In a tightly contested clash at The Laithwaite Community Stadium, Woking secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Dagenham and Redbridge in the English National League. The match, attended by 2103 spectators on a day that would ultimately belong to the home side, saw the decisive moment arrive in the 80th minute. This win marked Woking’s third victory in their last four head-to-head encounters against Dagenham and Redbridge.
The first half of the match passed without major incidents, with both teams displaying cautious tactics. However, the referee, Ryan Atkin, had to intervene in the 41st minute to issue a yellow card to Trent Mahorn of Dagenham and Redbridge for a foul. This caution set the tone for a physical encounter, with both teams committed to not conceding ground. Historically, matches between these two teams have been closely contested.
As the match progressed into the second half, Dagenham and Redbridge’s Junior Morias received a yellow card in the 62nd minute for another foul, indicating the growing intensity and competitiveness of the game. Despite these bookings, neither team managed to break the deadlock until the introduction of Charley Kendall for Woking in the 69th minute proved pivotal. Kendall brought a fresh attacking impetus to the home side.
The substitution paid off when, in the 80th minute, Charley Kendall scored the only goal of the game, securing a crucial 1-0 win for Woking. Following Kendall’s goal, both teams made additional substitutions in an attempt to influence the outcome. Dagenham and Redbridge made a couple of changes, while Woking also made further adjustments.
These late changes, however, did not alter the scoreline, as Woking held on to their slender lead to claim all three points. The victory marked a welcome change in fortunes for the home team, who had been on a two-match losing streak and had failed to score in their previous two games. For Dagenham and Redbridge, the loss ended their unbeaten run of two games.
The win sees Woking move up the standings, while Dagenham and Redbridge will look to regroup and bounce back from this defeat. Given their head-to-head record, with Woking having won three of their last four encounters against Dagenham and Redbridge, the home fans celebrated a vital victory on the day.