Whitstable Town 0-4 Dagenham & Redbridge - I thought we put fantastic effort in, says Nicky Southall

The Oystermen opened their nine-match pre-season campaign by going down to a respectable 4-0 defeat to League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge on a sunny day in front of a crowd of 301 at The Belmont.

There were 85 league positions between the two clubs on last season’s final placings, but Ryman League Division One South side Whitstable Town almost humbled their professional opponents when striker Mo Takalobighashi, who scored 22 goals in 25 appearances for Kent Invicta League side Ashford United last season, struck the crossbar early on.

But Wayne Burnett’s side, who narrowly avoided a costly drop back into non-league football by the skin of their teeth on the final day of last season, went on to seal a comfortable victory.

The Daggers’ took 22 minutes to break Whitstable’s resilience when winger Louis Dennis powered home the first, before central midfielder Medy Elito slotted home a penalty four minutes before the break.

Former Charlton Athletic and Bromley striker, Bradley Goldberg, 19, who played for relegated Ryman Premier League side Hastings United last season, came off the bench to score Dagenham & Redbridge’s third goal, before central defender Ian Gale came up to head home a corner towards the end to get the Essex club’s pre-season campaign off to a winning start.

“I am proud of the boys.  I thought they put a fantastic effort in,” said Southall, 41.

“It’s the first time we’ve got together really and got some kind of organisation.  We had a lot of bodies.  I spoke to Wayne (Burnett) afterwards and he was delighted with our attitude and I was delighted with their attitude.  They were obviously very professional in their approach and that’s what I want to try and do with my players’.

“It was a great game. It was a great occasion today. The boys’ have been in ten days now. I’m really pleased with their attitudes and the work ethic. We’re trying to preach about being professional. I think you’ve seen that come to fruitions.

“There’s a lot of new signings.  There’s only two people that started the first half that were here from last season so yes I’m really excited, a bit of apprehension but excited as well because it’s my team now and you obviously live and die by your decisions and hopefully we’ll hit the ground running.”

Southall added: “I ain’t disappointed we got beat. I didn’t want to get rolled over and get beat really bad.  I thought the fans were fabulous, a lovely sunny day down at Whitstable and I think everyone enjoyed the game.”

Whitstable Town were without two central defenders in the shape of Lawrence Harvey (tonsillitis) and John Guest (rolled ankle), but the 22 players that donned the new red shirts acquitted themselves well, especially during the first half.

Dagenham & Redbridge created the opening chance when right-back Femi Ilesanmi floated over a cross towards the far post where the unmarked striker Josh Scott hooked a left-footed volley towards goal from sixteen-yards, which was easily gathered to his right by former Margate keeper Matt Lamprell.

Whitstable Town almost stunned their opponents in the seventh minute when Scott Heard made progress down the right before cutting the ball back to George Benner, whose cross was dropped by Daggers’ keeper Jordan Seebright, but to his credit recovered well to block Jordan Wells’ follow-up shot.  The loose ball fell to Takalobighashi, who cracked a right-footed shot on the turn from fifteen-yards on the angle which agonisingly clipped the crossbar.

Southall said: “On another day Mo Takaloo’s shot goes in, we could’ve took the lead 1-0!

“I thought we started the game the better of the two. Their movement seemed to unhinge us in the second half.

“I would’ve loved to have scored against them. If Mo Takaloo’s shot goes in, it would’ve been nice to get a goal against teams like that.”

Jake Reed cracked a fierce swerving right-footed drive towards goal from 25-yards, which forced Lamprell into diving to his right to parry the ball away.

Lamprell then used his legs at his near post to block Dennis’ left-footed drive after the Whitstable defence failed to deal with another deep cross from Ilesanmi.

But Dagenham & Redbridge broke Whitstable Town’s resilience halfway through the first half.

Luke Howell clipped the ball forward from midfield straight to Dennis, who brought the ball under his spell before stroking a left-footed drive screaming high across Lamprell to find the far corner from sixteen-yards.

“It was a good finish,” admitted Southall.  “I know the boy who scored, he’s a bag of tricks. He came from non-league as well. He’s a good player, a difficult boy to mark and it was a good bit of ability on his behalf.

