Chigwell Construction Stadium, Victoria Road, home of Dagenham & Redbridge based in East London. Nicknamed the “Daggers” as it’s in the name ‘Dagenham’ and compete in the National League. A big merger between teams from Ilford, Leytonstone, Walthamstow & Redbridge in 1992 resulted in this club’s birth. The club had a 9 year spell in the Football League but are currently back in the non-league after relegation from League 2 in 2016, but will they ever make it back?
It’s finally time to visit a London based ground!! Plenty of grounds to choose from but it’s Dagenham & Redbridge that re the preferred destination! Arrival into Central London at 10:30am and with 2 hours to kick off it’s time to make my way to the London Underground.
Waterloo station here I come! Train to West Ham and then to Dagenham East… A bit loud when going through the tunnels I have to say…
About 45 minutes to kick off, fantastic! And off I go! £15 to watch this final day National League tie! Alrighty then! Wrexham the visitors to Chigwell today who need a result to confirm their place in the play-offs whereas Dagenham have nothing to play for respectively but have been in good form just of late, who’s your money on?
Into the ground and now we wait for kick off! But first we remember our heroes of the NHS with a minutes applause!
Kick Off! “DIGGER DAGGER DIGGER DAGGER! OI OI OI!” Great to hear real crowd noise again! 2 minutes in and Wrexham have a corner, in it comes, Shaun Pearson with the header… Just over! Early pressure from the visitors! 7 minutes gone now and Wrexham come forward down the right, Reece Hall-Johnson drives down the right and crosses… It goes just wide.
It’s becoming a very flat game with little to shout about, just like as if both teams have nothing to play for, please don’t be 0-0!! 25 minutes gone now and Dagenham come forward, the ball is with Mohammed Sagaf, 30 yards out in space, why not? He goes for it… Over! 2 minutes later and Dagenham come forward again, they have the ball down the left, the cross comes in and Shaun Pearson gets there for Wrexham, he heads it up in the air, where is that going…? Just over and it’s a corner, in it comes… Cleared!
28 minutes on the clock and It’s becoming a good spell for Dagenham now, Callum Reynolds with the ball on the left, he cuts inside and shoots… What a brave block by Shaun Pearson of Wrexham, he gets his head in the way of it and clears. 30 minutes now and Dagenham have a free kick on the edge of the box on the left, Will Wright steps up, over the wall and… Side netting! The fans on one side thought it was there…
32 minutes gone now and Dagenham come down the right, Myles Weston cuts inside and shoots… Shaun Pearson with the headed block again!! It’s gone out for a corner, in it comes, Paul McCallum with the header!! Off the line… The Daggers fans think its in and the Referee… Has blown for a free kick to Wrexham… “BOO!!” From the Dagenham fans.
“DAGENHAM! DAGENHAM! DAGENHAM!” Fine voice so far from the Daggers fans! 38 minutes on the clock and Dagenham play a chipped ball down the right, Shaun Pearson gets there and… What’s he done there? He slaps the ball with his hand out of play and what’s the Referee going to do here? Yellow card! He’s a lucky boy if you ask me… Deliberate hand ball there!
40 minutes gone and Dagenham come again, they work the ball into the box on the right, the cross comes in, it’s PAUL MCCALLUM!!! OH NO!! He’s headed it across goal… Should’ve scored easy! The game fizzled out again and the score at half time remained stalemate.
Second half, 50 minutes gone and Dagenham come forward, Angelo Balanta is played through into the box on the right, no flag here, he plays it across goal, here’s Paul McCallum! GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!!! 1-0!! There it is!!! Deserved on the balance of play! Wrexham are in trouble if results elsewhere change…
55 minutes in and Wrexham have a free kick on the halfway line, the ball is lumped into the box, headed away by Dagenham, the ball is loose and Matt Robinson will get there… Oh dear me!! Paul Rutherford has gone flying in there two footed… Daggers fans and players not happy! And he’s OFF!!! Red card! No hesitation from the Referee and I have to agree with him there! Dangerous challenge.
65 minutes gone, Dagenham come forward, the ball is played to Saidou Khan, he goes for goal 25 yards out… Just wide! Had the keeper scrambling there. 76 minutes played and Wrexham have a throw in on the right, thrown into the box to Jordan Davies, he makes space and lays it off to Gold Amotayo… Blocked by Will Wright and away.
“Da Da Da! You’re not in the play-offs!!” The news is coming through from the other games and it is not good news for Wrexham! Can they change it? Wrexham starting to take the game to Dagenham now. 88 minutes now and Cameron Green has the ball on the left for Wrexham, he drives into the box and shoots… Good save by the Dagenham keeper and they clear it.
1 minute later and here come Wrexham again, through ball to Reece Hall-Johnson on the right and he plays it across goal and here’s Jordan Ponticelli!! He taps home! It’s 1-1! They sprint back to the restart and the Daggers fans aren’t happy!! Conceding like that in the last minute…
90 minutes gone and Wrexham come forward again, down the right and the cross comes in, danger here… Headed away by Kenny Clark and now Dagenham come forward, the ball is played to Angelo Balanta and he goes for goal 20 yards out… Deflected… Wide! It is a corner, in it comes, Wrexham clear.
Into the last minute of stoppage time and Wrexham must score to get into the play-offs! One last long ball forward, headed down and cleared by Dagenham and the Referee blows for full time! “DA DA DA! YOU’RE NOT IN THE PLAY-OFFS!!” Back into London now for some sightseeing!
FT: Dagenham & Redbridge 1-1 Wrexham
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 5/10 – Great to hear some real crowd noise once again!! Not the best atmosphere I have been a part of but the Daggers fans gave it a right go!
- The Ground: 8.5/10 – A fantastic ground for this level!!! Definitely a Football League ground!! Great seated stands with standing terraces on either side!!
- Expense: 7/10 – £15 is an ok price in my book but the game was very flat at times sadly.
- Overall Experience: 8/10 – A great day out and to also open my account for grounds in London! Also great to speak to a fellow fan in the terraces today!
28.5/40
Enjoyed that. I was at the game with my boy!
Just a quick one re the start of the article. Dagenham merged with Redbridge Forest in 1992.
Prior to that Redbridge Forest were formed following a merger between Leytonstone & Ilford FC and Walthamstow Avenue
Thank you for that mate!