Darlington 2, Dagenham & Redbridge 3

Apr 28 2008 by Ray Simpson, The Journal

DARLINGTON manager Dave Penney admits that his side’s injury crisis is the worst he has ever experienced.

The play-offs loom with his side low on confidence and suffering the mentality of “what can go wrong will go wrong”. They have gone eight games without a win, with a trip to promoted Peterborough the only game before the play-offs.

The Quakers visit London Road on Saturday with Penney admitting: “I’ve never known anything like it. We are struggling to get a team out. It is a case of needs must, which is why we had to play Shaun Reay, who is not yet strong enough for first-team football.”

The youngster was thrust into the attack after 16 minutes because Pawel Abbott, who had not played for five weeks because of a hamstring injury, suffered a recurrence after quarter of an hour. While Reay claimed his first senior goal the attack was lightweight without Abbott.

Even so Quakers threw the game away making it the most frustrating of their winless run. They led 2-0 with goals from Ricky Ravenhill – the midfielder’s third of the season – and Reay’s 52nd-minute effort.

And while the visitors rallied to grab the win that ended the threat of relegation from the league, it owed much to awful defending. Substitute Sam Sloma was unmarked to pull one back on 62 minutes. Two minutes later Dagenham were level. Darlington defender Ben Parker fouled Sam Saunders and was sent off with Dagenham skipper Dave Rainford converting the penalty. The 10 men of Darlington then wilted with Paul Benson scoring the 73rd-minute winner.

Penny said: “We have to get our belief back. We should not concede goals like that and don’t have long to sort ourselves out.

“We tried to pass the ball well and scored two good goals. But in the last half hour we were poor.”

DARLINGTON: Stockdale, Wiseman, White, Foster, Parker, Wainwright, Keltie, Ravenhill, Nelthorpe (Miller 71), Abbott (Reay 19), Wright (Cummins 55). Subs (not used): Kazimierczak, Kennedy

Sent Off: Parker (64)

Goals: Ravenhill 20, Arber 52 og

DAG & RED: Roberts, Huke, Boardman, Arber, Griffiths, Saunders, Rainford, Gain, Southam (Sloma 56), Benson (Nurse 82), Strevens (Moore 90). Subs (not used): Hogan, Taiwo

Booked: Benson, Sloma, Huke

Goals: Sloma 63, Rainford 66 pen, Keltie 73 og

Attendance: 3,709

Referee: Darren Deadman (Cambridgeshire)