TT MATCH PREVIEW – Dagenham (h) by Steve Harris

TT PREVIEW

Steve Harris – @steveharris84

Match details: Torquay United V Dagenham & Redbridge

Venue: Plainmoor

Date: Saturday 8th January 2022

Kick-off: 3pm

Current Form (last six):

Torquay: W, W, L, W, L, W

Dagenham: L, W, W, W, W, W

Top scorer:

Torquay: Armani Little (10)

Dagenham: Angelo Balanta (7)

Head-to-Head:

Torquay: 4

Draw: 6

Dagenham: 6

Dagenham fact file:

Year founded: 1992

Nickname: The Daggers

Last season’s league finish: 12th in National League

Dagenham notable honours:

Conference/Blue Square Premier/National League

Winners 2006-07

Isthmian League Premier Division:

Winners 1999-00

Manager: Daryl McMahon

A former Republic of Ireland youth international, Daryl McMahon made a solitary substitute appearance for the Gulls while on loan from West Ham United under Leroy Rosenior in the 2003-04 campaign. Ironically – it came against a Yeovil Town side managed by current United manager Gary Johnson.

A brief spell at Port Vale then followed before he was signed for Leyton Orient by former Gulls’ boss Martin Ling in 2005. In his first season at Brisbane Road, the 2005-06 campaign, he was part of the Orient side that won automatic promotion from League Two.

McMahon later had spells in non-league football with Stevenage, Cambridge United, Farnborough, Boreham Wood (twice) and Ebbsfleet amongst others before entering management with Ebbsfleet in 2015, following a spell as caretaker manager.

In the 2016-17 season, he led Ebbsfleet to promotion from National League South via the play-offs and then guided them to the National League play-offs in the 2017-18 campaign.

After leaving Ebbsfleet by mutual consent in November 2018, he was appointed as manager of Macclesfield Town in August 2019 – in succession to Sol Campbell. He then resigned from the Silkmen before he took charge of the Daggers in January 2020.

Player to watch: Paul McCallum

Since he joined the Gulls on loan from West Ham United in the 2013-14 season, in which he scored three times in six appearances, Paul McCallum is currently amongst the leading strikers in the National League. Loan spells at Hearts and Portsmouth followed his stint at Plainmoor before he joined Leyton Orient in 2015.

Two years later he dropped down into the National League for the first time to join Eastleigh, and he spent two seasons with the Spitfires where he scored 36 times in 73 appearances in all competitions. He then joined Solihull Moors on the eve of the 2019-20 campaign before signing for the Daggers in June 2020 – for whom he has scored 24 times in 54 appearances.

McCALLUM STATS:

Position: Striker

Date of Birth: 28th July 1993 – 28 years-old

Birthplace: London

Former Clubs: Dulwich, West Ham, Rochdale, Wimbledon, Aldershot, Torquay, Hearts, Portsmouth, Leyton Orient, Eastleigh, Solihull Moors, Barnet

National League Stats 21-22: Played 14, Goals 6, Yellow/Red Cards 1/0

Old boys:

Torquay: None

Dagenham: Paul McCallum

Last meeting: Saturday 27th March 2021, Dagenham & Redbridge 1 Torquay United 0

Dagenham ended Torquay’s mini-resurgence as Angelo Balanta and goalkeeper Elliot Justham earned them a 1-0 win in the National League.

Justham denied Connor Lemonheigh-Evans one-on-one before at the other end, the returning Matt Robinson fired into the side netting and Will Wright curled a free-kick just wide.

Balanta shot straight at Gulls keeper Lucas Covolan as the half ended goalless, and Scott Boden was just unable to provide a Torquay breakthrough early in the second period before Dagenham’s Paul McCallum was denied a penalty.

Torquay sent on debutant Benji Kimpioka, signed earlier in the day on loan from Sunderland, and Josh Umerah in search of a third straight win and the latter almost immediately drew a stunning save from Justham – who was rewarded in full when Balanta broke the deadlock at the other end.

Kimpioka shot wide in stoppage time as Daggers held on for the win.

TEAMS:

Dagenham & Redbridge (3-5-2): Justham; Wright, Clark, Johnson; Weston, Sagaf (Saunders 66), Rance, Robinson, Gordon; Balanta, McCallum

Torquay United (4-4-1-1): Covolan; Wynter, Sherring, Lewis, Law (Moxey 75); Randell, Lemonheigh-Evans, Hall, Andrews (Umerah 64); Little; Boden (Kimpioka 57)