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The Wood were left frustrated as they succumbed to a battling 1-2 defeat at home to Dagenham and Redbridge.
The Daggers opened the scoring in just the second minute, with Fejiri Okenabirhie latching onto a mistake from the home defence to poke past Grant Smith.
Luke Garrard’s side pulled one back five minutes later when Bruno Andrade fired home from the spot, having been hauled down by the Daggers defence.
However, the Daggers replied when Corey Whitely (17) drove an unstoppable free-kick into the top-corner. The Wood battled back in the second half but couldn’t to find a way past the impressive Mark Cousins.
Luke Garrard was forced into a series of changes against Dagenham with Dave Stephens and Danny Woodards pulling up injured in training on Friday, but Ryan Johnson and Bruno Andrade stepped up to ably cover the duo.
However, the Daggers opened the scoring with almost the first kick of the game, Okenabirhie latched onto a mistake from Champion and slotted past Smith in goal.
The Wood were frustrated and Kane Smith burst down the flanks in attack to collect a cross-field ball from Angelo Balanta; the winger curled it towards the head of the on-running Ricky Shakes, but his header sailed wide.
Garrard’s side won a penalty minutes later, Balanta snatched the ball from the Daggers midfield and threaded through Andrade, who was hauled down in the box. The winger then coolly stepped up and thrashed it into the top corner to level the scores.
Andrade & Balanta were causing the Daggers all sorts of problems and the Wood continue to push forward.
Smith again flew down the right and pulled a cross back into the box, Shakes thrashed at the volley, but his connection was poor and it failed to trouble Cousins.
Sam Ling met a long throw in inside the box and powered a header at Smith, but the stopper acrobatically pushed it wide.
Dagenham took the lead once more in the 17th minute, when Whitely drove an unstoppable free-kick past the Wood ‘keeper from 25-yards.
The home side were rattled and a misplaced back-pass from Tom Champion forced Smith to handle the ball and give away an indirect free-kick inside the penalty area.
Morgan Ferrier was teed off for the free-kick, but blasted his effort straight at the wall to jeers from the home support.
Daggers skipper Craig Robson fired a half-volley at Smith, it rebounded off a defender and Smith was once again forced to perform heroics and tip it wide.
Smith was still troubling the Daggers right side and launched a long ball over the defence, Paul Benson attacked but the away side headed clear.
Ferrier found space down the right and thumped a low strike at Smith, but the stopper was again equal to it and pushed wide.
Garrard’s side improved immensely in the second half and Andrade went close straight away; the winger flicked the ball past his marker and crossed for Murtagh, but the midfielder angled his header all wrong and it bounced out of danger.
The away side were beginning to struggle with the pressure from Boreham Wood and Smith was once again at the heart of it, the young full-back laced a strike from 20 yards but it brushed over the woodwork.
Again the Wood went close, Andrade met a through ball, cut inside and fizzled a shot at Cousins, but the stopper tipped it wide.
A Dagenham corner pinballed around the box, Robinson poked a shot above Smith, but the ‘keeper pushed it over.
Bradley Sach had replaced Paul Benson and battled the ball off Robson in the box, the forward flicked it around his marker, but Luke Pennell rushed back to tackle.
Smith crossed into the box but it curled towards goal and Cousins was forced to reposition and catch the attempt.
The Wood were still pushing and Andrade lashed at Cousins from 25 yards, the effort rattled the cross bar but bounced on the wrong side of the line and Dagenham thumped away.
A final Wood corner caused carnage in the Daggers box, Sach snuck in and attempted to flick it above Cousins, but the stopper recovered and punched away.
Wood XI: G Smith, K Smith, Ricketts ©, Shakes, Champion, Benson (Sach 77), Murtagh (Jeffers 73), Andrade, Johnson, Turley, Balanta
Subs not used: Bozkurt (GK), Gordon, Keita
Dagenham & Redbridge XI: Cousins, Pennell, Robson ©, Ferrier (Hawkins 65), Okenabirhie (Howells 86), N’Gala, Boucaud, Lokko, Ling, Cheek (Robinson, 73), Whitely
Subs not used: Justham, Doe
Goals:
Wood: Andrade 7’
Dagenham & Redbridge: Okenabirhie 2’, Whitely 17’
Attendance: 635
