Rochdale vs Dagenham & Redbridge - match preview

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Man of the moment: Will Buckley is going for four goals in four games.

Rochdale are looking for a third straight victory to move them into the League Two play-off positions after their start to the season gathered pace with victory at Accrington Stanley last Sunday.

Dagenham & Redbridge are the visitors to Spotland on Saturday (4 October, kick off 3pm), and they will be looking to build on their own strong start to the campaign.

Dale boss Keith Hill is forced into one change from the side that beat both Chesterfield and Accrington in Dale's last two games. Full back Simon Ramsden pulled up with a calf injury in Sunday's game and faces at least a month on the sidelines. Scott Wiseman deputised at right back and he will start the game against Dagenham in Ramsden's absence.

Meanwhile flying winger Will Buckley goes in search of a fourth goal in as many games after his solo strike at Accrington moved Dale into the lead during the second half. The 18-year old has either scored or assisted six of Dale's last eight goals.

Despite the last two victories Keith Hill still expects more from his side. He described the performance against Chesterfield as poor and at Accrington he criticised his attacking players for not finishing the game off sooner, Dale having squandered numerous simple chances in the second half.

Assistant boss Dave Flitcroft is expecting a tough physical encounter against the Daggers, and has asked his side to match the work-rate and desire of the visitors. He said: "In our time here we have seemed to do well against the bigger teams.

"We can get the ball down, play around them and get in behind and that is something that we will be working on."

With Dale losing yet another player to injury after Ramsden joined Mark Jones, Kallum Higginbotham and Jon Shaw on the list of walking wounded, the Dale squad is looking slightly threadbare. With Wiseman stepping into a first team berth, Marcus Holness or Nathan D'Laryea could come onto the bench as defensive cover, although neither have played for the first team so far this season.

Dagenham currently lie sixth in the table but their impressive start to the season has stalled recently after only one win in their last four outings. A 1-1 draw with Rotherham at the weekend followed an away defeat at Wycombe so they will be looking to get back to winning ways at Spotland.

To do so the East London side will rely on the collective goalscoring strength Paul Benson, Sam Saunders and Ben Strevens, who have scored 14 of Dagenham's 18 league goals this season.

Flitcroft said: "Strevens and Benson never stop and that is infectious and spreads through the rest of the team. We have got to nullify those two and see off the aerial threat."

Dale were unbeaten against Dagenham during their first season in the league last season. Dale were fortunate to record a one goal win at Spotland thanks to a Danny Foster own goal and then Strevens cancelled out a Higginbotham strike in the return fixture.