Strevens: Dagenham & Redbridge punishes for mistakes again

The hosts saw chances created for Inih Effiong, Myles Weston and Sydney Ibie before the break as they looked to bounce back from midweek defeat at Gateshead.

And they were made to pay after the restart, after Ibie limped off, as Jason Prior put the visitors in front.

Substitute Ottaway added a late second to seal the points for Dorking and Strevens told the club website: “It’s contrasting halves. First half we were very much on the front foot, had a couple of really good chances to take the lead, didn’t take them.

“Then ultimately we get punished with a long throw coming into our box, the second ball dropping down and to be fair the boy Prior finished it well left-footed into the far corner.

“But I think the momentum had swung in the 5-10 minutes just before that, from where we were very much on the front foot and looking very positive to looking a little bit lacklustre and the goal you concede puts you up against it.”

Strevens sent Daggers out in a 4-3-3 formation in a bid to take the game to their opponents, but was disappointed by the manner of the goals they conceded as they dropped to 12th in the National League table.

And he wants repetitive mistakes ironed out of their play, adding: “Looking at the [Gateshead] game the other night and not being able to get any pressure on the ball high up makes you sink in defensively and I don’t want to do that.

“I want to be right on the front foot, aggressive and get after teams.

“Westy [Myles Weston] came back and was in good shape from being on international duty, big Syd had been making a real good impact in training and games and just thought having them up there in and around Inih would give us some energy in that final third.

“So then it was a change around, with Longe-King coming into defensive midfield, allowing Robbo [Matt Robinson] and Sags [Mo Sagaf] to still get forward as well.

“First half they did it very well, second half clearly the game changed. Goals change the momentum of the game. Big Syd going off as well changed a little bit of momentum, which was strange.

“The two goals we’ve conceded. Me coming in here, one of the things I spoke about was not conceding from set-plays and I think that’s five either from corners or long throws.

“It’s been spoke about but it’s not being stopped.”