Dagenham and Redbridge 3-2 Rotherham
By Paul Fletcher
BBC Sport at Wembley
Dagenham & Redbridge defeated Rotherham in a pulsating League Two play-off final to reach the third tier of English football for the first time.
Three times the Daggers took the lead during an exciting contest in which both teams played with intent and endeavour as the curtain came down on the domestic season.
John Still's side led for less than a minute after Paul Benson's precise opener before Ryan Taylor equalised with a near-post header.
Danny Green's low strike restored the Daggers advantage after the break but Taylor, who had not scored all season, struck his second shortly afterwards after he was left unmarked 14 yards from goal.
Barbados international Jon Nurse struck the winner with a deflected strike after 69 minutes as the Essex club continued their amazing climb through the football pyramid.
The club was only formed in 1992 after a series of mergers and reached the Football League in 2007 after promotion from the Conference.
 | PAUL FLETCHER'S BLOG The Daggers' victory proved you don't need a flash stadium or deep pockets to succeed in the modern game Paul Fletcher |
The Daggers lost several key players last summer but Still, who has an excellent knowledge of the non-league scene, rebuilt his side with a series of free transfers and shrewd loan moves and has now reaped handsome rewards for his hard work.
Assembled on a shoestring budget and averaging just 2,088 fans during the 2009-10 campaign, the Daggers can now look forward to matches against the likes of Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton.
The final started at a blistering pace and soon became stretched on Wembley's famous wide-open spaces.
The Daggers had the better of the opening minutes and Andy Warrington was soon called into action, saving a low Green strike from an acute angle.
But the Millers, who finished one point and two places above their opponents in the League Two table, crafted a quick-fire quartet of chances.
Pablo Mills headed wide from a corner before Taylor had three attempts in as many minutes. He narrowly missed with a deft glance and a near post effort, while a third header was saved by Tony Roberts.
The Essex club responded, forcing Warrington to make two excellent saves.
The Millers keeper reacted superbly to stop Romain Vincelot's audacious bicycle kick after the makeshift midfielder connected sweetly with a cross from the right.
He then dived low to his left to keep out a well-struck Green free-kick, but Warrington could not prevent Benson from opening the scoring with a curling strike into the bottom corner.
The Daggers top scorer notched his 22nd of the campaign after Rotherham gifted him far too much space to control Damien McCrory's low cross before shooting on the turn.
Rotherham immediately responded, Taylor timing his near post run to perfection, nipping in between two static defenders to head Kevin Ellison's cross beyond Roberts for his first goal since April 2009.
The Millers, who had not lost in their six previous meetings with their opponents, might even have led at the break but Ellison had two efforts blocked and Danny Harrison another. Ellison felt Mark Arber should have been penalised for handball with one of his efforts but referee James Linington was not interested.
Green restored the Daggers' advantage 11 minutes after the restart with a low angled strike that eluded Warrington's dive.
Rotherham should have almost immediately equalised for the second time but Danny Harrison somehow shot over from inside the six-yard box.
It was a head-on-hands moment for boss Ronnie Moore but his team did level again as Taylor collected a pull-back in plenty of space before drilling a low strike beyond Roberts.
An increasingly absorbing, end-to-end encounter saw the Daggers take the lead for a third and final time when the ball dropped invitingly to Nurse after Rotherham failed to clear a corner and his deflected strike came off Ellison and eluded Warrington.
Millers boss Moore was hoping that the first season of his second spell as boss would end in the club's first promotion since he took them into the second tier back in 2001.
And there might have been another equaliser for his team but Nick Fenton headed wide deep into injury time as the Daggers held on for a famous victory.
Live text and stats
Sunday, 30 May 2010
League Two
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dag & Red | 3-2 | Rotherham | FT |
| (HT 1-1) | |||
|
| ||
Dag & Red
- 01Roberts
- 04Doe
- 06Arber
- 20Vindelot yellow card
- 03McCrory
- 07Green yellow card
- 19Ogogo
- 33Gain
- 09Nurse (Montgomery 72)
- 10Scott (Walsh 83)
- 14Benson
Substitutes
- 30Lewington,
- 15Uddin,
- 26Tejan-Sie,
- 17Currie,
- 22Montgomery,
- 24Bingham,
- 31Walsh
Rotherham
- 01Warrington
- 05Sharps yellow card
- 06Fenton
- 14Lynch
- 19Gunning
- 25Mills (Marshall 77)
- 04Harrison
- 10Law
- 15Ellison (Bell-Baggie 86)
- 20Taylor yellow card
- 39Le Fondre yellow card
Substitutes
- 30Annerson,
- 03Green,
- 16Warne,
- 23Walker,
- 21Marshall,
- 22Broughton,
- 27Bell-Baggie
Ref:LiningtonAtt:32,054
DAG & RED
ROTHERHAM
Possession
- Dag & Red 48%
- Rotherham 52%
Attempts on target
- Dag & Red 8
- Rotherham 6
Attempts off target
- Dag & Red 3
- Rotherham 6
Corners
- Dag & Red 7
- Rotherham 5
Fouls
- Dag & Red 15
- Rotherham 8
- Final Result
- Full Time
- 90:00+4:31 The match has reached full-time.
