Dagenham & Redbridge 2 Gravesend & Northfleet 1

GRAVESEND'S promotion dream finally died as they suffered defeat at Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday.

The visitors had a golden chance to go ahead on 15 minutes when Sam Saunders was adjudged to have fouled Peter Hawkins in the box, but Charlie MacDonald's tame penalty was comfortably saved by Tony Roberts.

He was made to pay less than three minutes later when Dagenham took the lead. Fleet wanted an offside flag that never came and Scott Griffiths found Ben Strevens unmarked to beat Lance Cronin.

But Fleet were level on 32 minutes when Ross Smith rose highest to head in Stacy Long's corner.

However, the home side regained the lead just four minutes later when an almost identical move saw Strevens head in Sam Sloma's corner.

Gravesend: Cronin, Hawkins, McCarthy, R Smith, Opinel, Slatter, Ricketts (Keeling 75), Long (Coleman 60), Moore (Sodje 66), Eribenne, MacDonald.
Subs Not Used: Mott, Coleman, Quinn.
Attendance: 3,021.

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