Duncan pleased with Daggers stalemate: 'That's five League games without defeat now'

Last updated : 12 December 2011 By shrimperstrust

“Overall, I was pleased with the performance today,” said Head of Youth Ricky Duncan. “The first half was quite scrappy and we allowed Dagenham to dictate the play, but we were much better after half-time and, with a little bit more luck, we might have won it. Nonetheless we kept a clean sheet and that’s five League games without defeat now.”

The match was switched from the usual Under-18s pitch at the Sanofi-Aventis Ground in Dagenham to the first-team training area in the complex due to the condition of the original surface, but there was little to warm the crowd up on a chilly morning during a fragmented opening period.

Shamir Mullings went close to putting the visitors in front after just four minutes when his opportunistic strike flashed over the crossbar before Louis Baucutt almost made a fairytale return to action. The central defender has been missing since pre-season with a metatarsal injury, but he rose to meet Mitchell Pinnock’s near-post corner with a glancing header in the 13th minute. The aerial effort beat goalkeeper Cain Davies, but not Chris Webster on the goal-line.

Duncan was happy with Baucutt’s return: “I was delighted that Louis came through 90 minutes. He was only supposed to play for an hour, but I asked him how he was at half-time and he said he was alright, so we gave him the whole match. He’s like a new signing for us, and it’s great to have him back. He did really well, because the way that Dagenham play means that there was a lot of hard work for him.”

That hard work began in the 16th minute when Tommy Davie picked the ball up 25 yards from goal and attempted to find the top right-hand corner, drawing a fantastic save from Luke Chambers. After Jack Payne’s low shot was saved by Davies on the half-hour, Dagenham again threatened, this time through dangerous winger Rouchy Efambe, who forced Chambers into action with a smart stop.

However, on the stroke of half-time, Pinnock was unfortunate not to hand Blues the lead following a foul on Payne just outside the penalty area. The left-footed dead-ball specialist lined up a crisp free-kick that left Davies floundering but equally had the underside of the crossbar reverberating.

After the interval, Tony Jacobs drilled the ball into Chambers’ gloves and Efambe smashed over from 12 yards out for the Daggers, but it was at the other end that the woodwork was rattled for a second time just after the hour. Pinnock’s quick throw released Michael Hyland to cut back into the path of Payne, who beat a defender to the ball before cracking his shot against the top of the bar.

Mullings will feel that he could have done slightly better after beating Davies to a long through-ball but he lobbed wide of the target before a devastating burst of pace saw the forward leave Andre Gumbs in his wake. Unfortunately, faced with just the goalkeeper to beat, Mullings was indecisive and failed to execute either a goalbound shot or a telling pass.

The striker’s frustrating morning culminated with a glancing header across the face of goal from a Pinnock centre, and there was to be no further goalmouth action after that 74th minute opportunity. Duncan took the chance to introduce Under-16s marksman Josh Odunwo for his debut after he had notched a hat-trick for the younger age group at the same venue a week earlier, but even the youngster’s busy first appearance could not bring about a goal.

“I was pleased to get Josh out there, and I also thought Harry Jeffrey did well at right-back in one of his first starts; he’s come into the side and we’ve had to make changes again to the back four with Ryan Auger getting injured in training yesterday and Anthony Furlonge going out on work experience to Thurrock, but we’ve adapted well,” Duncan concluded.

Southend United: Luke Chambers, Harry Jeffrey, Robert Hyams, Michael Hyland, Michael Hassini, Louis Baucutt, Marlon Agyakwa (Jack Paxman 65), Jack Edwards, Shamir Mullings, Jack Payne (Josh Odunwo 89), Mitchell Pinnock.

Cautioned: Hyams (58 - foul tackle).

Thanks to the Shrimpers Trust website for the reprinting of these reports, for the Trust's own youth section: www.shrimperstrust.co.uk