Gravesend & N 1 Dag and Red 2

JUST when they believed they had taken a giant stride forward following Saturday’s win at Tamworth, Gravesend & Northfleet took another step back with Tuesday night's defeat.

A last-minute Dagenham winner condemned the Fleet to a sixth home Conference defeat and left manager Andy Ford perplexed as to why his team are so much happier on their away days this season.

Having taken a first-half lead through Andy Drury, their most impressive player, the Fleet lost concentration in the second-half and paid the price for some appalling defending.

“I thought it was nip and tuck in the first-half when we badly needed the second goal,” said Ford. “Their goalkeeper didn’t have a save to make in the second-half, which tells its own story.

“Three points against Scarborough on Saturday is far more important than the FA Cup tie against Notts County.”

Though Steve Perkins lifted a golden opportunity over the bar deep into second-half stoppage time, a draw would have been less than Dagenham deserved after dominating the second period.

Drury, who with Rob Owen impressed throughout in the Fleet midfield, gave his side the lead in the 16th minute after Ben Walshe’s corner was flicked on by Owen.

Skipper Steve McKimm should have increased the Fleet’s advantage in the 37th minute after Drury’s pass had played him through. But Dagenham’s former Wales international goalkeeper Tony Roberts saved well, diving to his right.

With a good atmosphere inside the ground, despite the constant drizzle, the Fleet looked good enough to retain their lead until Dagenham came out with all guns blazing in the second-half.

Their unrelenting pressure paid off in the 52nd minute when Chris Piper equalised from Steve Watts’ pass with the home defence in disarray.

The Fleet were hanging on grimly for a point at the end when Watts grabbed the winner. Again a huge question mark was left hanging over the home defence as Watts was allowed a free header in a packed penalty area following Paul Bruce’s corner.

Gravesend: Wilkerson, McClements, Duku, Moore, Lee, Owen, McKimm, Perkins, Drury, Walshe, Oli. Substitutions: Strouts for McKimm 67 mins, Evans for Walshe 82 mins. Not used: O'Reilly, Hawworth, Shearer.

Attendance: 1,274.