Match preview: York City v Dagenham & Redbridge (From York Press)

Match preview: York City v Dagenham & Redbridge

11:20am Friday 19th October 2012 in Sport By Dave Flett, Sports reporter

IMPROVING Dagenham & Redbridge will arrive at York City hoping to extend their unbeaten npower League Two run to a sixth game.

The eighth-bottom Daggers have taken 11 points from a possible 15 and have defeated the division’s big hitters Bradford (4-3) and Chesterfield (2-1) in that time, while also sharing the spoils with high-flying pair Port Vale (1-1) and Rochdale (2-2).

Having beaten Chesterfield at the weekend to register their first away win of the season, John Still is expected to name an unchanged starting line-up against the Minstermen with midfielder Billy Bingham still sidelined by a groin injury.

Matt Saunders, therefore, is poised to deputise again after returning to action himself against the Spireites following a seven-month lay-off due to ankle ligament damage.

Fellow midfielder Danny J Green will definitely not feature after being released this week although Kevin Maher could be an option from the bench as he continues his comeback from a foot injury that required two operations.

Former Norwich and Luton midfielder Michael Spillane is the Essex club’s leading marksman on five goals, although three of his efforts have come from the penalty spot.

Ex-Yeovil forward Sam Williams did manage a match-winning brace though at Chesterfield and will continue in attack alongside Dwight Gayle, who has been unable as yet to repeat the free-scoring form that saw him net 42 times for Blue Square Bet North side Bishop’s Stortford last season.

The win at Chesterfield was Dagenham’s first on the road in nine matches and six months, stretching back to a 2-1 triumph at Gillingham on Easter Monday.

But 62-year-old boss Still remains the Football League’s current longest-serving manager, having been in charge since April 2004.

In fact, from England’s top four divisions, only Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and David Moyes have enjoyed more enduring tenures at Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton respectively. The former Leyton Orient centre-half has generated £1.5 million for the club in transfer fees and guided the Daggers to the Conference title in 2007 and League Two play-off final success in 2010.

Still also steered Maidstone United to automatic promotion to the Football League back in 1989 but left because he did not want to make the switch to a full-time role back then.

Dagenham (probable): Lewington, Ogogo, Doe, Wilkinson, Ilesanmi, Howell, Saunders, Spillane, Elito, Williams, Gayle.

Match facts

This is the first time the clubs have met in the Football League.

The Daggers were unbeaten in their three Conference visits to Bootham Crescent.

In 2004/5, the game finished goalless and the following season was drawn 1-1 with Clayton Donaldson on target.

The last time the clubs met here was on November 25, 2006 and Dagenham won 3-2. On the scoresheet for City were Donaldson and Martyn Woolford and the line-up was: Evans, Craddock (Greenwood), Goodliffe, McGurk, Lloyd (McMahon), Bishop (Stamp), Bowey, Panther, Woolford, Donaldson, Farrell.

It happened on October 20

1951: City won a Northern Section game at Rochdale 2-0 with Ron Spence and Billy Fenton the scorers.

1973: A 0-0 draw at Bristol Rovers in the Third Division (League One) extended City’s unbeaten run to ten games and five successive clean sheets.

1981: City lost 4-0 at home to Blackpool in Division Four watched by 2,657.

1984: Ricky Sbragia netted the equaliser in a 1-1 draw at home to Millwall and the crowd for this Third Division (League One) encounter was 4,774.

1990: A 3-3 draw at home to Halifax Town in the Fourth Division with Ian Helliwell, Gary Howlett and Iain Dunn the marksmen in front of 2,061.

2001: Southend United were defeated 2-1 at Bootham Crescent with goals from Lee Nogan and Michael Proctor in the Third Division (League Two) watched by 2,270.

Compiled by David Batters