I was delighted with the performance today (yesterday). Even taking into account the period when we had ten men, I thought we edged the game as a whole and deserved three points. Certainly we created more chances than Dagenham, although both sides had periods when they were on top. After the sending off I thought Dagenham were actually quite poor and we generally looked very comfortable. Davies made one good save in this period and there was an effort against the post, but it was not as if we were hanging on for dear life. Equally, we maintained an attacking threat throughout the second half. The best chance of the game was Cook's in the last minute: it fell on his right foot, whereas if it had been on his left, it was a certain goal. Still can't believe he missed it though !
Individually, I thought Steve Jennings had his best game for some weeks and I was really impressed with Almond, who looks a very intelligent player, always able to find space and link the play. Mitch Duggan was outstanding as a makeshift right back and both the loanees showed spirit and did well when they came on. I thought Cook, Norwood and McNulty were all very good, the latter immense as always, and although our goal was not peppered with shots, Davies made two brilliant saves when called upon.
I have no complaints about the sending off, as it was a stupid and unnecessary tackle from Ihiekwe when he was already on a yellow card. However, Jennings' booking was very harsh and leaves us in a bit of a pickle on Tuesday night: Duggan and Osborne did well today, but is a big ask for two youngsters who have never started a game for us to form the midfield pairing.
I think Paul Carden also deserves a lot of credit for tonight's result. With the players we have missing and down to ten men for virtually the entire second half, to get a point was no mean feat and we might well have taken all three. This was in no small part down to the bold tactical decisions he made, before and during the game, not least his effective substitutions and the responsibility he gave to the youngsters. I don't think Brabin would have done the same. If performances continue in a similar vein in the weeks ahead I would not have any objection to him getting the job permanently, although it is clearly still early days. The players clearly respect him and his tactics have paid off so far, so the signs are encouraging.