord Rangers. Jones has come to the eye of the Victoria Road faithful who are calling for his senior debut to come sooner rather than later.
Cheltenham travel to the East London side with their new signing Durrell Berry, who has signed a short six-month deal with the Robins and is hoping to extend the deal beyond the summer.
Berry talked about his move to the Gloucestershire Echo, and said: “To be honest I didn’t need a lot of persuading to come to Cheltenham. I had been playing for Torquay for the past couple of months, but the Conference is not where I want to be.”
The head-to-head between these two swings generously in the way of the visitors. The two sides have met on 10 previous occasions; the Robins have come out on top with six wins and only drawing two. The Daggers have won two previous meetings; however, they’ve only beaten Cheltenham at home once losing the previous three.
Cheltenham are travelling badly this season with only four wins on the road from a possible 13. The Robins are currently 17th in League Two on 30 points with the Daggers able to go above them with a win due to their superior goal difference.
Players that link the two are Daggers striker Jamie Cureton, Ashley Hemmings and Joss Labadie. Cureton spent the 2013/14 season in Cheltenham. He managed an impressive 35 goals for the Robins notching 11 goals throughout the season. Joss Labadie whilst at West Brom was loaned out to Cheltenham during the 2009/10 season. He managed eleven appearances, but the midfielder didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet. Ashley Hemmings was at loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Robins in 2009 making one appearance.