Cheltenham to put Daggers to the Sword?

I'm off to watch Cheltenham take on John Still's Dagenham & Redbridge tomorrow afternoon and the home fans must be getting excited after a few decent results that have left them just outside the play-off places and into the next round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.


But manager Mark Yates has been talking to the Gloucestershire Echo and warned against complacency. He said:

"We won't take Dagenham for granted and the message to the fans is for them not to either. It won't be an easy three points and the more support and encouragement they can give us, the more it will help us put in a performance.

"We all want a fast start and an early goal along with good, flowing football, but if that doesn't happen, stay patient and keep backing the boys because nobody will come here and lie down. They won't make it easy and they will come to disrupt us while also trying to impose their game on us, so it's about how we react and we have to keep believing."

Daggers were relegated from League One last season are currently above the relegation places in 20th place. They lost four on the trot before a home win last weekend against Crewe, but got knocked out of the JPT at home by Southend.

The Essex team were only formed in 1992 after a merger between Dagenham and, er, Redbridge (well, Redbridge Forest to be precise). They have some decent pros on the books which is why I suspect they are in a false position and so agree with Yates that Cheltenham shouldn't take them for granted.

One new name to me on their books is Oliver Lee, a 20 year old midfielder on loan from West Ham.

Another name that stood out when I looked at the squad was Medy Elito who scored three times for Cheltenham during thirteen loan games (he only played one game in his second spell at Whaddon Road earlier this year). It'll be interesting to see how he is received by the home fans, although I seem to remember he was a bit of a Robins' favourite.

Three points for Cheltenham for me in this one.