Looking to boost their chances of automatic promotion, Forest Green Rovers will welcome Dagenham & Redbridge to The Bolt New Lawn for a National League fixture on Wednesday night.
The Rovers are enjoying a sensational unbeaten run in the fifth tier of English football, whilst the Daggers are hurtling towards mid-table mediocrity.
Match preview
© Imago
After back-to-back 24th-placed finishes in League One and League Two in 2023 and 2024 respectively, Forest Green Rovers are now plying their humble trade in the National League, with the environmentally-friendly club aiming for an immediate return to the EFL in the calendar year of 2025.
Since a National League Cup defeat to the academy side of Wolverhampton Wanderers on December 18, the Rovers have enjoyed a four-game unbeaten streak across the fifth tier and the FA Trophy, a competition in which they defeated Chorley on Saturday to advance into the fifth round.
Focusing on league matters, Forest Green currently boast a 13-game unbeaten run in the National League stretching back to a meeting with Oldham Athletic in late September, with Steve Cotterill's men occupying second spot in the fifth-tier standings, one point behind pacesetters York City.
Amid a 13-game unbeaten streak in the National League, the Rovers should be very confident of earning maximum points on Wednesday night at The New Lawn, especially considering that they are yet to taste defeat across 11 home matches in the division during 2024-25, winning eight contests.
Ending their 2024 schedule with successive losses in the National League to Wealdstone and Braintree Town, New Year's Day represented a fresh start for Dagenham & Redbridge, who secured a comfortable victory at the home of whipping boys Ebbsfleet United.
It appeared as if the Daggers would be held to a frustrating spilt of the points by the worst side in the fifth tier following a goalless opening 45, but the visitors reached another level in the second period, when both Shiloh Remy and Jake Hessenthaler netted their maiden league goals of the term.
After collecting a respectable tally of six points from their most recent quartet of fifth-tier encounters, Dagenham are currently sitting in 15th spot in the National League rankings, eight points from Rochdale in seventh and eight points ahead of Maidenhead United in the highest of the relegation spots.
Winning just two of their 12 National League away matches this term, the Daggers will not be full of confidence heading to The New Lawn for a testing match against a Forest Green side who are gunning for the title and automatic promotion.
Team News
After bagging a brilliant brace in the FA Trophy success over Chorley last time out, Joe Quigley will be looking for another start on Wednesday night for Forest Green.
Netting eight goals and providing six assists so far in the National League, Kyle McAllister is the star of the show for Rovers and should shine in this clash.
Following a rare clean sheet at bottom side Ebbsfleet last time out, Dagenham should stick with a centre-back trio of Paul Kalambayi, Sam Ling and Trent Rendall.
As a result, there will be a number of disappointed players who remain on the bench for the Daggers, including 21-year-old Oscar Rutherford.
Forest Green Rovers possible starting lineup:
Ward; Long, Inniss, Moore-Taylor, Robson; McAllister, Sercombe, May, Osadebe; Doidge, Quigley
Dagenham & Redbridge possible starting lineup:
Justham; Rendall, Ling, Kalambayi; N'Guessan, Hessenthaler, Stephenson, Hill; Remy, Rees, Phipps
We say: Forest Green Rovers 2-0 Dagenham & Redbridge
Unbeaten at home so far this season in the National League, Forest Green should have no problems when Dagenham come to The New Lawn on Wednesday night, so we are expecting a routine home success for the Rovers.
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Carter White
