Dagenham & Redbridge 2-1 Morecambe

Holiday mode looks to have set in at Morecambe after a disappointing defeat away to struggling Dagenham & Redbridge.
Tom Barkhuizen heads the ball goalwards.Tom Barkhuizen heads the ball goalwards.
Tom Barkhuizen heads the ball goalwards.

It was the hosts who made the quickest start, almost taking a first-minute lead when Matty Cash forced Barry Roche into action with a header.

Roche was heavily involved in the game’s opener seven minutes later when the visitors suffered a bad case of misfortune.

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The ball fell kindly for Joss Labadie after hitting the referee, with the Daggers captain shooting from the edge of the area.

His effort hit a divot on its way towards goal, taking the ball over the head of a helpless Roche and into the net.

Morecambe were intent on finding a quick response, which almost came in the 17th minute.

Paul Mullin had a penalty appeal for handball against Dom Hyam turned down, before forcing Mark Cousins into action with a powerful shot soon after.

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It proved to be a missed opportunity as Daggers doubled their advantage in the 30th minute through Jamie Cureton.

Labadie won the ball in midfield before passing to the veteran striker, who rounded Roche before netting.

That was how it stayed heading into half time, 
with Morecambe unable to find a route back into proceedings.

The visitors struggled at the start of the second half too and brought on Kevin Ellison and Tom Barkhuizen with 30 minutes to go to offer more of an attacking threat.

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But still the hosts pressed, with Christian Doidge shooting low and hard, but finding Roche from out wide in the 67th minute.

The duo of Barkhuizen and Ellison, though, did go close to pulling one back for Morecambe in the 71st minute.

Ellison first hit the post with a header after a cross from Jamie Devitt before Barkhuizen smacked the rebound straight at Hyam.

Barkhuizen did net six minutes later from close range after comical defending from Hyam saw the ball trickle into his path.

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But Morecambe could not find a further goal to draw level to suffer a frustrating night at Victoria Road.

Daggenham: Cousins; Hoyte, Worrall, Hyam, Widdowson; Cash, Labadie, Muldoon, Hemmings; Doidge, Cureton (Passley 77). Unused subs: Moore, Dikamona, Boucaud, McClure, Chambers, Pennell

Morecambe: Roche; Beeley, Edwards, Goodall, Conlan; Parrish, Oliver (Barkhuizen 57), Fleming (Miller 74); Mullin (Ellison 58), Stockton, Devitt. Unused subs: O’Hara, McGowan, Kenyon, Molyneux, Miller

Attendance: 1,233 (including 33 Morecambe fans)

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