Monday 5 May 2014

Cheltenham Town 2 Dagenham & Redbridge 3

Ade Azeez sealed a final day win for Daggers and an end-of-season bonus for his teammates.

Charlton loanee striker Azeez knocked in the rebound for his third of the season in the 67th minute after debutant keeper Connor Roberts had done well to push defender Gavin Hoyte's effort from the edge of the area on to the post.

The goal ensured Dagenham finished the season in ninth place and Azeez then revealed:

"A few of the boys came to thank me at the end because they get a bonus for finishing in the top twelve. I don't think I qualify, but they told me they'll spend theirs on a holiday."

And he joked:

"The gaffer said he thinks they'll get about £5.80 each so it might just get them a taxi to the airport." 

Azeez is now hoping to find a new team, but admitted:

"At this time of year there are a lot of very good players out there looking for clubs, but I felt I had to leave Charlton to play regularly against real men rather than Under-21s."

Cheltenham skipper Steve Elliott's headed opener from rookie Joe Hank's free kick was cancelled out by fellow defender Sido Jombati who curled a back pass in from 25 yards to stun Roberts.

Full back Jombati was under no pressure when he overhit a 21st minute right flank back pass to Roberts, but only succeeded in curling past the Wales Under-21 stopper.

Jombati is one of several Cheltenham players who will learn this week if they are to be offered new deals, but boss Mark Yates said:

"The own goal sums us up this season. You'll have to ask Sido what he was trying to do. It was one of the worst I've seen.

"I haven't seen anything like it. We play some good stuff and then throw away the lead. I felt really sorry for Connor. It was a terrible ball.",

Midfielder Richards then restored Cheltenham's lead with his eighth goal of the season in the 24th minute when his low shot from just inside the box deflected off Hoyte and looped over keeper Jordan Seabright.

But central defender Scott Doe opened his Daggers account for the season one minute before the break when he tapped in midfielder Billy Bingham's left wing free kick at the far post.

Delighted Daggers manager Wayne Burnett said: 

"The players never cease to amaze me and have surpassed all my expectations. At one point we had three youth-team players on the pitch and that is fantastic because they are the foundations to this football club.


"We were odds on to go down at the start of the season and we'll probably be odds on to go down next season, but we finished above Portsmouth. Wow! The remit was to stay up and we did that."




Sunday 4 May 2014

Oxford United 1 Accrington Stanley 2

James Gray taught his dad's Oxford mates a lesson, but it's a former teacher who drives him on.

Gray, 21, set up co-striker Kayode Odejayi for the first half opener before adding the 55th minute winner to make sure Accrington beat the threat of dropping out of the league before revealing:

"I set out every day to prove people wrong. In particular my old PE teacher who told me I'd never make it as a professional when I was thirteen."

Gray's dad, Phil, played for Oxford and Sunderland and the impressive Northern Ireland under-21 hit man said:

"He's been giving me a bit of friendly stick as I hadn't scored since December, but he'll be pleased I scored against one of his former teams especially as he has a few friends like Andy Melville on the coaching staff."

Rotherham loanee Odejayi, 32, admitted he has been impressed with rookie manager James Beattie and said:

"He's been positive since I walked through the door back in September. He's a top man. He was a player in the dressing room last year and so has had to make that transition, but he's done it and should go on to have a great career."

Accrington took thirteen league games to record their fist win, but Beattie was delighted to secure the club's league status and said:

"The recovery is now 100 per cent complete. All season we believed.

"We embarked on a journey when I walked through the door and in my fledgling managerial career it has to be a highlight to keep the club in the football league for another year."

Ryan Williams pulled a goal back for Oxford, but manager Gary Waddock was furious that his team had blown a play-off place having topped the table in December. He blasted:

"There was a lack of hunger and desire and we don't want a football team like that. That's not a Gary Waddock team. Come the start of next season, I'll be judged on the team I put together."

"We have a losing culture here and we have to change that. What I saw was just not acceptable. I know what needs to be done, and there will be a lot of work in the summer."

Gray had another angled shot well saved by keeper Ryan Clarke for the opener in the eighteenth minute, but strike partner Odejayi was first to react to bury the rebound for his seventh of the campaign from eight yards.

Clarke shut out Accrington twice in the first fourteen minutes with two smart saves.

Central defender drilled a low shot through a crowded box from ten yards in the third minute, but Clarke pushed it past his upright and the keeper then got down to save Gray's downward header from close in.




Bristol Rovers 1 Rochdale 2

Matty Lund sent Dale to the top of the table - and edged Rovers closer to the trap door.

Midfielder Lund tapped in his ninth goal of the season from one yard after left back Michael Rose's low cross somehow made its way to the far post through a crowded box.

Delighted Rochdale chief Keith Hill said:

"After the last two games when we've lost both 3-0, you think you're out of the title race, but we're not."

Substitute Joe Bunney had levelled in the 46th minute after racing on to a pass from striker George Donnelly to rifle in from a tight angle.

Midfielder Kaid Mohamed gave relegation threatened Rovers false hope when his toe-poked opener hit the post from ten yards before trickling across the line despite Rochdale protests.

Disappointed Rovers manager Darrell Clarke said:

"They're all crunch games now. We've got to keep going, keep fighting."