Barnet strive to consolidate their early status at the summit of the National League table by successfully navigating back-to-back games in quick succession over this extended Bank Holiday weekend.
The first entails a short journey across the capital to face Dagenham & Redbridge, against whom they have lost the last five meetings, including two visits to Victoria Road by the extraordinary scorelines of 7-3 then 5-4.
Yet the current nature of both teams drastically defy their recent history; each have a draw on the board, but Barnet have won, and Dagenham have lost, all three other games so far. Most recently, the Bees defeated Woking, while Daggers were edged out in Maidenhead.
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Team News
Daggers' already thin squad has been ravaged by injuries during the opening fortnight, prompting Ben Strevens to outline his desire for an inquest into the alarming rate at which his side are sustaining them.
In the most serious one, Tom Eastman will face up to three months in the treatment room with a hamstring issue, while fellow summer signing Lewis Page has been absent since early in the second game when he was forced off in the second game, although is believed to be nearing a return.
Likewise, midfielder Conor Lawless, who was victim of a robust challenge at home to Gateshead just under a fortnight ago. David Longe-King and Josh Hare have also been unavailable, plus main goalscorer Inih Effiong collapsed after the final whistle last weekend, so may not be deemed ready to play for a while.
In seismic contrast, Barnet have a relatively clean bill of health. Sam Beard and Jerome Okimo have been absent recently, but neither are expected to be out for too long. Dean Brennan therefore has a very strong cohort at his disposal for the trip to Dagenham.
Zak Brunt, pictured here for Boreham Wood in their play-off semi final at Notts County in May, scored both goals for his new club last weekend. (Photo by Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Key Players
Myles Weston Dagenham & Redbridge, Winger
Few have stood out from a positive standpoint at Dagenham this season, but in Myles Weston they continue to have a reliable creator, albeit on whom they are overly reliant given his age of 35. The veteran winger lead a one-man pursuit of a leveller away to Maidenhead last weekend, bulldozing down the line and delivering crosses into the box, with little by way of purposeful running elsewhere. It's testament to this reliability that he has only been absent from five matchday squads in three years.
Zak Brunt Barnet, Midfielder
A master technician with the ability to dictate a game's tempo with his diverse variation of passing, Zak Brunt has previously impressed while on loan at Southend United and Boreham Wood, before joining Barnet this summer in a real coup for them. He has already made a big impression there, scoring both goals in victory over Woking last Saturday. The second was a sumptuous curler which really underlined his class, and bore uncanny resemblance to one he struck on his last trip to Victoria Road, for Boreham Wood last campaign.
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Predicted Lineups
Dagenham & Redbridge | Elliot Justham ©; Lewis Page, Harry Phipps, Nikola Tavares, Sam Ling; Jake Hessenthaler, Omar Mussa, Frank Vincent; Charley Kendall, Sydney Ibie, Myles Weston
Barnet | Laurie Walker; Ben Coker, Danny Collinge, Adebola Oluwo, Finley Potter, Reece Hall-Johnson; Anthony Hartigan, Harry Pritchard, Zak Brunt; Nicke Kabamba, Idris Kanu
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Match Details
Where is the game being played?
Victoria Road is the venue, where Dagenham manager Ben Strevens is still awaiting his first victory since taking charge in mid-March.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off is 3pm. Seven other fixtures take place in the division at the same time, with Hartlepool v Fylde set back to 5.30pm for television coverage, and all others being the night before.
How can I watch?
The match is not being broadcast on TNT Sports or the National League's own streaming channel (except to overseas viewers). The best way to follow the action is therefore via Dagenham's audio commentary on Mixlr.
