72

The Post, Wednesday July 31, 2013

Six action-packed pages of all the best local sports news and pictures

Sport

Post

Latest cricket news on page 68

Burnetts banking on surprise factor

Daggers boss Wayne Burnett hopes his side can pull off a few surprises as the League Two season begins on Saturday, writes Colin Munford. The Victoria Road chief knows his side will be up against it as they prepare to face Fleetwood on Saturday, but says they can push any side on their day. The last three years havent been great for this club, said Burnett. Being relegated from League One and two finishes in the bottom four show you that. Im under no illusion it will be tough but we can surprise a few teams along the way. Hopefully we can be in the higher echelons, with the season not coming down to the final day like last term. Daggers visit Brentford, beaten in the League One play-off final last season, in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday and Burnett added: They went close last year and we are going there as obvious underdogs, but we shouldnt fear anyone. Players should relish these games. As the Post went to print yesterday (Tuesday), talks with Daggers target Zavon Hines were ongoing, as Coventry opted against offering the former West Ham player a contract.

Howell backs Daggers to silence the doubters

Daggers news

by Colin Munford

colin.munford@archant.co.uk

Daggers midfielder Luke Howell believes the club can prove their critics wrong as they begin the new League Two season with the long trip to big-spending rivals Fleetwood Town on Saturday. Wayne Burnetts Daggers are favourites for the drop, alongside Accrington Stanley, but the 26-year-old Howell believes they can certainly prove all their doubters wrong. We have been told that we are the favourites to go down and that is an incentive to prove everyone wrong, said Howell.

Believe
Thats not a bad thing for us. Expectations are off, we believe in ourselves and so does the gaffer and thats all you need really. If we do what we know we can do we know well be nowhere near the bottom. Pre-season has seen a mixed bag of results for the Daggers, but Howell insists it has gone well despite the visible differences in style of play put in place by manager Burnett. Its been different, said Howell. Its been tough with a lot of double sessions, but a lot of work on what we are doing this year, because obviously its going to be a bit different from the way we used to play. But its gone well and weve played reasonably

n Daggers midfielder Luke Howell wants to silence critics

Defender Brian Saah is pleased to be back home, with healthy competition for his place at Dagenham & Redbridge. Saah signed a deal until summer 2015 after moving back to London following a two-year spell at Torquay. And he is pleased to be back closer to his roots as he prepares for his maiden season at Victoria Road. Getting back to London was a big push for me. Im a local boy, I come from Rush Green, he said. Dagenham is my local club and is an area where Ive grown up and its good to be home.

Saah is so happy to be back home

Saah, 26, may start at Fleetwood due to Luke Wilkinsons injury although the Dagger of the Year is back in training but knows he faces a stiff test to keep hold of a place in the first XI. Its competition, but its healthy competition at the end of the day, he added. I wouldnt want to come to a team where there wasnt any competition. With competition you are able to push yourself. Thats only going to bode well for all of us and who does well will stay in the team.

Pic: Dave Simpson/TGSPHOTO

well in the games, so we are looking forward to the start of the season and learning from our mistakes. There were plenty of mistakes on show in Saturdays disappointing 3-0 defeat at former boss John Stills Luton Town. But Howell would rather the Daggers get mistakes out of the way in pre-season. It was disappointing but if you saw the game I thought we dominated the first half, from letting a silly goal in three minutes into the game, and those are the mistakes we are looking to learn from, he said. Weve gone through the goals and it was disappointing, but Id rather it happen now than on Saturday. Fleetwood represents one of the toughest tests of the season, with the Cod Army installed as second favourites to win promotion. And Graham Alexanders side will be overwhelming favourites to win the season opener, but Howell believes the Daggers can go into the game and prove they are no walkovers. Theyve brought in eight or nine players and good players at that, he added. Its going to be a tough game. They were mid-table last year so they werent a bad side and theyve added. But its the first game of the season and you dont really know, its a complete lottery. We are going up there thinking we can win the game and thats what well be trying to do.

Barking boss looking for big finish in derby

Barking end their pre-season programme with a prestigious local derby against a Dagenham & Redbridge XI in the Ron Murrant Memorial Trophy on Saturday, writes Oliver Harbord. Blues earned a share of the Peter Webster Trophy with Tilbury last weekend, following an exciting 4-4 draw, and were due to entertain Ryman One North side Romford last night (Tuesday). They play host to League Two Daggers as they try to wrap up their warm-up campaign in style and Blues boss Mick OShea realises it will be another important step in their preparations for the new Essex Senior League season. He said: We have prepared as best as we can. Currently we are just fine-tuning to the beginning of the season. Dagenham & Redbridge will obviously be a tough, physical game and will be important for the young players to play a Football League side. The clubs last played each other back in 2006 and Blues will be out for revenge having lost 2-1 on that day. More Barking news on page 69.

n Barkings Scott Dennis (left) with the Peter Webster Trophy Pic: Terry Gilbert

Published in Ilford by Archant Community Media Ltd (Co Reg No 19300), Registered Office: Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE and printed by St Clements Press (1988) Ltd (Co Reg No 2174119), Unit 3, International Business Park, Rick Roberts Way, Stratford, London, E15 2NF