- 90:00+3:56 Marcus Marshall decides to take a short corner.
- 90:00+2:12 Paul Benson is ruled offside. Free kick taken by Nick Fenton.
- Correction - 90:00+0:20 Paul Benson concedes a free kick for a foul on Gavin Gunning. Mark Lynch restarts play with the free kick.
- 90:00+0:20 Free kick awarded for a foul by Paul Benson on Gavin Gunning. Andy Warrington takes the direct free kick.
- 89:40 The assistant referee signals for offside against Adam Le Fondre. Tony Roberts restarts play with the free kick.
- 88:35 Free kick awarded for a foul by Danny Green on Danny Harrison. Direct free kick taken by Andy Warrington.
- 87:12 The official flags Ian Sharps offside. Tony Roberts takes the indirect free kick.
- 86:38 Direct free kick taken by Nicky Law.
- 86:38 Booking Romain Vincelot is given a yellow card.
- 86:26 Romain Vincelot challenges Gavin Gunning unfairly and gives away a free kick.
- 85:01 Substitution Abdulai Bell-Baggie comes on in place of Kevin Ellison.
- 84:41 Effort on goal by Paul Benson from inside the penalty box misses to the right of the target.
- 83:39 Nick Fenton challenges Phil Walsh unfairly and gives away a free kick. Mark Arber takes the direct free kick.
- 82:51 Substitution Josh Scott leaves the field to be replaced by Phil Walsh.
- 82:38 Headed effort from deep inside the penalty area by Marcus Marshall misses to the left of the goal.
- 80:51 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Marcus Marshall by Graeme Montgomery. Direct free kick taken by Nick Fenton.
- 80:06 The referee blows for offside. Nicky Law restarts play with the free kick.
- 79:19 Ian Sharps gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Danny Green. Direct free kick taken by Mark Arber.
- 78:46 Inswinging corner taken by Nicky Law, clearance made by Scott Doe.
- 77:41 Romain Vincelot gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Adam Le Fondre. Gavin Gunning restarts play with the free kick.
- 76:58 Inswinging corner taken by Danny Green, save by Andy Warrington.
- 76:06 Substitution Marcus Marshall replaces Pablo Mills.
- 75:31 Corner taken right-footed by Danny Green, Mark Lynch manages to make a clearance.
- 74:30 Corner taken right-footed by Danny Green, Ian Sharps makes a clearance.
- 73:20 Outswinging corner taken right-footed by Danny Green played to the near post, clearance made by Kevin Ellison.
- 71:32 Substitution Graeme Montgomery joins the action as a substitute, replacing Jon Nurse.
- 69:20 GOAL - Jon Nurse:Dag & Red 3 - 2 Rotherham A goal is scored by Jon Nurse from inside the penalty box to the bottom right corner of the goal. Dag & Red 3-2 Rotherham.
- 68:35 Corner taken by Danny Green.
- 67:56 Effort on goal by Mark Lynch from inside the penalty box misses to the right of the target.
- 65:54 Outswinging corner taken by Danny Green, Mark Arber takes a shot. Andy Warrington makes a save.
- 65:09 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Josh Scott by Nick Fenton. Danny Green takes the direct free kick.
- 61:17 Booking Ryan Taylor receives a caution.
- 60:45 Assist by Nicky Law.
- 60:45 GOAL - Ryan Taylor:Dag & Red 2 - 2 Rotherham Ryan Taylor finds the back of the net with a goal from inside the penalty box to the bottom right corner of the goal. Dag & Red 2-2 Rotherham.
- 59:35 Effort on goal by Danny Harrison from inside the penalty area goes harmlessly over the bar.
- 57:42 Abu Ogogo takes a shot. Save by Andy Warrington.
- 56:38 Free kick taken by Pablo Mills.
- 56:38 Booking Danny Green booked for unsporting behaviour.
- 56:23 Unfair challenge on Danny Harrison by Danny Green results in a free kick.
