Dagenham 0
United 0
United secured a hard-fought point on Monday, after battling it out in a goalless draw at Dagenham & Redbridge.
Despite both sides unable to break the deadlock, it was an action-packed encounter at Victoria Road, with plenty of chances for both sides, although the result finally put paid to The Gulls’ spirited late push to secure a play-off place.
Manager Gary Johnson named one change in the starting XI that drew 1-1 with Maidenhead United just two days earlier, with Choiri Johnson starting in the place of Dan Martin.
United were quick out of the blocks and in the 3rd minute Connor Lemonheigh-Evans played the ball out towards the right flank for Stephen Duke-McKenna who whipped a cross towards the far-post and found the head of Danny Wright, but alas, his header was wide.
The action switched to the other end on 12 minutes, as Junior Morias drove through the United half and cut into the left edge of the box, but a precise interception from Joe Lewis denied the an advancing Dagenham attacker a shot on goal, with Omar clearing to prevent any danger from the lurking Paul McCallum.
Two minutes later, Armani Little fired an audacious effort just wide of the right hand post from all of 35 yards, after a moment of magic from the Gulls’ midfield maestro.
MacDonald was forced into action in the 34th minute when Mauro Vilhete was played through on goal, however United’s goalkeeper came off his line promptly to deny Dagenham’s number 20 the opening goal.
The final ten minutes of the half saw a lot of end to end play, with very few clear-cut opportunities for either side.
Seven minutes into the half, Torquay launched a swift counter attack, as Little picked up on a loose ball and drove through the Dagenham half before playing the ball out to his left for Johnson, who cut into the left edge of the box before driving a low effort on target to force Justham to get down and make a low save.
Two minutes later the home side broke through McCallum, with MacDonald doing well to get down to make the save, in a similar fashion to opposite number just moments earlier.
With six minutes left on the clock, a long ball forward was chased by Duke-McKenna who drove down the right flank before cutting into the edge of the box and firing an effort on target, with Justham called into action.
As the game moved into stoppage time, the game moved up a gear into a frantic finale.
In the first minute of five additional minutes, substitute Josh Walker came within a whisker of giving the home crowd teh late winner they craved, however after his footwork beat a floored MacDonald, Omar arrived from nowhere to produce an exceptional block on the goal-line to maintain parity.
On the resulting counter, a loose ball inside the box fell for Lemonheigh-Evans, yet despite working space for the shot, the Yellow Army could only watch in dismay as he sliced his effort wide of the far post.
In the third minute of stoppage time, the same man found himself with another chance from a half-cleared Little corner, but after cutting into the left edge of the box, he momentarily lost balance, aiding his shot to sail over the crossbar.
With that, went the chance of victory, and although United’s EFL hopes have been dashed for another season, there was enough evidence today to conclude that their progress has been merely postponed.
Keep the faith.
United: 37. Shaun MacDonald, 2. Ben Wynter, 4. Tom Lapslie (27. Opi Edwards 86′), 5. Ali Omar, 7. Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, 8. Asa Hall (c) (29. Joe Felix HT’), 9. Danny Wright (19. Klaidi Lolos 67′), 10. Armani Little, 14. Chiori Johnson, 15. Stephen Duke-McKenna, 31. Joe Lewis.
SUBS NOT USED: 1. Mark Halstead, 16. Keelan O’Connell.
Yellow Cards: Lapslie 38′, Felix 65′, Wynter 72′, Lolos 80′
Dagenham: 1. Elliot Justham, 3. Elliott Johnson, 5. William Wright (c), 8. Mohammed Sagaf (7. Joshua Walker 75′), 9. Paul McCallum, 12. Matthew Robinson, 20. Mauro Vilhete, 24. Junior Morias, 30. Brandon Comley, 31. Joshua Hare (11. Myles Weston 48′), 33. Emmanuel Onariase.
SUBS NOT USED: 15. Scott Wilson, 19. Samuel Ling, 28. Yoan Zouma.
Yellow Cards: McCallum 68′
Attendance: 1,752 (186 away)