Dagenham and Redbridge v Bury (From Bury Times)

Dagenham and Redbridge v Bury

9:40am Friday 11th December 2009

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SHAKERS manager Alan Knill is hoping lightning strikes twice when he takes his team to east London tomorrow.

Bury notched one of their most impressive results last season when they turned over their promotion rivals 3-1 on their own patch.

It confirmed the Gigg Lane side as genuine contenders, and Knill is looking forward to upsetting the fifth-placed Daggers once again.

“That was a key result for us,” said Knill. “They started really well and Wayne Brown kept us in the game, but we played well after that and deserved to win the game.

“It is always a difficult place to go but if we want to get another win and maintain our progress.

“It’s a tough game for us, but it’s also going to be tough for them.”

Knill is full of praise for the way Dagenham manager John Still has moulded a successful team by raiding the non-league market — but admits a similar strategy would be difficult to follow at Gigg Lane.

Still has negated the loss of several key players in the summer by replacing them almost seamlessly by plundering from the lower levels.

Just down the road from Gigg Lane, local rivals Rochdale snapped up Craig Dawson from Radcliffe Borough for a nominal fee and he is being tipped for a seven figure move to Premiership giants Tottenham Hotspur in the January transfer window.

Knill keeps a close eye on the local non-league scene himself, but admits it is not easy to find the finances to get the quality players in.

“John Still has done a really good job,” said Knill. “He knows the non-league scene well and if he loses someone he just brings another quality player in.

“We do keep an eye on things around here but it’s unfortunate that you have to pay for these players.

“It’s difficult for us to find the £10,000-£15,000 needed to get these type of players in.

“There are plenty of players out there but it is about finding the funds.

“The Conference is, for example, too expensive and we can’t shop there. We have to look lower than that.”

Winger Michael Jones, who opened the scoring in the same fixture last season, is expected to return to the Bury squad after a knee injury. Andy Bishop, Danny Carlton, Ryan Cresswell, Damien Allen and Tom Elliott remain sidelined.

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