GREAT MATCHES - DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE 2004-5

BARNET 5-0 DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE

GM Vauxhall Conference - 9^th October 2004

Attendance : 1,894

After that fine 5-0 win at Chester I was reminded of the last time we ran up a 5-0 Hawaii? It was in front of Sky TV customers too!

Is it really the best part of 10 years ago that this game was played?

Although the clubs met way back in 1972 in The London Challenge Cup, The Daggers were in a previous life known simply as Dagenham, and it is only relatively recently in 1981 that they have gone head to head on a regular basis. In the 1980's non league days Barnet usually had the upper hand but then we did have some very good sides challenging for the Conference title.

The best thing to come out of Dagenham (apart from the A13) as far as Barnet is concerned is a player by the name of Edwin Stein. Ed joined Barry Fry's army in 1981 and became his lieutenant for many years playing in over 500 games for the club and as captain lifted the GM Vauxhall Conference Trophy in 1991. 

A very young Edwin Stein

The above picture of Ed proves my much ridiculed story that until he arrived the netting behind the North terrace at Underhill was much lower. He allegedly fired dozens of crosses, shots and corners into the gardens of Westcombe Drive and eventually the club had lost so may balls they lashed out on some new fencing. Even to this day if a Barnet player miscues, the crowd still chant Oh Eddie Eddie, Eddie Stein - and most of the voices are too young to truly understand why they do it!

A cherished memory of a Barnet v Dagenham game was way back in 1985 and a 3-3 draw in the FA Trophy in arctic conditions. The Bees feared front man Steve Ragan took a lot of backchat from Daggers fans that day, not so politely suggesting that he was in their opinion clumsy, overweight and couldn't run. He crashed in what can only be described as a magnificent goal (he only scored 'magnificent' or 'can't possibly miss' goals did Rags) and ran straight up to the bunch of verbal Daggers fans picked up a big handful of snow and threw it at them! It hit one guy straight on the nose.

Magnificent Steve Ragan scores at Victoria Road in 1985

But I digress - that's unusual...................A decade later with the Bees back in non league re-born Dagenham & Redbridge secured three very comfortable consecutive wins by 5-1, 5-2 and 4-2. Revenge came in October 2004 when a cavalier Barnet side marshaled by Paul Fairclough, who were to win the conference by a country mile, went Hawaii Five-0 in front of the Sky TV Cameras.

Paul Fairclough 2004

Returning to Underhill, Daggers Manager John Still lined up four players with past and future connections with Barnet – defenders Lee Flynn and Anwar Uddin plus midfielder Glen Southam and striker Tony Boot. Barnet started the afternoon without leading goalscorer Giuliano Grazioli who had flu, and on the back of a brilliant 3-0 victory in midweek at Exeter City. Barnet actually racked up 17 goals in just five league games during the month.

This game was all but over as a contest after just six minutes as Captain Ian Hendon powered down the the right and opened the scoring with a miss hit shot that evaded Tony Roberts. Ben Strevens then grabbed his first goal of the season with a perfectly placed header thanks to a beautifully flighted cross from Richard Graham. Liam Hatch wasted a glorious chance by blasting wide shortly afterwards latching onto a Nicky Bailey through ball but was unlucky to pick up a painful arm injury which left him sidelined for 3 weeks. Hatch was substituted by Lee Roache.

At half time Damian Batt replaced Ismail Yakubu but it wasn't a day for defenders as Graham and Bailey ran the show from the Bees midfield. Hendon's long ball set up Roache who joyfully slotted the ball home for 3-0. Enter Nicky Bailey for the fourth goal. Picking the ball up 35 yards out Bailey moved quickly forward and curled a wonderful shot past the despairing Roberts into the top corner – an exquisite finish that was shown over and over again for Sky viewers to drool over! His effort was voted Goal of the Season by Supporters.

Nicky Bailey

Dean Sinclair burst into the box and was tripped by Flynn allowing Capt. Hendo to thrash the ball home for number five. The theme music from the 1970's TV Show Hawaii Five-0 then echoed around the ground from the terraces and stands accompanied by the actions of propelling an Outrigger Canoe – because supporters have to take their chances when given them too!

The resounding result put Barnet 3 points clear of Carlisle United at the top of the table and these two were to meet the following week in Cumbria in front of nearly 10,000.

Dagenham & Redbridge

Roberts – Foster - Cole – Vickers – Flynn – Uddin – Janney – Southam – Bruce – Moore – Mackail-Smith. Subs Leberi – Blackett – Boot – Bussey – Hill.

Barnet

Scott Tynan – Ian Hendon – Ismail Yakubu – Simon King – Simon Clist – Nicky Bailey – Dean Sinclair – Dwane Lee – Ben Strevens – Richard Graham – Liam Hatch. Subs Lee Roache – Damian Batt – Danny Maddix – Guy Lopez – Ricky Millard.