“I can’t really throw any blame at anybody. Being hyper critical yes, he’s come inside, one of the centre halves should’ve come out and blocked it – but it was a good finish!”

Dennis turned provider for Scott, who sold Heard a dummy before powering a right-footed drive from a tight angle which was blocked by Lamprell at his near post.

The Whitstable keeper then got down low to his right to parry Scott’s low shot away from a tight angle.

But Whitstable Town undone all of their hard work when former Lordswood midfielder Peter Huggens rose his hand up in the air to connect to Dennis’ driven corner from the right.

Referee Graeme Ions instantly pointed to the spot and Lamprell was sent the wrong way by Elito, who stroked his right-footed penalty into the net.

Southall wants Huggens to make a better decision when the league campaign kicks off on 10 August.

He said: “I still think it’s a cheap penalty, could’ve been avoided. There’s no need to put your hands up!

“He said he got pushed as he went up and his hands came up as a reaction.

“As soon as you start putting your hands up, if that was a league game, you’d probably get sent-off. You’ve got to be careful and get in good habits. If he’s going to score, let him make a header that’s going to beat the goalkeeper so yes it was avoidable.”

Heard was getting joy from Daggers’ right-back Ilesanmi during a promising first half performance by the Kent side.

Heard whipped in a cross from the right which was knocked into Jordan Wells’ path, who steered a low right-footed drive from 18-yards, which was saved by the diving Seebright.

Southall, who played in a diamond shaped midfield, made five changes at the interval himself included – Dagenham & Redbridge made nine – and Whitstable Town were unable to replicate their impressive first half showing, especially as Southall utilised his entire 22-man squad.

One of those Daggers’ substitutes, Tyler Christian-Law forced Whitstable substitute keeper Ashley Bourne into flying to his left to push away the defenders’ rasping 30-yard drive, 61 seconds after the interval.

Daggers’ first-team keeper Chris Lewington wasn’t going to be troubled by Takalobighashi’s shot on the turn soon after.

Goldberg was introduced by Burnett and the striker flashed his right-footed shot past the far post from 25-yards as the second half entered the half-way mark.

And a low cross from the right from substitute Sean Shields found Goldberg 12-yards from goal and his right-footed chip sailed just over Bourne’s crossbar.

Shields played the ball in to Alex Osborne’s path and he allowed the ball to run across his body before stroking a left-footed shot, which forced a diving Bourne into making a low save to his left.

Dagenham & Redbridge increased their lead when Goldberg (who was watched by Bromley managing father Mark) scored a debut goal on his trial in the 76^th minute.

Right-back Peter Gilbert clipped the ball over the top of the Whitstable Town defence which found Shields inside the penalty area and he cushioned the ball across to Goldberg, who stroked a first time right-footed shot across Bourne to find the bottom far corner from 12-yards.

Southall was impressed by Goldberg’s movement leading to the goal that had Burnett asking for the striker’s phone number after the game.

Southall said: “Good finish. Good movement. That’s what we try and tell our boys, get the ball wide and that’s the kind of movement you’ve got to do.  You’ve got to get across people. If it goes behind you, it goes behind you, you can’t do nothing about it!  Hopefully somebody’s following in behind you, but just as forwards you’ve got to get in good habits getting across the near post and that can happen.”

The Daggers wrapped up the victory in the final four minutes when Tyrone Sealey floated in a corner from the right and Gale rose like a salmon and his header sailed over a number of heads to drop into the top far corner.

Southall added: “The fourth goal was the one I was disappointed with from the corner, but listen we haven’t done anything structured. It was a bit miss-matched second half.

“Other than bits and pieces with them moving the ball, they’ve scored two set-pieces, a penalty and a free header, but that’s what 75% of goals are actually scored from set-pieces, so it’s a big thing that we need to work on.  We will do loads of work on going in to the first game of the season.  Looking at the size of us now I think we should be getting goals at the other end and that’s what we’ll be working on as well.”

Southall picked up plenty of positives and reflected on the players that stood out for him.

The former Gillingham ace said: “I thought Scott Heard was exceptional first half. I’m really pleased with him.

“I thought Mo Takaloo, again the two boys up top, excellent.  I’m pleased with everyone.

