RUSSELL Penn is determined to snuff out the threat of former York City midfielder Andre Boucaud at Dagenham & Redbridge this afternoon.

Trinidad & Tobago international Boucaud delivered some virtuoso displays during the first half of the Minstermen's double-winning Wembley campaign of 2011/12 before moving on to Luton.

He now plies his trade at today's Sky Bet League Two hosts Dagenham after being released by Notts County in the summer and has been identified by City skipper Penn as a key player for the Essex club.

Ahead of their midfield contest, Penn said: "I've played against him a few times and he's a good player. He's the danger man really, sitting in there and trying to dictate the game.

"It will be a good test, but you get that every game in this league."

Penn has started alongside former Cheltenham team-mate Luke Summerfield for City's last eight matches, although the latter was substituted early in the second half of last Saturday's 3-2 home defeat to Southend after struggling to make an impression on the match.

The Minstermen's captain has full faith in Summerfield's ability, however, reasoning: "He's a good player. You only have to look at his stats to realise that.

"He's played at a higher level and everybody is allowed bad games, although I'm not saying he had a bad one. As a team, we were not on it in the second half and the gaffer made tactical changes."

Penn now believes that City can take advantage of a sorry home record that has seen Dagenham manage only two wins from their last 17 matches.

"They haven't had the greatest of starts, like ourselves, but we are under no illusions that it will be an easy game," he said. "Their home form does give you encouragement though.

"They have a small crowd there, who can get on their backs if things aren't going well, so we have to make sure we start well and really kickstart our season."

Penn is also not ruling out another appearance on the scoresheet, having ended a 59-game goal drought with his close-range, headed equaliser in first-half stoppage time against Southend.

The only disappointment was it ultimately counted for little, with the ex-England C international adding: "I just took a gamble for the goal and, luckily, the ball fell for me after a bit of good work by Hydey (Jake Hyde). You get those bits of luck if you are in those positions to get them.

"Hopefully, I will be a bit more now. The goal came at a good time just before half-time.

"Our tails were then up going into the second half, but we just lost a bit of momentum really and conceded a sloppy goal early on. We were fighting to get back into the game from then on and the second half summed us up this season really.

"We haven't been on the ball and we've got to be better as a team and make Bootham a fortress."