Vanarama National League: Dagenham & Redbridge 2 Eastleigh 0
Dagenham & Redbridge earned a second straight win in the Vanarama National League with a 2-0 success at home to Eastleigh.
Despite being second best for long periods of the first half, Daggers led at the break thanks to Ollie Harfield’s goal.
The Essex club were brighter in the second half and could have had a hatful of goals, but at least doubled their lead through Chike Kandi.
Daggers boss Peter Taylor made just one change to his starting XI following last weekend’s success at Ebbsfleet United, and it certainly was a surprising one.
Tomi Adeloye played well last Saturday and scored the winner, but was dropped to the bench with Conor Wilkinson restored to the line-up.
The Essex club were slow to get going, with Elliot Justham needing to produce a good save down low to deny Sam Matthews the opener in the seventh minute.
Justham was called upon again in the 27th minute, this time comfortably getting behind an effort from distance by Joey Jones.
Jones tried his luck again from 25 yards two minutes later as the Spitfires broke, but Justham was able to make another routine stop once more.
Matthews was next to take a shot at goal for the visitors, another from distance, but again Justham got behind the ball to prevent the Essex club from falling behind.
With just a minute left in the opening half, the Victoria Road outfit took the lead somewhat against the run of play.
Will Wright slipped in Angelo Balanta inside the box, with the latter then playing a ball across the face of goal.
Harfield was on hand at the back post to tap in his first goal for Daggers and put the hosts ahead on the stroke of half-time.
Unsurprisingly, that proved to be the only goal of the opening period as Taylor’s men went down the tunnel a goal to the good.
The Victoria Road outfit started the second period brilliantly and doubled their lead in the 51st minute.
Harfield delivered a fine corner from the right, which found skipper Kenny Clark at the back post.
The defender headed the ball back across goal, with Kandi on hand to nod in from close range.
Kandi nearly teed up the third for Daggers three minutes later when finding Balanta in the box, but away stopper Luke Southwood produced a superb save to push behind for a corner which the Colombian nodded over.
Balanta looked to be enjoying himself in the second half, firing over from the edge of the area in the 60th minute.
Eastleigh’s goal was being put under siege, with Wilkinson drawing a good save at the near post from Southwood five minutes later.
From there, things went a little quiet with the Essex club content to see out the game with their two-goal advantage.
Daggers are next in action on Monday when they make the trip to already-relegated Braintree Town.
Daggers (4-4-2): Justham; Wright, Onariase, Clark, Smith; Kandi, Robinson, Loft, Harfield; Balanta (Adeloye 90+3), Wilkinson.
Subs: Moore (GK), Davey, McQueen, Munns.
Eastleigh (3-4-2-1): Southwood; Hobson (Williamson 53), Boyce, Wynter; Hare, Miley, Jones, Green; Matthews (McKnight 66), Yeates (Zebroski 78); McCallum.
Subs: Gobern, Hollands.
Referee: Alan Dale.
Attendance: 1,315 (including 164 Eastleigh fans).
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