Source: Northern_Echo
Dagenham 2 Darlington 0
Dagenham 2 Darlington 0 Steve Staunton's tenure as Darlington began with a deserved defeat as Quakers were comprehensively out-played by promotion-chasing Dagenham & Redbridge.
The scoreline was 2-0 but it could easily have been more as the hosts spurned plenty of chances throughout a game that the hosts dominated.
Bottom-of-the-table Darlington rarely ventured into the home side's penalty area during a defeat that leaves Quakers bottom of the table without a win in any of their first 12 league games.
But Quakers did not look like ending their barren run from the moment Dagenham scored two first half goals.
Staunton handed debuts to Moses Barnett and Noel Whelan but Whelan failed to reach half-time due to injury on another miserable day for Darlington.
Left-back Barnett was selected after joining yesterday on loan from Everton after Liverpool's Robbie Threfall backed out of a similar move when he changed his mind yesterday.
Goalkeeper Russell Hoult and loan midfielder Jamie Chandler also returned but two Dagenham goals in the space of two first half minutes killed the game off, though both were sloppily conceded from Quakers' point of view.
The first came from Danny Green on 17 minutes, though Darlington contributed to their own downfall.
Keeper Russell Hoult threw the ball out in the direction of Jeff Smith, but it did not reach him as Quakers' left-winger hesitated to allow in Green who played a one-two with Paul Benson and ran at Darlington's defence before unleashing a low shot that flew past Hoult.
It was a soft goal to concede, but within 60 seconds it was 2-0 thanks to striker Josh Scott. He cut in from the right and with the Quakers defence back-peddling he was allowed room to run at Darlington and score in similar fashion to Green.
Both goals came directly in front of the 210 Darlington supporters who were housed in a brand new all-seated stand being used for the first time.
But that will have been no consolation to the travelling support who saw their team disintegrate after the quick-fire double stunned which handed the hosts the initiative.
They began to drive forward with purpose and, far from being content to sit on their lead, they went in search of a third.
It might have come too had Steve Foster not made a superbly interception just as Benson was about to receive the ball close to goal.
Hoult caught a Peter Gain volley and Scott headed over before Darlington were dealt another blow with Whelan limping off after just 35 minutes with what appeared to be a muscle strain.
Before half-time Quakers did well to keep the score at 2-0 as they failed to reach the home side's penalty area while the Daggers peppered Hoult's goal.
The keeper made an eye-catching save when he dived to his right to deny Scott before Will Antwi flicked a header narrowly wide from a free-kick.
The second half began as the first had ended with Dagenham dominant, Benson hitting the crossbar with a 25-yard curling effort.
Ten minutes into the second half came the closest Darlington had come to a goal so far when Dan Groves headed wide.
Right-back Paul Arnison swung a ball into the penalty are where Darlington-born Groves headed wide of the far post, and soon after the midfielder was replaced with Staunton making his first tactical substitution.
On came Mark Convery to play on the right of midfield which is where Chandler had started, but on 65 minutes the loan midfielder gave possession away on the edge of Quakers' penalty area from where Tommy-Tejan-Sie had a shot saved by Hoult.
Hoult had to be alert soon after too, as he raced off his line to block a Griffiths effort after the Dagenham winger had carried the ball forward.
Quakers appeared flat and the arrival of Jamie Devitt from the bench on 72 minutes was long overdue.
The on loan Hull winger had been a surprise omission from the starting line-up, but it was Dagenham's Peter Gain who had the next effort, driving a powerful low shot that Hoult did well to save.
On 78 minutes Darlington's keeper continued his one-man mission to keep the score down by divig full-length to his left to again deny Gain.
A late burst saw Darlington play some football in opposition territory for the first time in the match, and they even won their first corner of the day in the 80th minute.
Ironic cheers from the home fans greeted it, Convery took it, Mark Arber headed behind for another set-piece and this time a short-corner routine with Devitt completely wasted the opportunity.
The home side created Darlington's best chance of the day. A weak Gain pass back to his keeper was seized upon by Gall but Tony Roberts was quick off his line to stop the striker from pulling a goal back.
Goals: Green (17, 1-0), Scott (18, 2-0)
Bookings: Griffiths (13, foul); Arnison (34, foul)
Referee: Darren Deadman
Attendance: 1,981
Dagenham (4-4-2): Roberts; Ogogo, Antwi, Arber, Griffiths; Green, Thurgood, Spiller (Tejan-Sie 44), Gain; Benson, Scott (Thomas 77). Subs (not used): Lewington (gk), Doe, Nurse, Montgomery, Bingham
Darlington (4-4-2): Hoult; Arnison, Foster, Miller, Barnett; Groves (Convery 57), Chandler, G Smith, J Smith (Devitt 72); Gall, Whelan (Main 35). Subs (not used): Knight (gk), Plummer, Bennett, Barnes
