Still: Montgomery will bounce back

by MIKE SIMMONDS

DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE manager John Still has backed winger Graeme Montgomery to bounce back after his disappointing performance at the weekend against Rotherham.

With 57 minutes on the clock, Still withdrew the 22-year-old and replaced him with veteran wideman Darren Currie.

The boss then criticised Montgomery in his post-match interviews, admitting he was disappointed with his display.

Better

"To be fair, I'm going to say this, he didn't play well enough midweek, and I told him he didn't play well enough in the Essex Senior Cup, but I decided to go with him and he's got to do better," said the manager, who dropped Montgomery to the bench for last night's trip to Lincoln City, where replacement Jon Nurse grabbed Daggers' only goal.

"He's got great ability, unbelievable ability, but he's got to do better.

"He didn't do enough, but he's a young man and he's still learning."

Montgomery was back in training on Monday, preparing for last night's (Tuesday's) trip to Lincoln City.

Saturday's defeat to Rotherham was only the fourth start that the youngster has made in the Football League and Still admitted it was something he had taken into account.

"He's come in and trained really hard and I know that young players are going to get games like that," he said.

"I couldn't fault his effort, application or his concentration on the game, it was just one of those matches where he was really trying, but it just didn't come off.

"I know how good he can be though, and it's just a case of 'Monty' putting that behind him and coming good again.

"In some ways he needs to take a leaf out of Scott Doe's book.

"He came in and got a bit of a hard time because he was playing out of position, but he has put the hard work in and is now a star.

"He can go on to get even better too, as he is strong in the tackle, has good pace and reads the game well too. He's been excellent for us this season."

Another player who had an impact on Saturday, though from the bench, was 75th-minute replacement Phil Walsh, who came as close as anyone to earning Daggers a point.

"He has worked really hard in training, and has done well since he has come in," said Still.

"He's been patient for his chance and he gives us something different.

"He gives us the option to maybe change the way we play a little bit too, with Paul Benson just behind the front two."

The Rotherham game stretched Daggers barren run in front of goal to three games, a fact that bemused the manager.

Surprises

"I wouldn't say it was a worry, but it definitely surprises me, because we have always scored goals," said Still.

"It wasn't that we were missing chances either, as we were having plenty of good crosses into the box, as for the last half hour, Danny Green was ripping them apart.

"But we weren't getting on the end of them and it's something we need to work hard on in training."

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