“I thought Matt Lamprell did well first half, made a couple of good saves.

“James Morrish was outstanding. I’ve got to say I felt first 25 minutes he was outstanding.”

Southall took the compliment that his side matched League Two opposition during the first half.

“It’s a nice compliment,” he said.  “We’re building. I can’t expect my players to go out there and start popping the ball around like nobody’s business. It’s the first game of pre-season, there’s loads of improving to do and we’ve got to improve. We just can’t rest on our laurels. We’ve got to push on now and start getting to the heart of pre-season.  A lot of games are going to come think and fast and try and get that squad down to the eighteen that we need.”

On his star performers, Southall continued: “We changed the shape to be fair second half. We went 4-4-2.  I played a couple of the young boys from Maidstone. We’ve got a livewire in Josh Smith, a right winger. He loves to attack defenders. I’m really excited seeing him this season and Charlie Smith, who came on up top for Mo Takaloo.  He works, he’s one of them that’s a 120 percenter.  He does actually work and get after people and defenders will definitely know they’ve been in a game when he’s about!

“I felt Ross Webb did ok at left-back. He’s got a lovely left-foot. We haven’t got many left-footed players in the squad. He did ok when he came on.

“I thought George Benner did ok in flashes. It was his first game and he did ok. I was delighted with his attitude. Lots still to improve on and second half we had Dave Raggett (up front). He’s not signed up yet. I’ll have another look at him.

“Craig Knowles, a centre half who came on, he was in and around us last season.

“There were a lot of other trialists that trained separately today.  They did their own stuff.  We’ll see a lot of them because I’ve got to think about putting a strong side out against a team like Dagenham.”

Southall, who played Premier League football for Bolton Wanderers during season 2001-02, says he still has a part to play in the middle of the park this coming season.

He said: “Yes, it was alright. It was good. I enjoyed it.  I may play more of a role this year if I can keep myself fit. 

“I thought I needed to go a little stronger, especially first half but we played a different shape first half, a diamond shape in midfield.  We haven’t worked on our movement yet so out of possession we got pulled around a little bit too much but that’s what we’ll work on throughout pre-season training.

“When they got the ball we had to work hard. There’s no point in playing teams who you’re going to beat five, six, seven-nil because you won’t get nothing out of the game. Yes, you win the game but what do you benefit out of the game?  The benefit on a lovely hot day like this chasing balls around, at times chasing shadows, because that’s what you need, you need that kind of fitness.”

Southall said that he has 11 shirts up for grabs for their opening Ryman League Division One South game of the season on 10 August.

“It’s all open to debate, which you’re going to have.  Whoever stands up through pre-season will get the nod.  You’ve got to push on now and stand out and jump off the page and tell me that you really want to be in that first team.”
 
Whitstable Town:  Matt Lamprell (Ashley Bourne 46), Scott Heard (Billy Cobb 58), Adam Hooper (Ross Webb 56), Peter Huggens (Dan Keyte 60), George Benner (Craig Knowles 56), Ollie Lee (Dan Wells 46), Nicky Southall (Adam Woolcott 46), James Morrish (Matt Guilla 60), Carl Rook (David Raggett 46), Mo Takalobighashi (Charlie Smith 51), Jordan Wells (Josh Smith 46)

Dagenham & Redbridge:  Jordan Seebright (Chris Lewington 46), Femi Ilesanmi (Peter Gilbert 46), Gavin Hoyte, Scot Doe (Recardo Santos 46), Abu Agogo (Ian Gale 46), Afolabi Obefemi (Bradley Goldberg 63), Medy Elito (Tyler Christian-Law 46), Luke Howell (Sean Shields 46), Louis Dennis (Jessy Landoufusu 46), Jake Reed (Tyrone Sealey 46), Josh Scott (Alex Osborne 46).
Sub: Jack Conners

Goals: Louis Dennis 22, Medy Elito 40 (pen), Bradley Goldberg 76, Ian Gale 86

Attendance: 301
Referee: Mr Graeme Ions (Tonbridge)
Assistants: Mr Stephen Brown (Ashford) & Mr Alex Clarke (Snodland)
Fourth Official:  Mr Matthew Sell (Rochester)