- 55:26 GOAL - Danny Green:Dag & Red 2 - 1 Rotherham Danny Green finds the net with a goal from the edge of the penalty box to the bottom left corner of the goal. Dag & Red 2-1 Rotherham.
- 53:08 Unfair challenge on Mark Arber by Ryan Taylor results in a free kick. Tony Roberts restarts play with the free kick.
- 50:03 Unfair challenge on Ryan Taylor by Romain Vincelot results in a free kick. Andy Warrington restarts play with the free kick.
- 48:52 Adam Le Fondre is caught offside. Tony Roberts takes the free kick.
- 48:03 Corner taken right-footed by Danny Green from the right by-line, clearance made by Ian Sharps.
- 46:17 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Danny Green by Nick Fenton. The ball is crossed by Danny Green, Shot from close in by Jon Nurse misses to the left of the goal.
- 45:45 Effort on goal by Adam Le Fondre from just inside the area clears the crossbar.
- 45:16 Danny Green gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Gavin Gunning. Nick Fenton restarts play with the free kick.
- 45:01 The referee gets the second half underway.
- Half Time
- 45:00+2:20 The ref blows to end the first period.
- 45:00+1:23 Danny Harrison takes a shot. Blocked by Scott Doe.
- 45:00 Free kick awarded for a foul by Ryan Taylor on Jon Nurse. Tony Roberts restarts play with the free kick.
- 44:06 Josh Scott concedes a free kick for a foul on Ian Sharps. Andy Warrington takes the free kick.
- 43:28 Kevin Ellison takes a shot. Abu Ogogo gets a block in.
- 38:55 The assist for the goal came from Kevin Ellison.
- 38:55 GOAL - Ryan Taylor:Dag & Red 1 - 1 Rotherham Ryan Taylor finds the back of the net with a headed goal from inside the penalty area. Dag & Red 1-1 Rotherham.
- 37:57 Assist on the goal came from Damien McCrory.
- 37:57 GOAL - Paul Benson:Dag & Red 1 - 0 Rotherham Paul Benson finds the back of the net with a goal from inside the penalty box to the bottom right corner of the goal. Dag & Red 1-0 Rotherham.
- 35:46 Tony Roberts takes the direct free kick.
- 35:46 Booking The referee cautions Adam Le Fondre for unsporting behaviour.
- 34:44 Nicky Law takes the inswinging corner, Unfair challenge on Tony Roberts by Adam Le Fondre results in a free kick.
- 33:58 Paul Benson challenges Pablo Mills unfairly and gives away a free kick. Andy Warrington restarts play with the free kick.
- 32:44 Strike comes in from Danny Green from the free kick, save made by Andy Warrington.
- 32:44 Booking Ian Sharps is cautioned by the ref for unsporting behaviour.
- 32:11 Jon Nurse fouled by Ian Sharps, the ref awards a free kick.
- 29:52 Effort on goal by Romain Vincelot from 12 yards. Save by Andy Warrington.
- 27:47 Shot from a long way out by Peter Gain goes wide of the left-hand post.
- 26:46 Unfair challenge on Adam Le Fondre by Mark Arber results in a free kick. Free kick crossed left-footed by Kevin Ellison, save by Tony Roberts.
- 24:25 Paul Benson takes a shot. Save by Andy Warrington.
- 19:45 Pablo Mills handles the ball and concedes a free kick. Tony Roberts takes the free kick.
- 18:31 Inswinging corner taken by Kevin Ellison from the right by-line played to the near post, clearance made by Jon Nurse.
- 18:22 Ryan Taylor takes a shot. Mark Arber gets a block in.
- 17:50 Free kick awarded for a foul by Romain Vincelot on Kevin Ellison. Nick Fenton restarts play with the free kick.
- 17:26 Ryan Taylor takes a shot. Save by Tony Roberts.
- 16:28 Mark Arber concedes a free kick for a foul on Ryan Taylor. Andy Warrington restarts play with the free kick.
- 15:00 Headed effort from inside the box by Ryan Taylor misses to the right of the target.
- 11:56 Corner from the right by-line taken by Nicky Law, Headed effort from inside the area by Pablo Mills misses to the right of the goal.
- 10:35 Peter Gain challenges Pablo Mills unfairly and gives away a free kick. Nick Fenton restarts play with the free kick.
- 8:29 Josh Scott concedes a free kick for a foul on Ian Sharps. Free kick taken by Ian Sharps.
- 7:12 The referee blows for offside against Josh Scott. Free kick taken by Nick Fenton.
- 0:00 The referee starts the match.
Live text and data provided by The Press Association.
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