Next Up: Dagenham and Redbridge v Exeter City

It’s Friday night lights time in East London as City make the trip to Dagenham aiming for a fourth successive win. The treatment room has been busy, David Wheeler was only fit enough for the bench against Bury but will hope to come back in, although with City’s confidence sky high Paul Tisdale may not opt to make any changes to his winning team. Christy Pym took a nasty knock to the head which necessitated stitches, but he too will be raring to go given he and Matt Grimes may have to miss the Hartlepool match on England duty – the squad not having been announced at time of going to press.

Dagenham & Redbridge enter Friday’s match as a rare thing for City currently – a side below the Grecians in the league table. Despite a comfortable 2-0 win over fellow strugglers York last weekend, the Daggers are in 19th place, two behind City. Wayne Burnett – a manager rivalling Tisdale in the sartorial stakes – has assembled an experienced squad but one which has perhaps yet to gel. The most experienced new name in Burnett’s squad, and a very familiar face to City supporters, is Jamie Cureton. Despite a poor spell last time he was in the area at Leyton Orient, Cureton has tried his luck in the east end again and is the Daggers’ top scorer with four in all competitions including one against his most recent employers, Cheltenham. Having scored against City for the Robins last season he does have a habit of notching against his many ex-clubs, so City will as always have to be on their guard. Joss Labadie, 2-goal hero last week, was most recently seen providing bite in the midfield at Torquay – literally, unfortunately, as he picked up a 10-match ban for his Suarez impersonation.

Matches between the sides are usually packed with action, and until recently City enjoyed much the better of things, but three draws and a defeat in the last four meetings is a record that City would like to arrest. Last season it was honours even. The corresponding fixture in September saw a 1-1 draw, Josh Scott’s opener cancelled out by a rare Sam Parkin goal, before a 2-2 draw at the Park in March. Tom Nichols put City ahead, Daggers went 2-1 up through Luke Norris and Medy Elito before Elliot Richards popped up at the death to earn City a point. City remain well ahead in the league head-to-head, with seven wins to Daggers’ two (seven draws).

Match Officials – http://www.exeweb.com/2014/10/02/match-officials-dagenham-redbridge-v-exeter-city-2/

YouTube highlights from last season