Dagenham & Redbridge boss John Still dismayed by FA Trophy exit to Worthing

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

Daggers manager expresses disappointment with squad after shock loss to Rebels

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Dagenham & Redbridge boss John Still was angered by his side’s performance during their shock 2-1 loss at home to Worthing in the FA Trophy.

After a lacklustre opening to the match at Victoria Road, Paul Benson put Daggers ahead five minutes before half-time with the first home goal of his second spell with the club.

From there, the Essex club were expected to serenely progress to round two, but were pegged back in the 62nd minute when Josh Staunton turned a Will Hendon cross into his own net.

And it went from bad to worse nine minutes later as Lloyd Dawes pounced on a poor back pass from Magnus Okuonghae before slotting under Mark Cousins to help set up a shock for the Rebels.

It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that after losing at home to a team two divisions below them that Still was so frustrated with his squad’s display.

“I’m disappointed and the reason I’m disappointed is that Worthing were the better team,” said Still.

“I thought we were fortunate to be in front, I thought they deservedly equalised and I thought their second was Sunday morning defending by us.

“I tried to explain to the players when they play at home, we have to be different to when we play away.

“We haven’t got what I would call ‘natural wingers’ in our team, that’s not how we play, so we have to work the ball.

“To work the ball, you have to move it quickly regardless of who you play and never moved it quick enough.

“We scored through Paul Benson and to my memory only had two other shots – for a home team that’s not enough.”

The defeat to Worthing means that Daggers have now lost each of their last four games at home, their worst run of the season.

And Still believes that is down to the fact his squad are now not moving the ball as swiftly as they once did at Victoria Road.

“At home, we’re not passing early enough or quick enough and we got bogged down, which we have been in the last couple of games at home,” he added.

“We weren’t early on in the season, we were moving it around quicker and nothing much has changed about that.

“Personnel may changed a little, but in terms of what we do and how we try to do it, nothing has changed, but we’re not moving it around quickly enough.”