DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE manager Ben Strevens commended fellow Vanarama National League manager Neal Ardley ahead of this weekend's clash between the two. 

Dagenham & Redbridge will visit the LNER Community Stadium on Saturday, February 17 (3pm) after cruising to a dominant 7-1 victory over Oxford City last weekend, with the visitors sitting comfortably in 12th position. 

York City themselves will be desperate for three points after a frustrating 1-0 defeat to Dorking Wanderers in midweek, with Daggers boss Strevens expecting City to bounce back after doing his homework on Ardley's side, who he was very complimentary of.

“They’ve got all sorts of threats, they’ve got a really good manager for the level, his Notts County was excellent and his Solihull Moors team was excellent," Strevens told the Dagenham & Redbridge media team.

"First and foremost, I think that their coaching staff that is in place now is top for this level.

"They’ve had a changeover with the players coming into the group from the start of the season because of that, with him taking over, but they have good players all over the pitch.

"I know Callum Howe from being with him at Eastleigh and he’s an excellent centre-halve for this level, really good in both boxes.

"He wins his aerial duels, they have midfielders that can handle the football and they have threats with whoever is playing in the attacking third, whether if that is Dipo, John-Lewis or Davies.

"They played with three the other day and have threats in that final third, but we’ve done our work on them and saw how they played at Southend to get a 1-0 victory.

"We were lucky to be able to watch their game on Tuesday night against Dorking, it was a very close game and there wasn’t much in the game.

"If anything, they had the better opportunities before they went behind.

"It will  be tough, they will be looking to bounce back after losing in midweek and we want to go up there and get three points as well.

"It will be a really tough game, but one that we’re looking forward to."

Dagenham will be on a high after their comfortable 7-1 victory over Oxford last weekend, but were dealt with a blow after top goalscorer Inih Effiong suffered a knock that will keep the Daggers striker sidelined for the next few weeks.

“It was a good day on Saturday for everyone at the football club, the players really performed and there was a good atmosphere around the place before the game and after the game.

"It’s what we’ve been searching for all season, that feeling around the ground.

"The boys have been bright this week but we’re not getting carried away, we’ll be ready for a tough game at the weekend.

“He went down, he’s been robust as anything and he trains all the time, so we knew it wasn’t good.

"The news isn’t good, he’ll definitely be out for this weekend’s game and he’ll be out for a good few weeks yet.

"For the foreseeable we will be without Inih."