The east London side almost had an unbeaten February, but defeat against league leaders Barrow at Holker Street last Saturday, put an end to Daryl McMahon’s unbeaten run as Daggers boss.

The former Leyton Orient midfielder has got his side playing in a way that didn’t look possible under the former boss, Peter Taylor. There is more intensity about their play, be that with or without the ball and a very bold team selection that saw a midfield diamond of Matt Robinson, Sam Deering, Mitch Brundle, and top scorer Angelo Balanta would have been very unlikely under Taylor.

McMahon addressing his players during the last home match against Solihull Moors

Conditions up in Cumbria meant that it was always going to be a tough afternoon, with strong winds and heavy rain arriving during the final 30 minutes of the match. However, McMahon took positives from the game in his post-match interview, which can be viewed below:

Previous Meetings

Aldershot and the Daggers are no strangers, having met 30 times during both clubs’ 28 years of existence. The last match produced one of the shocks of the season, as Dagenham ran out 6-1 winners at Victoria Road back in November in front of Tim Howard. Sam Deering and Ben House made their debuts, with the latter scoring twice. Watch all the goals back by clicking here.

Tim Howard watches on as Dagenham smashed Aldershot for six during the earlier part of the season

The Opposition

The Shots have risen up the National League table since that match, with Danny Searle’s men currently occupying 16th place, five points ahead of the east Londoners. The former West Ham academy coach and Braintree manager saw his side pick up an unlikely 3-2 victory over Boreham Wood in their last outing.

Ones to Watch

Dean Rance: Rance joined the Shots in June 2019 after spending five years at National League rivals Ebbsfleet United where he made 240 appearances, winning promotion from the National League South.

The central midfielder played a big part in the Ebbsfleet side that made the National League Play-Offs in the 2017/18 season under McMahon.

James Rowe: The former Southampton youth academy player has 14 appearances for Aldershot this season. A very technical central midfielder who can also play in a more advanced role, he takes almost all of his side’s set pieces.

Craig Tanner: Tanner joined the club from Motherwell after being released by the Scottish side Motherwell. He has made nine appearances in the league for the Shots, scoring three goals.

Images courtesy of Dagenham & Redbridge

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