After a two-week league break due to FA Cup fixtures, Dagenham & Redbridge head back to Victoria Road in search of their third league win from four games in a tricky encounter against play-off contenders, AFC Fylde this weekend.
Life In Survival Hopes
Before the break, The Daggers enjoyed back to back wins for the first time since early September when they brushed past high-flying Harrogate Town and fellow strugglers Dover Athletic respectively, before narrowly losing 1-0 to an in-form Sutton United.
Bolstered by the arrival of new signings Emanuel Onariase, Nathan Smith and Angelo Balanta, those all-important wins have seen them climb to within three points of exiting the relegation zone and has undeniably boosted their hopes of survival for both fans and players.
The Daggers will have their work cut out for them going forward this weekend as Fylde have conceded the least amount of goals across all three divisions of the National League, letting in just 10 in 19 games.
Unbeaten Away
AFC Fylde on the other hand, have noticed somewhat of a dip in form in recent weeks, picking up just two wins form their last five games, which included a devastating 3-1 loss to struggling Chesterfield.
The Lancashire outfit then thrashed relegation candidates Maidenhead United 6-0 before struggling to overcome Gateshead with striker Danny Rowe grabbing a last gasp winner. Two weeks ago, in their last league outing they suffered a 3-1 loss to high-flyers Leyton Orient.
The Coasters however are buoyed by their stellar away form, in which they are yet to lose a match on the road, winning twice and drawing on seven occasions.
Manager Peter Taylor will be encouraging his defence to keep an eye on frontman Rowe, whose 12 league goals this season places him as the joint-second top scorer alongside Salford City’s Adam Rooney.
The clash will undoubtedly be an interesting encounter, with both teams looking to take the spoils for different reasons as Fylde look to find form again and increase their promotion chances whilst Dagenham look to rise from the ashes and continue to claw their way out of a relegation position.
- Photo reproduced by kind permission of Dagenham & Redbridge
