The final home game of the season means awards time for clubs up and down the country. Win, lose or draw, it marks an opportunity to collectively take breath and recognise the achievements of the squad throughout the course of the season. This year’s top trio consisted of stalwart Tony Roberts who finished third, defender Scott Doe who came in second, and 2009/10′s top dog Mark Arber.
Danny Green can perhaps consider himself unlucky not to have made this year’s top three. A string of impressive early season performances accompanied with a scintillating final quarter of the season, have seen him end up as the club’s second highest goalscorer on 13 goals, just 5 shy of leading marksman Paul Benson. Admittedly Danny’s form hit the buffers somewhat in the middle of the season, but there can be no doubt had he been injured for the run-in, our play-off dream would have dwindled away many games ago.
Another player who certainly would have been in the reckoning had he stayed fit for the entire season is Stuart Thurgood. A tremendously impressive start was cut short with a season-ending injury picked up in the home defeat to Rochdale in November. It is no surprise that the Daggers’ automatic promotion push faltered drastically during Stuart’s absence.
So to the winners and the evergreen Tony Roberts. At the ripe old age of 40, he has remained irremovable between the sticks for another season. Despite a few errors in recent weeks, he is still rightly adored by the Victoria Road faithful and regarded as the finest keeper in the league by many. There seems no reason why John will look to change goalkeeping personnel any time soon.
And now to second-placed man, Scott Doe. Scott endured a horrendous start to the season with several nervy and frankly dreadful performances at right back. Yet the unfortunate injury to Will Antwi at Grimsby Town in December paved the way for Doe to move into his preferred central defence berth. The transformation was incredible. Daggers fans had not yet seen Doe play in the middle since signing for the club from Weymouth last season. However it soon became clear that John and his team had unearthed yet another diamond. By no means the tallest, Scott adapted to life in the Football League superbly. His ability to time tackles to perfection was evident against Hereford on Saturday. Statuesque Daggers defending left Bulls forward Manset bearing down on goal and but for the desperate and successful lunge of Doe, United would have won the game at the death and ended the Daggers’ season. Without a doubt the most improved player of the year.
And as for our winner, what more can you say about Mark Arber that hasn’t been said already? The Daggers’ skipper has led with assurance again and exhibited his usual calm presence on an inexperienced back four. Comfortable with both feet, Arbs’ spraying of the ball to both wings is a quality no Daggers centre half has ever demonstrated to this extent. Mid-season message board murmurings that Mark could be regarded as the finest player to ever wear the shirt were not misplaced given the consistency of his displays against football league opposition. A worthy winner and long may he remain at the club.
