The Daggers gained three valuable points thanks to a superbly taken header by top scorer Conor Wilkinson in the 71st minute. Adeloye, who was making his first start since the reverse fixture in November, worked well with the former Gillingham man and the pair have the potential to become a solid partnership in the future.
Return To Fitness
The former Hartlepool United striker said that he was delighted to be back out on the field and in the thoughts of Manager Peter Taylor once again:
“I’ve been out of the team for a while, but I’ve been working hard off the pitch during that time. Things haven’t been going well for me, the gaffer has gone with other players which is football and I understand that.
“I just kept my head down and kept working hard and waited for my opportunity. Thankfully it came along today. It was my first league start since the reverse fixture in November, so I feel like I put a good shift in and gave the gaffer something to think about. I’ll just keep working hard as I can,” he said.
Stop-Start Season
The 23-year-old has made 20 appearances in all competitions for the club since signing in August but has only played 14 minutes of competitive football since the start of November. The arrivals of Conor Wilkinson, Angelo Balanta and Shamir Mullings, has meant that the striker has found it tough to force his way into Taylor’s plans.
Improvements In Front Of Goal
Goals have also been hard to come by for the former Stoke City man, who has weighed in with three goals this season, with his last coming in the 2-0 victory over Dover Athletic in October. However, the forward explained that his manager had asked him to work on several things during his period away from the starting 11:
“The gaffer spoke to me about working on a number of things when I wasn’t involved, mainly my finishing, and my confidence in front of goal. They’re two things that I’ve been working on a lot. I’m sure if I keep working hard and getting into positions to score goals then I’ll go on a good scoring run, that’s how I’ve always felt.
“I agreed with the manager that I needed to work on those things which is why I wasn’t in the team. Being patient and working hard is all you can do, the best thing to do is to not let your head drop and wait for the opportunity, which is what has happened,” he added.
Next Weekend
Adeloye will be hoping that he has done enough to force his way into Peter Taylor’s plans for their next match, as they take on Harrogate Town at the CNG Stadium this weekend.
- Images courtesy of Dagenham & Redbridge
