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Dagenham & Redbridge 1 Ebbsfleet United 3 match report

Ebbsfleet ended their six-match winless streak in emphatic style at Dagenham on Saturday.

They flew out of the traps in Essex and soon led 2-0 through Chris Bush and Danny Kedwell.

On-loan Maidstone striker Shamir Mullings pulled one back for the Daggers but Kedwell doubled his tally after the break and there was no way back for the home side, who finished with 10 men.

Ebou Adams challenges Will Donovan Picture: Jimmy Griffiths
Ebou Adams challenges Will Donovan Picture: Jimmy Griffiths

New signing Reise Allassani went straight into the Ebbsfleet side having joined on a three-month loan deal from Coventry City. Centre-half Kenny Clark returned after suspension and striker Kedwell was recalled as Sam Magri, Jack Powell and Michael Cheek dropped to the bench. Once again Andy Drury and Jack King were left out of the squad altogether.

Having taken just two points from their previous six games, Fleet needed a good start and boy, did they make one.

Dean Rance forced a good early save from Elliot Justham when he got his head to a Myles Weston cross and from the resulting corner, Ebbsfleet scored.

The quick-thinking Corey Whitely swapped passes with Weston and whipped in a fantastic cross which Bush headed home from close range.

Whitely dragged a shot wide after combining with Weston again moments later as the visitors swarmed all over Dagenham.

Justham did well to keep out Kedwell's downward header from a deep Bagasan Graham cross, then denied the lively Allassani a goal on his debut.

Allassani, playing in the hole behind Kedwell and Whitely, was everywhere, taking players on and spinning into space. He showed good strength to hold off his marker near the byline and delivered a low cross which tested Justham again.

Dagenham simply couldn't contain Allassani, who left another defender for dead and shot wide after the visitors had passed out from the back nicely.

Dave Winfield gets to grips with Chike Kandi Picture: Jimmy Griffiths
Dave Winfield gets to grips with Chike Kandi Picture: Jimmy Griffiths

All that happened during an opening 15 minutes in which Ebbsfleet were quite simply rampant.

Ebou Adams and Harry Donovan flew into a 50-50 challenge near the touchline and Donovan was booked for getting there a split-second too late. The home fans were furious but Adams clearly won the ball.

Dagenham pushed men forward but looked vulnerable on the counter-attack and Fleet nearly made them pay when Whitely lashed a shot into the side netting.

Kedwell brought down a Bush cross on his chest and saw an overhead kick deflect behind for a corner as Daryl McMahon's side continued to press.

The second goal duly arrived on 31 minutes, from another Fleet break. The ball was worked wide to Weston and his low cross from the right was rammed home at the near post by Kedwell.

It looked like Ebbsfleet were going to score every time they went forward. Yet again Allassani found room in the box, this time shooting narrowly wide with his left foot.

But out of nowhere, the Daggers pulled a goal back three minutes before half-time. Elliot Romain crossed low to the near post and Mullings smashed the ball into the roof of the net.

Encouraged by the goal, Dagenham started the second half on the front foot. Nathan Ashmore saved from Donovan and Matt Robinson's follow-up was well blocked by Adams.

But two fine saves from Justham then kept the home side in the game. First the keeper blocked a low Allassani shot with his legs after the little man had linked well with Kedwell, then Justham did brilliantly to claw Kedwell's header from a Weston cross out of the top corner.

Michael Cheek up for a header with Will Wright Picture: Jimmy Griffiths
Michael Cheek up for a header with Will Wright Picture: Jimmy Griffiths

However, he was beaten from the penalty spot in the 56th minute. Ben Goodliffe was sent off for bringing down Whitely as he raced onto Jack Powell's through-ball and Kedwell sent Justham the wrong way from 12 yards.

Powell, on for the injured Rance, looked to be struggling himself soon after the goal but was able to continue and missed the target with two free-kicks from advanced positions.

Allassani was absolutely irrepressible, taking on several players at a time and doing a superb job of holding possession high up the field. He quickly frustrated Daggers substitute Liam Bellamy, who chopped down Allassani and went into the book.

Some of the fight seemed to drain out of the Dagenham players at 3-1 and Ashmore saved easily when Donovan took aim from distance.

Dave Winfield powered a header wide from Powell's next free-kick, wide on the right, before Chike Kandi missed the target with a header at the other end.

Michael Cheek came on to face his former club and forced a late save from Justham, who was named man-of-the-match as if to underline Ebbsfleet's dominance.

Whitely almost made it 4-1 in stoppage-time after Powell had run the ball into the corner and then crossed low from the right.

Dagenham, wide open, escaped further punishment on the break when substitute Luke Coulson blazed wide as Whitely waited for a pass in the middle.

Dag & Red: Justham, Gordon (Kandi 46mins), Robinson, Davey, Pennell, McQueen, Donovan, Romain, Goodliffe, Wright, Mullings (Bellamy 59mins). Subs not used: Moore, Adeloye, Hoyte.

Ebbsfleet: Ashmore, Clark, Winfield, Bush, Weston, Rance (Powell 46mins), Adams, Graham, Allassani (Coulson 73mins), Whitely, Kedwell (Cheek 80mins). Subs not used: Magri, Shields.

Attendance: 1,225 (226 away).

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