So, it all comes down to this. A season of blood, sweat and tears draws towards its climax with the Shrews desperately needing two points to secure promotion. Given our record in recent years, I would fully expect us to lose at Wimbledon if we were to draw on Saturday with both Torquay and Crawley winning 7-1, so a win is imperative. We simply have to go up, but Saturday's game won't be easy. A bumper crowd will roar on the players, and the confidence and composure which I have alluded to in previous articles will be there with the players. However, the Daggers have enjoyed a good run. Earlier in the season when we played them, we won 2-0 despite going down to ten men for the most of the game and were never really troubled. Since then, they have lifted themselves out of the quagmire and made sure of another season of League Two football in all its glory. There are, then, clearly some strengths of Dagenham. They haven't lost in 8 matches, and took a good point off Crawley, which mathematically secured survival. However, there are weaknesses too. They have the third lowest goal difference in the league; lower than both the bottom two. Ultimately, we should win. However, the end of the season does its thing and ensures games become a very different proposition, for example Hereford didn't lose the other day. What we need is for players to step up to the mark, and have their names go down as the men who got Shrewsbury Town promoted. COYB! Dagenham and Redbridge: Recent League Form: WWDWDD Top Scorers: Woodall (10); Nurse (8); Doe (6) Last Meeting: Dagenham 0-2 Shrewsbury (Gornell; Collins [pen]) League Position: 19[SUP]th[/SUP]; 47 points from 44 games; GD -25 Away Record: W5, D5, L12, F19, A36 Town League Position:2[SUP]nd[/SUP]; 85 points from 44 games; GD 26 Recent League Form: DWWWWD Home Record: W17, D5, L0, F36, A12 Lenny's SUPER Fact: Town haven't had a goalless draw since boxing day, against Cheltenham. Lenny's GRANDISON Fact: Grandison eats milk and drinks cows. Lenny's Prediction: Shrewsbury 2-1 Dagenham (Collins, Grandison) Attendance 9,412
And to think some on other boards were crying out for Turner to be sacked at christmas. Nice match thread Lenny
The biggest game for the club in a decade. Yes Dagenham are on a good run but we have a better side and are at home. I am not sure that Torquay will beat Crewe as Crewe are in much better form at the moment. Even if they do I think a draw for us will be enough as Torquay (masters of the 1-0 win) are not going to turn around a 10 goal deficit in two matches. Anyway that will all be irrelevant because we are going to sign off one of the best home seasons ever by winning 2-0 (Gornell and Wright scoring) in front of a packed Greenhous Meadow and there wont be a dry eye in the house. Floreat Salopia! Our day has come and it is on Saturday!
another great pre match thread lenny which i hope will run and run for 6 days. i tried to give your accies thread 5 stars and this one. each time i do it the quirky not 606 logs me out. any one else had the problem or is it the usual pissed old fart baffled by new technology syndrome who should play? i believe the team should remain unchanged even if some are a bit leggy. they have made the unbeaten running and deserve their place. collins will come good on saturday and el tel gornel is already ticking boxes at last. so unchanged but we need our ever youthful uncle graham to make early changes if it goes tits up or pearshaped. i hope it wont and an attendene of 9007 will witness a tired legs goal fest of shrews 7 daggers 1. anything the gas can do so will shrews. wroe wright collins 2 gornell 2 sharps. it is all academic as crewe will beat gulls to take their rightful place possibly in place of massively disapointing chelt. fs, coys, bots, aab and ctrab!
just to add to lennys facts, daggers last 5 results make interesting reading daggers d h crawley 1-1, d a shots 1-1, w a gills 2-1, d h burton 1-1 w a vale 1-0. now that daggers are safe i suspect they will roll over and have thir tummies tickled or not as the mood takes them, slightly worried about the gills result but rotties beat daggers 4-0. now then are shrews going up as champions, i supect not, it is rumoured that rowland has asked ethel cuttlebunt, shrews chah lady to dust down the silverware cabinet, remove rowlands fishing tackle, and old bottletops. even gt's secret supply of irnbru is being turfed out. i am trying to remember the last occasion town had some genuine silverware, surely we have had something since the late arthur rowley's thermos flask. so copious amounts of chairmans lithuanian sparkling port await opening hopefully at 16.55 on saturday. special notice to daggers. party poopers not welcome so roll over! floreat salopia
Shrews 2 Daggers 0 (Collins & Scs) attendace 8,156 lots of balloons , strangers hugging strangers, and finally town getting a mention on Central news!!! can I change my attendace to 9,734 please!
rowland and the board are absolutely delighted with this news and are already planning for 1 corner to be filled in as funds allow. there was nearly a major scare when rowland lost his magnetic combination lock wallet in the vicinity of the loggerheads club last night. thankfully the satellite signal clicked in enabling our illustrious chairman to recover his wallet and to buy himself a small j2o in the club. our plucky chairman is about to stay trim on wednesday by climbing the west face of cleehill. good luck rowland, shame about the weather, floreat salopia
North Stand opened up for home supporters now, this should be The Meadows biggest crowd. Roar them on Salop!
I seemed to have underestimated the glory hunters! will be a sell out and probably quite intimidating for Dag n Red! hopefully we get the result needed and they can join in the party with us (their staying up party!!)
Will be great to get a home crowd above 9,000. Didn't we fall just short of that for the Oxford & Torquay games a year ago as I think there were quite a lot of empty seats in the away end? Won't have that problem this time so I'm glad we're playing a team with a small away following.
I believe so, but I could well be wrong. The bloke who told me is quite knowledgeable and has been proven right on aspects of the club many times before, though.
earlier i joked that rowland would be authorising one of the corners of the stadium would be filled in.. well this may prove true, especially as bigger clubs like portsmouth coventry etc may want to bring 3 or 4k fans along. hopefully town will establish themselves in L1 and increased attendances may see our capacity increased to say 12k, tax or no tax. am i being optomistic or far sighted