The Opposition: Dagenham & Redbridge

On Saturday, Barnet entertain Dagenham & Redbridge for what is really a local derby. The Daggers, who play at Victoria Road, are managed by former Barnet manager, John Still, who was at Barnet from 1997 to 2002 before he was replaced by Peter Shreeves. Still, twice, took the Bees to the League Division 3 play-offs though was not successful in taking them up.

In 1998, Barnet lost to Colchester United (3-2) and in 2000, they lost to Peterborough (5-1). John Still was manager when the Bees were relegated in 2001 to the Conference and resigned in February 2002 after a poor string of results.

Now, however, John Still is back as a league manager having guided the Daggers to the Nationwide Conference championship by a massive 14 points beating off many people's favourites, Oxford United in 2007.

Last season, at Victoria Road, the two sides drew 1-1 in a match that Barnet dominated and really should have won. Former Bee, Ben Strevens put the Daggers ahead early on, but Anthony Thomas equalised just before half time with a shot that broke the Daggers net.

In the return at Underhill, on Boxing Day, Barnet won comfortably by 3-1 with Jason Puncheon scoring a hat trick for the Bees.

The Daggers are having an excellent second season in League Two and are currently placed 5^th and are pushing hard for an automatic promotion place which would be an amazing achievement for such a small club.

Earlier this season, the Daggers knocked Barnet out of the Johnstones' Paint Trophy winning 4-2 at Victoria Road in a 1^st round tie. Adam Birchall scored both of the Barnet goals. In October, Barnet lost 2-0 in the league at Victoria Road.

Goalkeepers:

In goal is long serving Tony Roberts, a Welsh international and former QPR player, who joined the club in 2000. He played 122 games for QPR and has made over 300 appearances for the Daggers. He was voted player of the year for 2008. League Appearances for D&R: 330.

David Hogan is in his second season at Victoria Road and made his first appearance as a substitute against Altrincham. League Appearances for D&R: 0(1).

Ed Thompson is a former Wingate & Finchley player who made his first team debut last season. League Appearances for D&R: 3(1).

Defenders:

Mark Arber signed for the Daggers in the summer of 2008 following a loan spell at the club. He is a player well known to Barnet fans having joined the Bees in 1998 from Tottenham after a short loan spell at Underhill. He made nearly 200 appearances for Barnet, scoring 25 goals. He joined Peterborough in 2002 and spent two years at London road before moving to Oldham. He returned to the Posh 6 months later and made over 150 appearances in his two spells at Peterborough, scoring 9 goals. He has also played for Stevenage Borough. League Appearances for D&R: 42, Goals: 2.

Danny Foster is a former Tottenham youth player, who signed in 2004. League Appearances for D&R: 147(1), Goals: 2.

Jon Boardman is an England National Game international, who was signed from Rochdale earlier this year and was formerly at Woking, where he made over 100 appearances for the Cards. League Appearances for D&R: 31(5).

Magnus Okuonghae is a former Crawley Town and Rushden and Diamonds player. He joined the Daggers in 2007. League Appearances for D&R: 32(1), Goals: 2.

Matt Ritchie is on loan from Portsmouth. League Appearances for D&R: 13(1), Goals: 5.

Anwar Uddin is a former Bristol Rovers defender. He joined the Daggers in 2004. League Appearances for D&R: 170(5), Goals: 6.

Scott Griffiths is a young player signed from Aveley in 2004 and who has attracted a number of league scouts. League Appearances for D&R: 167(2), Goals: 3.

Midfield:

Peter Gain began his career at Tottenham as a youngster and moved to Lincoln City in 1999 after a short loan spell. He made over 200 appearances for the Imps scoring 22 goals in 6 years before joining Peterborough. He moved to Dagenham in the 2008 January transfer window. League Appearances for D&R: 41, Goals: 1.

Sam Saunders joined the Daggers from Carshalton Athletic in 2005. He has also played for QPR, Welling and Ashford Town. League Appearances for D&R: 93(13), Goals: 13.

Shane Huke was a 2007 summer signing from Peterborough United. League Appearances for D&R: 31(6), Goals: 2.

Glen Southam is another signing from Bishops Stortford who joined the club in 2004 and has now played over 150 games for the club, scoring 24 goals. League Appearances for D&R: 173(10), Goals: 24.

Richard Graham, a player well known to all Bees' fans, who left Underhill in the summer of 2007 to join Dagenham. Tricky was one of the stars of Barnet's Conference Championship winning side of 2005. He was formerly with QPR and Kettering and made nearly 100 appearances for the Bees scoring 7 goals. He was out for most of last season though injury. He is currently on loan at Kettering Town. League Appearances for D&R: 7(5).

Soloman Taiwo joined the Daggers in November 2007 from Sutton United. He has also played for Millwall, Charlton, Maidenhead, Weymouth, Windsor & Eton and Bromley. League Appearances for D&R: 27(6), Goals: 3.

Strikers:

Paul Benson, the club's leading goalscorer in their Conference winning season of 2006/07, was signed from lower league club White Ensign in 2005 and has scored 38 goals for the Daggers. League Appearances for D&R: 98(17), Goals: 48

Jon Nurse signed in the summer of 2007 from Stevenage Borough and was previously with Sutton United. League Appearances for D&R: 30(19), Goals: 3.

Mark Nwokeji was signed in May 2008 from Staines Town. He scored 33 goals last season for the Ryman Premier League club. He has also played for Walton & Hersham. League Appearances for D&R: 1(11), Goals: 2.

************************************************************************

PLAYER TO WATCH

Ben Strevens is another former Barnet crowd favourite and was in the Barnet side that won the Nationwide Conference the previous season as well as being in the side that went down from the football league in 2001. Strevens spent 7 years at Underhill before leaving shortly before the end of the 2005/06 season. He made over 200 appearances for the Bees, scoring 45 goals, including the goal that clinched promotion from the Conference, against Halifax in 2005. He joined the daggers from Crawley Town in December 2006 and won a second Conference championship medal when the Daggers won the Conference in 2007.League Appearances for D&R: 72(17), Goals: 30.

************************************************************************