Daggers Reach 100 Points Against Rebels

For all their huffing and puffing, Slough could not blow out Dagenham's hopes of passing the 100-point barrier for the season.

Goals by Paul Terry and Paul Cobb secured a comfortable 2-1 win for the Daggers against a patched up Rebels side.

With the champagne magnums still brimming and the smell of cheap cigar smoke still choking the East London air from a fortnight ago when Dagenham clinched the title it was Slough that started the more brightly forcing a number of good chances in the opening 15 minutes.

Leon Townley, Dave Rainford and Junior Haynes all missed good chances to make the home fans chants of `champions' sound rather hollow.

But a combination of good play and dozy decision-making by the officials saw Dagenham take control.

In the 17th minute a through ball by Matt Jones found Mark Janney in an onside position who then cut the ball back to Cobb whose shot went wide. Lee Goodwin went close three minutes later with a header from a corner while Janney came close again shortly after, but his shot sailed over the bar.

The breakthrough came just after the half hour mark when Paul Terry capitalised on hesitant Slough defending to steer home from 25 yards to make it 1-0. Janney almost doubled the lead four minutes later whenhe was put through on the right by Jones but his weak shot was easily caught by goalkeeper Danny Honey.

Slough retaliated within the closing minutes and almost forced an equaliser through, excellent link-up play by Dwight Marshall and Marcus Richardson but Marshall's shot flew over the bar.

Richardson should have scored on the cusp of half-time after Steve Daly headed a corner goalward which Rico managed to head widefrom a couple of yards to cries of "Marcus is a Dagger!" from home fans.

Into the second half Dagenham showed the kind of purpose that has seen them rack up over 100 points this season. Powerful and organised, the Daggers' attacks became more furious and they were unlucky not to score in the 56th minute when a Janney cross was headed out by Dave Rainford for a corner.

However just when Slough were beginning to find their feet Cobb linked up with Goodwin to double the home side's lead. But virtually straight from the restart the Rebels were denied by a mixture of poor defending and a rank bad decision by the referee.

Richardson raced clear and, despite a defender hanging off his shirt, beat the goalkeeper and slipped the ball toward the goal but was then thwarted by a clearance, that looked suspiciously over the line, by the same defender that grabbed his shirt.

Mindful of his mistake the referee even apologised to Marshall. A gaffe by Steve Heffer gave Slough hope when he headed into his own net under no pressure to make it 2-1 but Dagenham were in no mood to relent.

Attack after attack was denied by brave defending and some great goalkeeping by Honey who kept the home team at bay with some stunning saves from Youness Nabil and Jason Broom. But it was to no avail as the title-holders added Slough to their impressive CV of victories. And the Rebels were treated to a glimpse of what they have to look to achieve next season.