A Brett McGavin goal saw Yeovil Town get away from Dagenham & Redbridge with a point from a thoroughly forgettable encounter.

The Glovers had fallen behind to a fifth minute goal from the hosts’ Josh Rees before they were awarded a penalty – their first of the season when Kyrell Wilson was fouled inside the box after 39 minutes. McGavin’s initial effort was as saved by Nathan Harvey before the midfielder turned home the rebound.

Dave was one of the 311 in the away end at Victoria Road and here is how he saw it.

First half

Manager Mark Cooper gave a debut to recently arrived goalkeeper Aidan Stone following the departure of loanee Ollie Wright and brought James Plant straight in to the starting line-up after his return on a loan deal until the end of the season.
Stone’s first real action was to pick the ball out of his own net after five minutes. A long throw from the left was flicked on and dropped to Josh REES placed a superb finish past the keeper.
 
From there it was the home side which had the advantage with Hill heading a cross with wide before Dagenham had the ball in the net from Loupalo-Bi with the Yeovil defensive ineptitude only saved by the offside flag.
 
 
We look every inch a side that has not played for two weeks and were fielding another unfamiliar starting XI, meanwhile Dagenham seemed to sense blood and pushed forward at every opportunity. 
 
Yeovil’s first opportunity fell to Kyrell Wilson who shot was blocked by the legs of Dagenham keeper Nathan Harvey after 15 minutes, before Brett McGavin’s low free-kick ten minutes later forced the keeper in to action again.
But every time Dagenham pressed forward they found Yeovil in generous mood with Loupalo-Bi forcing Stone to tip one over the bar on 34 minutes and testing the keeper again four minutes later.
 
Then on 39 minutes the unthinkable happened when we were awarded a penalty after Nouble found Wilson inside the area and the Swansea loanee was felled. Our first spot kick of the season and Brett McGavin stepped up. Dead ball specialist, what could go wrong? Harvey saved the spot kick, but McGAVIN was there to turn home the rebound.
 
 
Even with the defence which won last season’s title we look all over the place whenever Dagenham attack, whereas the frontline looks at best disjointed. But, we’re level at the break and let’s been grateful for that.
 

Half time: Dagenham & Redbridge 1 Yeovil Town 1

Second half

The second half almost repeated the first when a free-kick in to the box from Dagenham was met by Tom Eastman whose header seemed to go in slow motion but Stone was level to it.
 
There was a distinct lack of Charlie Cooper in the Yeovil midfield which Mark Cooper tried to rectify with the arrival of Finn Cousin-Dawson in a central defensive midfield position, replacing Jacob Maddox after 55 minutes.
 
Wilson was probably the brightest part of the Yeovil attack and when he jinked in to the box after a hour but his shot was blocked.
 
On the 73 minutes, Dagenham came within inches of restoring their advantage when Shiloh Remy dribbled at the Yeovil defence and slammed a shot against the post and then on 77 minutes it was only a brilliant block on the line by Morgan Williams that denied substitute Khaleel.
 
 
Ciaran McGuckin and Sean McGurk were both introduced towards the end, but this was a match which seemed destined to finish even. Both sides coming in to it in such poor form, it was like neither side wanted to lose it or had enough to win it.
 
When Dagenham got a free-kick in dangerous position with two minutes of the four added on in the second half played, there was a sense of trepidation in the away end. There need not have been, it went high, wide and not very handsome. The universe wanted it to end level and so it did.

Full time: Dagenham & Redbridge 1 Yeovil Town 1

Match Details

Venue: Victoria Road 
Date: Saturday 8th February, 3pm

Competition: National League Premier Division

Scorers: Josh Rees 5 (0-1), Brett McGavin 39 (1-1)

Pitch: Not bad for this stage of the season.
Conditions: Cold and a bit damp.

Attendance: 1,703 (311 away supporters)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Brett McGavin 14, Morgan Williams 54, Finn Cousin-Dawson 64, Jake Wannell 90+4.
Dagenham & Redbridge: Trent Rendall 25, Josh Umerah 54.

Referee: James Bancroft

Yeovil Town (3-4-2-1)

Substitutes: Finn Cousin-Dawson (for Jacob Maddox, 54), Ciaran McGuckin (for James Plant, 75), Sean McGurk (for Kofi Shaw, 83), Dom Bernard (not used), Josh Sims (not used), Lewys Twamley (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

Dagenham & Redbridge: Nathan Harvey, Trent Rendall, Tom Eastman, Paul Kalambiya, Reagan Clayton (for Rafiq Khaleel, 75), Shiloh Remy, Jake Hessenthaler, Josh Rees, Ryan Hills, Josh  Umerah (for Reece Grego-Cox, 83), Aaron Loupalo-Bi (for Oscar Rutherford, 75).

Substitutes (not used):  Louis Jones, Chris Jones, Kayden Harrack, Christian N’Guessan.

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