Having a game at midday leaves little time for preparation and with a couple of last minute changes, Witham took too long to gel.
From the kick off, Witham kept Dagenham in their own half but could not turn pressure into points. Once Dagenham ventured into our half, we struggled to get rid of them. While they tried to bully their way through the pack it was spinning it out wide that gave them their breakthrough. Witham did not get enough of the ball but when we did, Ryan Logue and Dan Kerr showed how dangerous we could be. However Dagenham continued to stretch us and by half time had opened up a 17-0 lead.
Witham started the second half with vigour and spent the opening plays in attacking positions. Dan Kerr was denied a try and the pack were driving at the line relentlessly. When lee Bywater spotted Paul Cole drifting to the right, he sent the ball there. Cole had John Cox outside him and a slick pass gave Cox the chance to score. Witham looked to build on this and were straight back on the attack. A Dagenham breakaway got them into the Witham half and in spite of some big hits by Aaron Coombs and Sam, they got through to put an end to Witham hopes of a comeback. With no substitutes left, the Witham lads were tiring and a couple of late tries allowed Dagenham to add a few more points before the final whistle.
Man of the match was Ashley Rojas. A man who was in a coma with bacterial meningitis less than a year ago not only took to the field but showed some real skills and strength.