Nationwide Conference

Dagenham & Redbridge 1, Forest Green Rovers 1

A VASTLY improved performance from Forest Green Rovers on Saturday saw them peg back Dagenham & Redbridge through a Paul Wanless penalty, earning Rovers an important away point.

Wanless may well have been the scorer, but it was debutant Ryan Harley who won the pundits' praises with a smooth, professional performance in the heart of the visitors' midfield.

Rovers' manager Gary Owers made just two changes from the side that crashed out of the FA Cup to 'Daggers' the previous week. Damon Searle and Bruno Teixeira were moved to the bench with Luke Graham and Harley, on a month's loan from Bristol City, making the starting line-up.

The visitors started where they had left off just a week earlier - cautious, back-peddling and unsure of their capabilities. And so it came as no real surprise when they went behind as early as the sixth minute.

When Wanless gave away a pointless free kick on the edge of the box, Chris Moore fired past a static wall and inside Ryan Clarke's right-hand post. It was a carbon-copy of the previous week's debacle that had so much angered Owers.

The hosts continued to push and almost increased their lead when a cross by Rambir Marwa found Tresor Kandol in the six-yard box. Fortunately, his header found only the woodwork and not the net.

Suddenly, Rovers switched into gear with a self-belief not seen for some time. First, an Alex Meacham header was tipped over the bar by Tony Roberts and, seconds later, the keeper produced a spectacular save to turn Wanless' 25-yard volley around a post.

Rovers' upsurge told when on 34 minutes when Anwar Uddin tripped Julian Alsop in the box and referee Darren Cann pointed directly to the spot. It was Wanless who stepped up to send Roberts the wrong way to claim his seventh goal of the season.

Just before the break, Roberts again denied Rovers the lead. After Harley and Meechan had combined majestically, the latter's shot was again tipped around a post. Rovers looked a different outfit with Harley and Meechan working well together whilst a ragged-looking Daggers side resorted to playing the long ball for their forwards to run on to.

Even so, the hosts certainly weren't out of game and a shot by Glen Southam from the right channel could only be parried by Clarke before being cleared to safety.

At the other end, Alsop should have done better when put through by Meechan, but fired over with just the keeper to beat.

Harley, again, was denied with a super save by Roberts, so it was no surprise that the keeper was named Dagenham's man of the match. In a post-match comment, Owers stated: "We have worked hard all week to put things right and we are more than pleased with the performance."

Asked about Harley, he replied, "I was well aware of his abilities with Bristol City and I'm sure the lad enjoyed the match as well."