There’s no doubt many Daggers fans would have been having a little moan trundling back down the M1 yesterday as Northampton turned the league table on its head to chalk up an unexpected victory at Sixfields.
The game itself was bereft of quality and goalmouth action for large periods, and neither set of supporters would have begrudged surrendering two points in what was looking like a dour bore draw.
Yet, much like on Boxing Day in 2002 at Barnet, there was to be a sting in the tail for Daggers fans. That day it was Junior Agogo who delivered the telling blow at the death and yesterday it was substitute Billy McKay.
It was a painful way to surrender a game, all the more so given Mark Arber’s penalty miss in the 80th minute. The referee correctly awarded a spot kick after Andy Holt handled a cross from the right wing. The resultant effort was painful to watch, almost on a par with Benno’s dreadful ‘attempt’ at home to Bradford in October, as the ball sailed into the arms of the jubilant Cobblers supporters.
It capped an abject day all round for the Daggers, conjuring memories of similar Boxing Day outings. Admittedly it wasn’t quite on a par with Barnet (again) two years back when Jason Puncheon destroyed inexperienced left-back Marlon Patterson with a sublime hat-trick. Barnet were 3-1 winners that day despite being down to ten men in what was one of our worst team performances for many years.
Back to yesterday’s game, and the only players to come out with any real credit would be Scott Doe, who is looking increasingly assured at centre half, and the ever-willing Peter Gain who ran himself into the ground for the umpteenth time this season. He needn’t have bothered as his team-mates showed a lack of any footballing ability; passes going awry and some weak tackling when it counted.
It’s amazing how quickly the tide can change in football. Just two weeks ago, the lads overcame a real hurdle in beating Bury 3-1 in what was one of the games of the season to date. Let’s hope things change equally quickly in time for tomorrow’s visit of Cheltenham.
Given yesterday’s defeat, tomorrow’s game takes on added significance. There’s no denying the Daggers’ form has hit the buffers in recent weeks. With just two wins in nine league matches, three points against a Robins side in total disarray this season is simply a must if we’re to maintain a play-off push.
Taking a cursory glance at the opening two fixtures of 2010 and they represent a genuine opportunity to establish ourselves in the promotion shake-up going into the second half of the season. Torquay and Crewe have improved in recent weeks, but if we were to replicate some of our early season performances, then four points is certainly not out of the realms of possibility.
A seven point haul in the next three games would get our season well and truly back on track but we need some big performances again. With Josh Scott back from injury, there’s hope that a truncated, yet promising partnership with Paul Benson, may finally bear fruit. We also need Adam Miller to recreate some of the magic he showed in a heroic final 20 minutes against Bury.
We’re entering a crucial phase of the season. With Shrewsbury and Notts County to take on in January and the potentially daunting run of Rotherham, Bournemouth, Rochdale and Aldershot in February, some semblance of form and confidence is desperately needed if May 2010 is going to be a month to remember.
