Dagenham & Redbridge manager John Still: We have to fight for everything against York City

Dagenham & Redbridge manager John Still (pic: David Simpson/TGS Photo) ©TGS Photo tgsphoto.co.uk +44 1376 553468

Daggers boss knows three points against Minstermen will be vital for play-off push

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Manager John Still admits Dagenham & Redbridge face a real battle just to make the National league play-offs this season.

With just eight games to go in the campaign, Daggers are fourth, but just two points clear of those currently outside of the top five.

The Essex club entertain relegation-threatened York City this weekend, looking for a vital win to kick-start their promotion push.

And Still is aware everything, from points to goals scored and conceded, could prove crucial in Daggers’ push to reach the play-offs.

“I’ve been saying to the players all season. I’m old and I’ve been in this situation – I’m not bragging here – of winning this league three times and other leagues too,” he said.

“When you’re on it, every game, every point and every goal is important. There have been teams who have not gone up because of one goal, so everything is important.

“The only plus we can look at is having players coming back for what is going to be a difficult run in for everybody. Onwards and upwards.”

Saturday’s clash with York should also see a first Daggers start for recent signing Elliott Romain following his move from Eastbourne Borough of the National League South.

The 25-year-old came off the bench at half-time in Tuesday’s 2-1 loss at Aldershot Town and looked lively, later linking up well with Paul Benson.

It seems feasible, then, that Romain will start against the Minstermen, but Still is careful to urge caution about rushing his new man into action too soon.

“It’s about getting Elliott in and bedding him in to full-time training and getting used to it,” added the Daggers boss.

“He’ll have a part to play and we all like him, we like him a lot. It gives us an opportunity to play 4-4-2 as well, which we haven’t really had.

“In some of the games, we’ve lacked massive players in midfield and that’s where I think our problems came from, we never got close to them in the first half.

“When we got the ball, we weren’t clever enough, but with Andre Boucaud, Luke Guttridge or Luke Howell, and even Matt Robinson with great energy, we’re clever enough.”